“El sistema aportó belleza a nuestra comunidad”: Evaluación del impacto de un sistema de direcciones físicas en el asentamiento informal de Mathare, Nairobi, mediante la cartografía del efecto dominó
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Introducción: La rápida urbanización en Nairobi ha impulsado el crecimiento de asentamientos informales, caracterizados por el hacinamiento, la infraestructura deficiente y el acceso limitado a servicios básicos. A menudo invisibles para los sistemas formales, estas zonas enfrentan una débil rendición de cuentas y restricciones en el acceso a servicios, lo que agrava los problemas de salud y bienestar. Este estudio evalúa el impacto de un Sistema de Direccionamiento Físico (PAS, por sus siglas en inglés) liderado por la comunidad para mejorar la visibilidad, el acceso y el apoyo a los residentes del asentamiento de Kiamutisya en Mathare, Nairobi.
Métodos: Basado en la recopilación de datos dirigida por la comunidad, el PAS asignó una dirección única a cada estructura física en Kiamutisya para facilitar la prestación de servicios y la respuesta ante emergencias, abordando así la invisibilidad que enfrentan los residentes. Se llevaron a cabo tres talleres de mapeo de efectos en cascada (REM, por sus siglas en inglés) con líderes comunitarios, promotores de salud comunitarios y co-investigadores del consorcio ARISE (Accountability and Responsiveness in Informal Settlements for Equity). REM es un método participativo de evaluación que capta los impactos de una intervención, tanto previstos como imprevistos, desde la perspectiva de la comunidad. Los datos fueron codificados con NVivo 12 y analizados temáticamente.
Resultados: La evaluación del PAS identificó impactos directos como la mejora en la prestación de servicios por parte de los promotores de salud comunitarios, así como beneficios indirectos que incluyen una identidad comunitaria más sólida, mayor seguridad y una interacción más activa con actores gubernamentales. También señaló riesgos éticos como el uso indebido de datos y la estigmatización de los residentes. Las recomendaciones clave para responsables de políticas y planificadores incluyen el uso de direcciones físicas para mejorar la prestación de servicios y la respuesta a emergencias, la integración formal de estas direcciones en los sistemas de planificación, y el fomento de la participación comunitaria para mejorar la equidad en entornos urbanos complejos.
Conclusiones: Este estudio destaca el potencial de los sistemas comunitarios de salud para abordar vulnerabilidades estructurales y fortalecer la resiliencia en asentamientos informales. El PAS demuestra el valor de los enfoques participativos en la creación de modelos sostenibles y escalables para la salud urbana, reforzando el papel fundamental de las comunidades como agentes activos en la promoción de la salud y el bienestar.
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