Healthier Sairé: a intersectorial policy as a turning point for local equity

Public health studies see intersectoriality as a strategy to promote equity in addressing the social determinants of health. The municipality of Sairé, a member of the Healthy Pernambuco Municipalities Network (RPMS), stands out for its adoption of an intersectorial policy, named A Healthier Sairé. This present study examines how this policy has promoted local equity. It was a case study using a timeline to record critical events, analysis of documents, interviews and participant observation. Actor-Network Theory (ANT) was used as a theoretical reference, and showed how adoption of the municipal policy had been central in promoting local empowerment and equity. The results, based on the timeline, demonstrate that initially it was necessary to obtain a cognitive translation, conducted through the direct influence and responsibility of the RPMS, which facilitated a second, strategic translation, with the construction of a policy anchored on the municipal program - which is currently being translated logistically into concrete actions directed towards equity. Key factors in this process for promoting local equity were: the role of strategic leadership; the value given to training; and the retention and use of structures that had previously been built.