Delving into community health and HIV in Brazil

In a landmark study, a UM researcher determined that community involvement, coupled with federal funding, improved health outcomes in most municipalities in Brazil. What is the most effective way to improve health care outcomes to vulnerable populations' That was one of many questions that Michael Touchton, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Miami, has pursued through his research in Brazil for the past 12 years. Touchton's groundbreaking study, "Community Health Governance and HIV in Brazil,” is the first time there has been a large, comprehensive scholarly analysis of the effects of participatory democratic institutions and social policies on public health and how this can affect conditions and the capacity to deliver health services. Touchton will present the results of his study at UM's Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at noon. He is the global health associate faculty lead for the institute. Using raw data gathered by the Brazilian government, Touchton over the past dozen years was able to examine the records of all 5,570 municipalities in the country to determine how community health governance has affected HIV in Brazil.