From anonymity to evidence:

the invisible work of the Health Promotion Agent during the pandemic period in the Prison System

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18554/reas.8428

Abstract

The prison system often idealizes that Persons Deprived of Liberty (PPL), because they are in a controlled environment, would have greater access to health actions and services. However, the reality appears to be quite different. The objective of the study is to analyze the situation of public policies in the prison system during the pandemic period and highlight the lack of implementation of Health Promoting Agents (AgPS). 24 AgPS were interviewed, using structured scripts. The effectiveness of health systems and policies aimed at PPL is questioned, as, in practice, they are failing to fulfill one of the main objectives: overcoming the difficulties imposed by the restriction of freedom, which hinder full and effective access to health services. . This study highlights the need to rethink and improve health policies in the prison system, and implement them appropriately.

Author Biographies

  • Weslen Santana Padilha, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz

    PhD in Public Health from the Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health (ENSP) - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) - Rio de Janeiro (Thesis approved with Honors and Nominated for the CAPES Award); Master in Public Health from the Federal University of Mato Grosso with a period of International Mobility at the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança - Portugal - Europe (2016 - 2018); Specialist in: Public Health Nursing with Emphasis on Health Surveillance from DNA Postgraduate; Auditing in Health Services from DNA Postgraduate; Occupational Nursing from DNA Postgraduate; Nursing in Health of Indigenous Peoples from DNA Postgraduate; Field Epidemiology - EpiSUS from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz - DF); Family Health from the Regional University of Cariri (URCA); Integrated Multiprofessional Training in Continuing Education in Health from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (2014-2015); Public Management from the Federal Institute of Mato Grosso and Open University of Brazil (2017-2018); Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from the Federal University of Mato Grosso (2013/2) - with Generalist qualification; Bachelor's Degree in Biomedicine from the Faculty of Cuiabá (2014/1) with qualification in the areas of Clinical Analysis and Imaging; Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education (interrupted) from the Federal University of Mato Grosso (2017/1); Member of the research group of the National School of Public Health (ENSP) - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) called "VISAT Multipliers" led by Prof. Dr. Luiz Carlos Fadel de Vasconcellos and at the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT) of the CNPq Research Groups Directory: "Health, experience, culture and society" led by Prof. Dr. Reni Barsaglini; "Evaluation of the development and results of the PET-Health Interprofessionality Program" led by Prof. Dr. Neuci Cunha dos Santos; Lines of research interest: Public Health; Workers' Health; Human Rights and Health; Health in prisons; Emerging diseases in the Prison System; Natural History of Disease; Determination of Health-Disease Processes; Communicable Diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Infections; Health of Vulnerable Groups; Continuing Education in Health and Health Training. Professor and Tutor (distance [moodle] and in person) of technical, higher and postgraduate levels (Theory and Practice); Creator of the mobile application EspeculaSUS and INFONUTRI (Take advantage and download it from your cell phone app store); Columnist for the VISAT Multipliers Blog, themes and categories related to the Prison System

  • Luiz Carlos Fadel de Vasconcellos, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz
    A degree in Medicine from the School of Medicine and Surgery (1973) and a PhD in Public Health from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (2007). He is a physician at the Ministry of Health on loan to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Department of Health, Human Rights and Cultural Diversity, of the Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health). He has experience in the area of ​​Medicine and Public Health, with an emphasis on Occupational Medicine, Workers' Health, Health Policies and Human Rights. He works in research and teaching mainly on the following topics: health policy, work, palliative care and sustainable development, organization of services, inspection of work environments, health surveillance and human rights. He is the leader of the Study and Research Group on Palliative Care (GEPCP/CNPQ). Member of the Advisory Board of CEBES - Brazilian Center for Health Studies. Member of CISTT - Intersectoral Commission for Workers' Health, of the National Health Council.

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Published

2026-11-09

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2026): V.16 2026

Section

Artigos Originais

License

Copyright (c) 2026 JOURNAL OF NURSING AND HEALTH CARE

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

1.
Santana Padilha W, Fadel de Vasconcellos LC. From anonymity to evidence:: the invisible work of the Health Promotion Agent during the pandemic period in the Prison System. Rev Enferm Atenção Saúde [Internet]. 2026 Nov. 9 [cited 2026 Nov. 11];16(1). Available from: https://seer.uftm.edu.br/revistaeletronica/index.php/enfer/article/view/8428