President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sanctioned this Friday (20th), at the Planalto Palace, the bill that now considers community health agents and agents fighting endemic diseases as health professionals. With the change, these workers are now able to accumulate public office, something only allowed for health and education professionals, in addition to being assured better working conditions, such as receiving additional unhealthy work and other benefits accessible precisely to health professionals defined as such. in law.
“I am extremely emotional. Until then, we were considered health workers, and not professionals. This was detrimental to several issues, including our insalubrity”, says Hermelina Pereira Canxangá, a community health agent for 20 years and who works in Recanto das Emas, administrative region of the Federal District.
The text had been approved by the National Congress on December 21 and was awaiting the sanction to come into force. In the country, there are 265,000 community agents, who work in the field of Family Health, in disease prevention and health promotion in home, community, individual and collective actions. In addition to them, another 61,000 professionals combating endemic diseases work in epidemiological and environmental surveillance, disease prevention and control.
“I would like to highlight the role of community health agents, and agents to combat endemic diseases, understanding their role as health agents, who can monitor our population more closely, close to homes, territories, contributing to the care for basic health care”, said the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade.
According to the Ministry of Health, health agents in activity in the country have their salaries paid in full with funds transferred by the federal government. In 2022, R$ 7.8 billion were committed. For 2023, the allocation of BRL 9.9 billion is expected, an increase of 27%.
