'Chagas Express XXI': A new ArtScience social technology for health and science education—A case study in Brazilian endemic areas of Chagas disease with an active search of chronic cases
| Autor: | Marcio Luiz Mello, Cristina X. A. Borges, Juliana Almeida-Silva, Nancy D. Costa, Rita de Cássia Machado da Rocha, Catarina Macedo Lopes, J.O. Silva, Roberto Rodrigues Ferreira, Joseli Lannes-Vieira, Luciana Ribeiro Garzoni, Marcos A. Vannier-Santos, T. Vieira, Jonathan Gonçalves de Oliveira, E. Costa, Ana Márcia Suarez-Fontes, Teresa Cristina Monte Gonçalves, Rodrigo Mexas, Tania C. Araújo-Jorge, L. Santos, Daniel Gibaldi, Marcelo Oliveira Mendes |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Gerontology Technology Physiology RC955-962 Social Sciences Science education Geographical locations Medical Conditions 0302 clinical medicine Sociology Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine Medicine and Health Sciences Public and Occupational Health 030212 general & internal medicine Empowerment Health Education media_common Protozoans Trypanosoma Cruzi Schools Geography Eukaryota Middle Aged Body Fluids Blood Infectious Diseases One Health Health Education and Awareness Social technology Female Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Anatomy Behavioral and Social Aspects of Health Psychology Brazil Research Article Neglected Tropical Diseases Adult Trypanosoma Science media_common.quotation_subject 030231 tropical medicine Qualitative property Health Promotion Human Geography Education Urban Geography Young Adult 03 medical and health sciences Parasitic Diseases Humans Chagas Disease Social determinants of health Cities Aged Protozoan Infections Descriptive statistics Organisms Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Biology and Life Sciences South America Tropical Diseases Parasitic Protozoans Health Care Health promotion Earth Sciences People and places |
| Zdroj: | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 15, Iss 7, p e0009534 (2021) |
| ISSN: | 1935-2735 |
| Popis: | Background Chagas Disease (CD) affects 6–7 million people worldwide and is related to poverty-promoting conditions. Chronic asymptomatic cases are mostly invisible to health systems. Aiming (1) to translate CD discoveries into education/information practices to raise alertness and empowerment of affected people; and (2) to perform an active search of CD cases, articulating intersectoral actions to improve the access of infected people to the local health service for the treatment of CD; our research group developed and tested under field conditions as innovative social technology: an itinerant education interdisciplinary setting named “Chagas Express XXI” (CE21). Methodology CE21 was created as an “imaginary train” with ~40 ArtScience workshops, games, laboratory activities and conversation circles. An entry/exit plus six activity modules combined associations of affected people, microscopic observations, One Health education, and wellness activities. CE21 was conceived as a social technology, since all the processes were co-created with CD patients and inter-sector local partners. Descriptive statistics showed quantitative data collected throughout the expeditions (CD knowledge, serological results). Qualitative data accessed the public perceptions about the education activities. Principal findings CE21 was exhibited in local educational institutions (schools, universities) in four cities, engaging 2,117 people that evaluated the 41 activities carried out. Citizens and health professionals enjoyed acquisition of information related to blood, parasites, vectors, reservoirs, environmental changes, and social determinants of CD. Further, local legacies of 600 participants volunteer for health promotion groups and CD associations, local empowerment groups to fight for better health conditions, and 05 mural paintings. We observed that 81% of the participants ignored the possibility of treating CD while 52% of the participants requested a blood test for CD showing seropositivity in 20% of them. Conclusions CE21 is a social technology potentially useful for health and science education and active search of asymptomatic CD chronic cases. Moreover, this technology may be adapted to understand and to cooperate in other potentially epidemic situations, especially NTDs related. Author summary In the last decade one important issue concerning Chagas Disease (CD) is the active engagement of CD affected persons (patients, families, friends, students, and health professionals) as protagonists of a global struggle against neglection. Since 2015 CD patients of Fiocruz-Rio de Janeiro were in close contact with our education research group, where they were able to develop ArtScience activities related to information, education, and self-consciousness. This work paved the way for the creation of the Rio Chagas Association in 2016. However, its members often requested opportunities to offer activities of this nature in their birthplaces, where their families still live in a situation of socioeconomic vulnerability and at risk of infection. To address this request, our group developed a social technology called “Chagas Express XXI” (CE21), an expedition that offered 41 practical ArtScience activities that were co-created and co-mediated by people affected by DC, researchers, and graduate students. We tested CE21 in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, where 2,117 people filled out the participation forms. Among them, 1,100 adults requested the available serological test, and 20% were diagnosed with positive CD. These results support that CE21 could be used as a tool for active search of chronic asymptomatic cases. Further, 600 participants were registered to collaborate in health promotion nuclei to foster new associations of CD affected persons. Our study presents an innovative social technology to address prevention and health care for CD using non-formal learning and its corresponding educational resources. This education technology can be applied to other NTD by direct communication to people at risk of infection and/or affected in endemic areas. Science and health education are intimately related and the association with the art tools helps to improve knowledge communication to society. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|