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Article

Social Workers’ Experiences and Collaboration with Public Health Professionals in a Low-Income Country: A Qualitative Study

1
Department of Social Work, Criminology and Public Health Sciences, University of Gävle, Kungsbäcksvägen 47, 80176 Gävle, Sweden
2
Instituto Superior de Ciências de Saúde, Av. Tomás Nduda, Maputo, Mozambique
3
Department of Chemical Engineering, Eduardo Mondlane University, Av. De Moçambique Km 1, 5, Maputo, Mozambique
4
Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, Universidade Europeia, Estrada da Correia nº53, 1500-210 Lisbon, Portugal
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Societies 2025, 15(10), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15100278 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 12 August 2025 / Revised: 16 September 2025 / Accepted: 30 September 2025 / Published: 1 October 2025

Abstract

Social workers and public health professionals are expected to collaborate in promoting health and social equity to address the complex challenges faced by societies now and in the future. This collaboration is particularly crucial in low-income countries, where social and health issues significantly affect people’s wellbeing. This study explored social workers’ perceptions of their role in society, their collaboration with public health professionals, and the importance of sustainable development in their professional practice. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted between March and June 2024, involving semi-structured interviews with twelve professional social workers from the three main geographic regions of Mozambique (north, central, and south). Content analysis was used to identify and synthesize the key categories that emerged from the data. Four main categories were identified: limited public understanding of the mission and practice of social work; a lack of collaboration with public health professionals; the integration of sustainable development goals into social work practice; and anticipated future challenges for Mozambique’s social and public health sectors. The findings highlight a perceived lack of societal awareness regarding the role of social workers and limited interprofessional collaboration, with barriers such as poor communication and a lack of mutual understanding between the two professions. Moreover, the participants recognized the need to contribute, through their daily work alongside public health professionals, to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Keywords: social work; public health; interprofessional collaboration; sustainable development; Mozambique social work; public health; interprofessional collaboration; sustainable development; Mozambique

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MDPI and ACS Style

Macassa, G.; Mabuie, J.; Francisco, J.D.C.; Soares, J. Social Workers’ Experiences and Collaboration with Public Health Professionals in a Low-Income Country: A Qualitative Study. Societies 2025, 15, 278. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15100278

AMA Style

Macassa G, Mabuie J, Francisco JDC, Soares J. Social Workers’ Experiences and Collaboration with Public Health Professionals in a Low-Income Country: A Qualitative Study. Societies. 2025; 15(10):278. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15100278

Chicago/Turabian Style

Macassa, Gloria, Janete Mabuie, José Da Cruz Francisco, and Joaquim Soares. 2025. "Social Workers’ Experiences and Collaboration with Public Health Professionals in a Low-Income Country: A Qualitative Study" Societies 15, no. 10: 278. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15100278

APA Style

Macassa, G., Mabuie, J., Francisco, J. D. C., & Soares, J. (2025). Social Workers’ Experiences and Collaboration with Public Health Professionals in a Low-Income Country: A Qualitative Study. Societies, 15(10), 278. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15100278

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