Dados do Trabalho

Título

Chagas Express XXI: a new social technology for health and science education

Introdução

Chagas disease (CD) affects 6 million people worldwide and is related to poverty-promoting conditions.

Objetivo(s)

Aiming (1) to translate CD discoveries into education/information practices leading to increase alertness and empowerment of affected people; and (2) to perform an active search of CD cases, we developed and tested under field conditions a new social technology: an itinerant education interdisciplinary setting named “Chagas Express 21” (CE21).

Material e Métodos

It was a unique experience that fuses ArtScience practical workshops about a CD. CE21 articulates workshops, exhibitions, games, practical laboratory activities, and conversation/participation rounds, with relevant content for endemic areas with a prevalence of chronic cases or risk of acute cases. EC21 was developed by researchers and students at Fiocruz and CD patients who participate at the Rio Chagas Association. The artistic concept configured the EC21 in the format of a train station as an entrance and exit, followed by a set of six “wagons” forming an imaginary train with various education and playful activities. Alluding to the train car adapted as the doctor’s office and laboratory room where Carlos Chagas discovered the CD causing parasite, T. cruzi. Identified at the station, participants were sensitized to the exhibition and followed the thematic wagons: CD Associations, Innovations&Laboratory, Discoveries&Play, Home&Environment, Well-Being, and Your Voice.

Resultados e Conclusão

CE21 was exhibited in local schools in four CD endemic cities (Grão Mogol, Espinosa, Montes Claros and Lassance – Minas Gerais state), engaging 2,117 people that evaluated the 41 activities. Citizens and health professionals enjoyed acquisition of information related to blood, parasites, and vectors of CD. Further, local legacies were 600 participants volunteering for health promotion groups and CD associations, local empowerment to fight for better health conditions and 05 mural paintings. We noticed that 95% of the evaluators loved or liked very much the education activities in all spaces; 81% of the participants ignored the possibility of treating CD; 52% asked for CD blood testing and seropositivity was 20%. CE21 acts as an educational social technology that emerged from an integration of research, education and extension disseminating information through dialogic message between academia and society.

Palavras-chave

Chagas disease; education; active search and ArtScience.