Researchers and professionals from the Research Unit on Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Inequalities (SEDHI) met in person for the third time in a meeting held between April 13 and 17, in the state of Bahia. The event featured a diverse program, including workshops, presentations, field visits, and in-depth discussions on the progress of the research, as well as planning the activities scheduled for the final 13 months of the project. Fiotec was represented by professionals from its International Projects team, which is responsible for the shared management of initiatives funded by international sources.

The SEDHI Research Unit is composed of researchers from Brazil, Ecuador, and the United Kingdom, and is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Its main objective is to develop studies that analyze the impacts of public policies on social inequalities in health. From a broader perspective, the initiative seeks to establish itself as a reference in Latin America in this field of research, contributing to policy formulation and decision-making that promote improvements in the population’s health conditions.

In addition to the lectures and workshops held in Salvador, on April 16 a visit was made to the Quilombo Engenho da Ponte, located in the municipality of Cachoeiras, in the Recôncavo region of Bahia. According to analyst Erica Nascimento, the experience enabled direct contact with the reality experienced by this community, which faces significant limitations in infrastructure and access to essential services. Among the challenges observed are difficulties in accessing the territory, which is currently served by a single dirt road that is often rendered impassable during periods of heavy rainfall, as well as the need for improvements in the areas of education and healthcare. The opportunity to experience in loco situations that, in everyday work, are often analyzed only through data and reports proves to be extremely enriching. “Listening to the accounts of the researchers and the communities involved, as well as getting to know one of the territories participating in the study at first hand, broadens the understanding of the concrete impact of the initiatives developed,” she reports. For Erica, “this experience reinforces the importance of managing the administered resources and highlights their relevance in promoting real improvements in the population’s quality of life.”