The Joaquim Venâncio Polytechnic School of Health (EPSJV) hosted the Workshop of the project “Human Resources in Health in the Context of Covid-19: Strengthening Capacities to Improve the Response of Health Systems” on August 12th and 13th. The focus was on developing the capacity of healthcare professionals in remote and underserved areas. During the event, the first results of the research project were presented.

The workshop featured participants such as Gabriel Listosvky, Maria Isabel Duré, and Monica Durães, representing PAHO/WHO; Dercio Santiago, from the Observatory of Human Resources in Health at the Institute of Social Medicine at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (IMS/UERJ); Sebastian Tobar, from the Center for International Relations in Health (Cris/Fiocruz); Gabriel Muntaabski, coordinator of Argentina's National Nursing Program (Pronafe) and a researcher on the project alongside Fernando Santoro; Bethania Ramos Meireles and Luis Carlos Nunes Vieira, from the Secretariat of Labor Management and Health Education of the Ministry of Health (SGTES/MS) of Brazil.

Representing EPSJV were Director Anamaria Corbo; Deputy Director of Education and Information, Ingrid D'avilla; International Cooperation Coordinator, Carlos Batistella; and Coordinator of the Observatory of Health Technicians, Márcia Valéria Morosini, among other staff members.

The project report is available for download, and its results were presented to the public on August 20th during the "WEB Seminar Series: The CVSP and the Training of Health Technicians."

During the workshop, Gabriel Listovsky and Isabel Duré celebrated the partnership with EPSJV and the fact that the school contributes to the conceptualization of technicians and their continuous training needs, which helps PAHO disseminate a better understanding of the role of these professionals in the Americas. "I am very pleased after reading the report on the progress of the work. It is an honor to work with EPSJV and continue learning. This is the first product of the continuation of our collaboration," said Listovsky. "It is important to highlight the synergy of competencies for the continuity of our collaboration," added Duré.

Anamaria Corbo highlighted the similarity between the challenges faced by PAHO in offering courses to technicians on the Virtual Campus and the political debate promoted by EPSJV in the context of the 4th National Conference on Labor Management and Health Education. "The need for better identification and conceptualization of these technicians in the Americas aligns with the expanded conception of technicians, topics we chose to address at the Free Conference promoted by the school and partners. The data you reveal in the report reflects the reality we live in Brazil, where technicians seeking self-instructional courses are in search of qualification," she commented.

Presentation of "More Health with Agent"

During the workshop, Bethania Ramos Meirelles and Luis Carlos Nunes Vieira presented the results of the first edition of the "Health with Agent Program" and the challenges for the second edition, now called "More Health with Agent," to inform PAHO professionals and possibly incorporate best practices into the Virtual Campus.

This Ministry of Health initiative, which in its second edition includes EPSJV's participation, expands the offering of courses for Community Health Agents (ACS) and Endemic Disease Control Agents (ACE).

For the new edition of the program, the Curriculum Matrix is being revised to update course content and enhance the agents' welcoming skills, addressing issues such as gender, race, and sexuality equity; mental health; and care for people who abuse alcohol and other drugs. Elective courses will cover topics such as agroecology and the health of rural, forest, and water-dwelling communities.

"The field of technical education has been relegated to the private sector, and this needs to be reconsidered. EPSJV is a major reference in this area," celebrated Luis Carlos, regarding the school's participation in the project. "Here at Deges (Department of Health Education Management), we are very pleased with the dialogue with PAHO regarding the Virtual Campus of Public Health, especially in our coordination of technical education," stated Bethania, noting that the first edition of the program made it clear that "students are eager to complete the training process and obtain their diploma, as evidenced by the very low dropout rate in a course that lasted 54 weeks."

EPSJV Deputy Director of Education, Ingrid D'avilla, highlighted the increased participation of public technical and health schools in SUS (Brazilian Unified Health System) in this second edition of the program. "We (EPSJV) are investing our own resources in this program because we believe in the project and see the need for georeferencing the classes, something that will help preceptors in organizing students in their different territories. Our participation in this second edition of the program reaffirms the capacity of public education institutions to influence the training of technical workers in SUS, against the prevailing logic that leads 80% of them to be trained in private institutions," she emphasized.

Márcia Valéria Morosini, Coordinator of the Observatory of Health Technicians (OTS), celebrated the progress made by public managers in recent years regarding the need for training health technicians, although she noted that other challenges remain, such as the recognition of these professionals. "These workers do need training; we used to see managers who didn't even consider this necessity. However, the health system continues to bring in untrained professionals, and the policies need to be permanent, and these agents need recognition to stay in the network," she argued.

Research Results

The workshop analyzed data collected on PAHO's Virtual Campus of Public Health, aiming to deepen knowledge about the technicians who attend courses in this virtual learning environment. The goal was to identify best practices that would serve to adapt existing courses and support the creation of new ones.

The research analyzed the CVSP databases for the period 2018-2023 in the Americas, where 407 courses were offered, 219 of which were in Spanish, 127 in English, 44 in Portuguese, and 17 in French. The courses were offered in 24 thematic areas of public health. Approximately 340,000 health technicians enrolled during the analyzed period, with a significant increase in new enrollments during the Covid-19 pandemic—399% compared to the period immediately prior.

In the post-pandemic period, individuals under 40 years of age constituted 59.3% of the students, with exponential growth in those under 20. These workers are primarily located in hospitals (39.72%), except for community agents, who are mostly found in health centers.

Nursing is the primary profession described by students, representing 78.8% of technical enrollments in the post-pandemic period. Of the remaining percentage, 50% are concentrated in four groups: community agents, laboratory technicians, medical secretaries, and ambulance assistants.

Five countries represent 89.60% of the students: Mexico (43.10%), Colombia (30.24%), Ecuador (9.85%), Argentina (3.39%), and Chile (3.03%).

The five most sought-after courses account for 41.8% of enrollments. These courses are: "Diagnosis and Clinical Management of Dengue," "Basic Precautions: Hand Hygiene," "Fundamentals of Palliative Care," "Implementation of the HEARTS Package in Primary Health Care," and "Automated Blood Pressure Measurement." Two themes dominate preferences, representing 49.26%: "Non-communicable diseases" and "Epidemic response."

The main preference is for courses lasting 8 to 24 hours, which account for 50.51% of enrollments; the second most sought-after option (20.61%) is courses lasting up to one hour.

Based on the results, recommendations were established, such as: adapting the classification of professions; implementing modifications to the registration system to reduce the option to enroll under the "Other" category; identifying factors that positively influence course enrollment through qualitative and quantitative research; creating a database on the number and location of health technicians in the Americas; improving communication about course offerings through the Virtual Campus; and strengthening strategic alliances with governments, educational institutions, and technician networks to enhance communication.