Encouraging Civic Engagement Through Public Health Audits

 
In its most recent work, ACECCI trained 30 volunteers to audit 12 primary healthcare clinics in Jardim, in the Cariri region of Ceará. All of the volunteers were local residents committed to improving public health in their city. The audit revealed several shortcomings which were then compiled in a 63-page document. Some of the shortcomings include: medicine shortages, poor storage of medical equipment, lack of medical equipment, and need for facility repairs.

The initiative helps to make local and state government accountable for their responsibilities for public health, education and infrastructure. Each audit by ACECCI inspects the quality of the public services, analyzing: work conditions for staff, equipment quality, the state of the building’s infrastructure, medical supplies, and operational management. After performing the visits, a report documenting the findings is prepared, publicly announced, and distributed to politicians and government officials, providing deadlines of up to 120 days to fix the problems.

These audits train and encourage civil society to pay closer attention to and monitor local spending, and is spreading to several other towns.

You can access the complete audit report here (in Portuguese).

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