(Dis) connections between health councils and audit: advancements and challenges in the democratization of public health management

Abstract Background Aware of the importance of consolidating social control in the qualification of the Brazilian government’s Unified Health System (SUS) management, it is important to highlight that the audit must implement technical cooperation actions with the municipal, state and national health councils and with the three management spheres. Objective Analyze the interaction between the Municipal Health Councils and the SUS audit service. Method The research, with a qualitative approach, had the participation of 20 municipal health counselors, who worked in the largest health region of Ceará, Brazil, composed of 24 municipalities. The thematic content analysis data were collected using self-administered questionnaire. Results We observed a weak interaction between the Municipal Health Council and the SUS audit sector in the municipalities. Conclusion Counselors are unaware of their competencies and the functions of the municipal audit sector.