Public engagement for public health

A paper that evaluates and finds that participatory budgeting substancially reduces infant mortality in Brazilian communities, even more so when the programme is institutionalised.

Brazil has made striking gains in public health since its democratisation in the mid-1980s. Previous research credits widespread economic growth and the creation of widespread social programmes for these improvements. The authors of this paper, Michael Touchton and Brian Wampler, take a novel approach by also examining local participatory institutions. Participatory budgeting is a democratic innovation that allows residents to allocate a portion of the local budget directly to local needs, including healthcare. They evaluate whether participatory budgeting also influences infant mortality, a serious health problem facing Brazilian communities. They find that using participatory budgeting substantially reduces infant mortality, even more so when the programme is institutionalised.

Source: Taylor and Francis
Author information and contact: Michael Touchton, Brian Wampler

Year of publication: 2020