A implementação do programa saúde na escola em Pelotas/RS: um estudo qualitativo com profissionais da saúde e da educação

Abstract

The School Health Program (PSE) is a governmental initiative jointly implemented by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education in 2007. Its objective is to contribute to the comprehensive development of children and adolescents through actions aimed at health promotion, prevention, and care. This qualitative research aimed to understand the implementation process of the program in the municipality of Pelotas/RS, with an emphasis on intersectorality and health promotion, as well as to analyze the execution of activities from the perspective of different actors and institutional contexts. The primary methodological strategy for data collection involved semi-structured interviews and field diary records. Eight professionals participated in the study, including three nurses, one physician, three educational coordinators, and one school principal. Data were analyzed using the methodology of Discursive Textual Analysis (ATD).The main findings indicate that the program still exhibits sectoral and fragmented characteristics, largely influenced by a biomedical model, with little variation across the different contexts studied. However, it was observed that when the university, the main support network for the program, was actively involved, the actions took on a more intersectoral, health promotion, and interdisciplinary character, in line with the theoretical foundations of the PSE. Additionally, the research revealed the presence of deep social inequalities in the territories analyzed. In this context, the PSE, when properly implemented, shows potential to work synergistically with other public policies, contributing to the reduction of health inequities from early stages of life, such as childhood and adolescence.