Health care in Amazon communities for education and awareness about health in low resource settings

Abstract

Abstract Background Brazil has an extensive area and social differences. Indigenous peoples and other minorities still have great difficulty in accessing health. Although increase in the number of medical graduates, there has been a low number of professionals joining the jobs offered in the remote areas. Objectives: The objective of this project is to sensitize health students to the importance of meeting the health demands of the populations in remote areas and low resource settings through practical experience in the care of the indigenous communities of the Amazon region supervised by teachers. Results The Mandic Health Boat team consists of about 40 to 50 members: 8-10 physicians (epidemiologist, pediatrician, general practitioner, gynecology, dermatology and ophthalmology), nurses, dental surgeons, 16 medical graduates , 6 dentistry graduates, 1 dental technician and 1 optician. The trips are 10 days long and are organized in integration with the local population and the health district so that the tasks are integrated into the routines of health actions. To date, the project has already carried out two expeditions and another is scheduled in June 2019. In the last one, 1619 medical consultations were performed and 639 dental consultations were donated 574 glasses and performed 97 surgeries for pterygium excision. Conclusions Through this program it was possible to put the academics in contact with the reality of the indigenous communities and to raise awareness of the difficulties of these original peoples. It was also possible to provide health education and medical and dental care, with spotlight to dental prostheses and glasses, that are particularly difficult to access because they require materials and equipment that are unavailable in the forest. This experience provides health to the original populations and favors the students’ awareness to social problems, as well as being an innovative scenario for the learning process in the health area. Key messages This experience provides health to the original populations and favors the students’ awareness to social problems, as well as being an innovative scenario for the learning process in the health area. The planning of the expeditions with the community leaderships and the local health authorities allow the integration of the actions realized through annual trips to the routines of the health care.