Health surveillance of populations exposed to pesticides: agroecology and social participation

ABSTRACT Health surveillance of populations exposed to pesticides foresee the development of actions in a continuous and systematic way, in an intersectoral and participatory perspective, to support health promotion, with food and nutritional security and sovereignty, thus establishing a direct link with agroecology. This article aimed to analyze the development of the proposal in Pernambuco, considering articulation with agroecology and social participation. Documents of the federal government and the State Health Department of Pernambuco available on websites were analysed, based on two main categories: agroecology and social participation. Among the main results, the following stand out: a) the development of health promotion actions articulated with social movements, in accordance with the National Plan for Agroecology and Organic Production; b) the design and monitoring of actions in an intersectoral group; c) training of health professionals and rural workers based on the principles of agroecology; d) the implementation of the pesticide applicator portfolio, as a strategy for popular health surveillance. The proposal incorporated principles of agroecology in intersectoral and health promotion actions, with important social participation. The adopted practices represent an important strategy to overcome the biomedical clinical model of health surveillance.