Extensão universitária e as ações educativas para o controle dos vetores da doença de Chagas em Santa Cruz - RN

Abstract

Objective: To present the actions taken as part of the extension project: Environmental Monitoring in Health: Actions to Control Chagas Disease in the Municipality of Santa Cruz/RN. Method: This work reports on the extension project activities of students of the first years of courses in nursing, physiotherapy, and nutrition. Discussion: The project was undertaken in partnership with the health service of Santa Cruz, where the students could have close contact with the conditions in the municipality. The activities included health education, entomological research, and interviews with communications media. The work resulted in the local participants having greater awareness of their indoor and outdoor environments. Educational activities on the radio, on the streets, and in homes reinforced the need for the population to be aware of transmission routes of the disease and to reduce vector breeding sites. Conclusion: Projects such as this are important for the prevention of the disease, encouraging the practice of simple control measures involving not only the work of the technical health team, but also the ongoing participation and commitment of the local population