Health education

an experience report involving leisure and dengue care in partnership with the community, from a community college

Abstract

The Jardim Paraíso neighborhood in Joinville, Santa Catarina (SC), Brazil, faces serious challenges related to improper waste disposal, which causes the proliferation of the mosquito that transmits dengue fever and increases the number of cases of the disease, as other places around the world have experienced. Based on the principles of Healthy Municipalities and the World Health Organization (WHO), which aim to ensure health and well-being, medical students from the University of the Joinville Region (Univille) organized a community action in a leisure area aiming to reduce the incidence of dengue fever in the region. The methodology included a preliminary phase of planning and agreed intervention. For the intervention, a banner was made containing information about the Aedes aegypti mosquito, dengue prevention, and proper waste disposal, and 60 bottles of homemade repellent were distributed. Although the action was well received by the community, the need for continuity and long-term monitoring was identified. The idea behind this initiative is to integrate environmental care with education about dengue fever, taking advantage of community and leisure events to promote health. Furthermore, the active participation of the community and the scientific management of the action highlight the participatory approach in tackling local health problems.