POPULAR HEALTH EDUCATION IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: MAPPING THE ACTIONS OF POPULAR MOVEMENTS

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the actions of Popular Education in Health carried out by social movements during the Covid-19 pandemic. This pandemic period highlighted social inequalities, impacting more negatively the life of the working class. Following a Sanitary Education perspective, the measures proposed by the health agencies, such as social distancing, hand hygiene, and the use of masks, even though they are fundamental for fighting the pandemic, often end up disregarding the social, economic, cultural, political and historical context of the popular classes. On the other hand, popular movements emerge based on a Popular Education in Health perspective that seeks a horizontal dialogue with the peripheral layers of society and does not impose measures, behaviors, and habits out of context with their realities. In this sense, we mapped popular movements during the pandemic to understand how these organizations are articulating during this moment. Finally, from this survey, we propose a reflection on a proposal for Health Education that considers the subjectivities of the subjects to carry out social, humanitarian, and educational work that is, in fact, popular.