This study evaluated the implementation of the School Health Program (PSE in Portuguese) in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, the mechanisms favoring inter-sector action, and municipal administrators' perceptions concerning inter-sector collaboration. A case study was developed with document search and the application of an online questionnaire. The document search analyzed federal and municipal legislation on the PSE published in the Federal Register and Municipal Register and news on the program published in the Municipal Register. A semi-structured online questionnaire was completed by 30 municipal administrators. Content analysis was used on the qualitative data from the document search and questionnaire. The quantitative data were interpreted by descriptive analysis using Stata v. 13. Integrative mechanisms were identified in the federal and municipal provisions and in the unique PSE model adopted by the city. These mechanisms can potentially promote permanent linkage between health and education. However, the study with municipal administrators showed limited use of these mechanisms and the predominance of a sector-based logic in the program. There was evident difficulty in developing inter-sector collaboration in the program's activities. The potentialities of inter-sector action identified in the official documents and described in the institutional news failed to reverberate in either the administrators' practices or the impact on the schools' territories.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the annual variation of oral health and primary care coverage, the tooth extraction ratio, and the average of supervised toothbrushing in Brazilian municipalities according to social development and population size. METHODS: Public secondary data were analyzed. The outcomes were health service indicators (oral health coverage, primary health care coverage, tooth extraction ratio, and average of supervised tooth brushing) estimated for all Brazilian municipalities annually from 2008 to 2015. Mixed-effect multilevel regression models with random intercept and slopes were fitted with a cross-interaction term to estimate the annual percent variation according to the Municipal Human Development Index (MHDI) and population size. RESULTS: Municipalities with low MHDI presented an annual increase in oral health and primary care coverage of 2.65% and 2.23%, respectively, which was significantly higher than municipalities with medium and high MHDI. Oral health and primary care coverage were 69.26% and 35.00% lower among municipalities with a large population. Municipalities with medium and high MHDI showed an annual decrease in tooth extractions of 5.15% and 5.02%, respectively. An annual decrease was observed in the average of supervised toothbrushing of 9.81% and 4.57% in municipalities with low and medium MHDI, respectively. The tooth extraction ratio was higher among larger municipalities; the relation is inverse for supervised toothbrushing. CONCLUSIONS: The access to primary care and oral health services increased in Brazil, while a decrease occurred in mutilating treatment and provision of preventive actions, with disparities among municipalities with different MHDI levels over time.

An integrated intersectoral care model promises to meet complex needs to promote early child development and address health determinants and inequities. Nevertheless, there is a lack of understanding of actors’ interactions in producing intersectoral collaboration networks. The present study aimed to analyze the intersectoral collaboration in the social protection network involved in promoting early child growth and development in Brazilian municipalities. Underpinned by the tenets of actor-network theory, a case study was conducted with data produced from an educational intervention, entitled “Projeto Nascente.” Through document analysis (ecomaps), participant observation (in Projeto Nascente seminars), and interviews (with municipal management representatives), our study explored and captured links among actors; controversies and resolution mechanisms; the presence of mediators and intermediaries; and an alignment of actors, resources, and support. The qualitative analysis of these materials identified three main themes: (1) agency fragility for intersectoral collaboration, (2) attempt to form networks, and (3) incorporation of fields of possibilities. Our findings revealed that intersectoral collaboration for promoting child growth and development is virtually non-existent or fragile, and local potential is missed or underused. These results emphasized the scarcity of action by mediators and intermediaries to promote enrollment processes to intersectoral collaboration. Likewise, existing controversies were not used as a mechanism for triggering changes. Our research supports the need to mobilize actors, resources, management, and communication tools that promote processes of interessement and enrollment in favor of intersectoral collaboration policies and practices for child development.

Integrated and intersectoral interventions early in life have the greatest potential to address social inequities, ensuring better opportunities for access to child development support services. The “Projeto Nascente” (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and Ministry of Health, Brazil) sought to qualify health and other sectors professionals in actions to promote and monitor early child development, in primary health care. One of its focuses was to stimulate the intersectoral actions to promote child development. The research analyzed the intersectoral network in 31 municipalities in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, participating in the 'Projeto Nascente'. A case study with a qualitative approach was developed using document research on the professionals' perception regarding intersectoral networking. The material was ecomaps elaborated by professionals during the training of the “Projeto Nascente”. The ecomaps represented the local intersectoral networks. Initially, 29 ecomaps from eleven municipalities were analyzed. Social Protection, Education, Sports, Culture, churches and non-governmental organizations were cited. Other health services were also included. All ecomaps were represented with the family health team in a central position with the other services around them. In municipalities with more than one ecomap, there was no uniformity neither in the services nor in the quality of the relationships represented. A closer relationship between Education and Social Protection was noticed. However, the quality of the relationships often seemed stressful. Health professionals reported that they invest more energy in relationships than other sectors. Sport and Culture, although less mentioned, seem to be potential partners for new collaborations. The emergence of other health services seems to reflect the fragmentation of the health sector, as well as evidence of the conceptual confusion surrounding intersectoral collaboration. Key messages The identification and mapping of the services networking aimed at promoting child development are essential steps in the process of stimulating and reflecting on intersectoral collaboration. The centrality and self-perceived protagonism of the health professionals may not be the best way to involve and count on the participation of other sectors in intersectoral collaboration.

Este estudo teórico reconstrói as principais categorias conceituais que orientam a ação intersetorial, a partir da experiência empírica dos autores cotejada com a literatura sobre o tema. O texto está organizado como um glossário e apresenta treze termos selecionados: agenda, colaboração intersetorial, conflito, governança, governança colaborativa, indivíduo, mecanismo integrador, modelo de gestão, parceria, processo comunicativo, setor, sustentabilidade, território. A partir desses conceitos estruturantes foi desenvolvido um modelo das dimensões da colaboração intersetorial: dimensão política, dimensão técnica e dimensão da interação. Todas elas inter-relacionadas e produtoras de mecanismos de integração e de sustentação para a colaboração intersetorial. Espera-se oferecer repertório e campos de possibilidades que, ao promoverem um melhor entendimento da prática intersetorial, facilitarão o uso desta estratégia no desenvolvimento de políticas públicas de corte social, assim como contribuirão no delineamento de pesquisas sobre o tema. As definições e reflexões daqui extraídas confirmam a complexidade da colaboração intersetorial e a necessidade da busca de suporte em diferentes áreas do conhecimento, tanto para sua construção quanto para sua efetivação como prática geradora de equidade e justiça social.

Resumo Objetivo Comparar o desempenho das equipes de saúde bucal (ESBs) das modalidades I e II no processo de trabalho e as diferenças entre regiões brasileiras. Métodos Estudo transversal, com dados das ESBs que aderiram ao Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica (2013-2014). A análise de classes latentes identificou subgrupos de ESBs segundo desempenho (consolidado, em desenvolvimento ou incipiente) no processo de trabalho (planejamento das ações; promoção da saúde; atenção integral). Comparadas as modalidades, obteve-se o índice de disparidade. Resultados Avaliadas 15.886 ESBs, as da modalidade II apresentaram maior percentual de processo de trabalho consolidado nas regiões Sudeste (67,8 a 94,6%) e Sul (54,8 a 93,0%); observou-se maior disparidade no processo de trabalho consolidado entre ESBs da modalidade II (6,3 a 26,5), comparadas à modalidade I (3,9 a 18,4). Conclusão ESBs da modalidade II guardam potencial para melhor desempenho no processo de trabalho, com disparidades regionais.