Bandeira Bandeira CientíficaCientífica

Health promotion and sustainabilityHealth promotion and sustainability

Spessoto, Andrea – Medicine StudentSpessoto, Andrea – Medicine Student

Silva, Fernanda – Civil Engineering StudentSilva, Fernanda – Civil Engineering Student

Regina, SK, Canada – May 2008Regina, SK, Canada – May 2008

Agenda

• The project’s main characteristics• The history• The numbers• The methodology• The practice: expedition in Machadinho d’Oeste• Conclusions

The University of São Paulo

• Largest higher education and research institution of Brazil

• 56.000 students• 8 campi• 40 institutes, colleges and schools• 229 graduation courses

What is “Bandeira Científica”?

• Expeditions to poor Brazilian cities to promote primary health and infrastructure improvements.

• A multidisciplinary project developed by students and professionals of different schools of the University of São Paulo (USP).

• Led by the Faculty of Medicine.

Bandeira Científica means“Scientific Flag”

The project’s name

The “Bandeiras” were private expeditions which explored the interior lands of Brazil during the 17th and in the early years of 18th century.

The expeditions’ members carried flags to identify their origin.

The project’s history

• 1st. phase (1957-1969)– Only Medicine students– One expedition/year– Epidemiologic research– Medical attendance was not the focus

• Interruption due to the dictatorship

The project’s history

• 2nd phase (since 1998)

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Faculties

Activities

• Medicine• Physiotherapy• Nutrition• Dentistry• Psychology

• Occupational Therapy• Civil and Environmental Engineering• Agronomic Engineering• Environmental Management• Journalism

• Reactivation• Lectures• Medical attendance• Partnership withlocal universities

• Home attendance • Telemedicine• Infrastructure• Development of rural techniques• Production of a documentary

Destinations

• 98-Cajati• 99-Eldorado• 00-Monte Negro• 01-Buriticupu• 02-Serra dos Aimorés• 03-Presidente Epitácio• 04-Teotônio Vilela and São José da Tapera• 05-João Câmara, Jandaíra and Bento Fernandes• 06-Machadinho d’Oeste• 07-Penalva

São Paulo

The project’s numbersParticipants

2539 41

56

92

139

188

150

207

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

The project’s numbersMedical attendances

7001217

3428

2321 2507

5658

4598

5590

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

The project’s numbersExams

586

229

486605

680

155

416

742

1022

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

The project’s organization steps

• Planning:– Organizing committee – students

– City selection• Low HDI• Deficiencies in the public health service• The city administration’s co-operation

– Pre-visits• Local contacts• Data collection

– Partnerships establishment• Local universities• Local institutions• Sponsors

– Participants’ selection

– Preparatory activities

The expedition• Expedition

– December (School holiday)– 10 days– Health attendance– Educational activities for:

• Students

• Health agents

• Professionals

• Specific groups

– Researches• Epidemiologic questionnaire

– Infrastructure activities• Analysis

• Workshops

– Documentation

The follow-up

• Follow-up– Development of studies at USP– Elaboration of reports– Presentation of results to:

• The city administrators

• The university

• The sponsors

– Post-visits to:• Check the activities’ continuity

• Feedback

• Further educational and training actions

The practice

The 2006 expedition10th to 20th December 2006

207 participants

DESTINATIONMachadinho d’Oeste

Rondônia

The 2006 expeditionThe city• 45.000 inhabitants• 8.520km²• In the Amazonian region• Economy:

– Wood extraction

– Agriculture

– Cattle raising

• Infrastructure:– 1 little hospital

– 13 basic health units

– 6 “Family Health Program” teams

– Non-treated water supply

– No sewerage system

• Main diseases– Malaria

– Diarrhoea

The 2006 expeditionMedical attendances• 3 different places a day• Ten medical specialities

– Generalist medicine– Paediatrics– Gynaecology– Ophthalmology– Infectious disease medicine– Psychiatry– Dermatology– Neurology– Physical medicine– Radiology

• 5.590 consultations• 1.022 exams

– Ultra-sound– Blood exams– Cervical smears– Electrocardiograms

• Researches

The 2006 expedition

Other health attendances• 442 physiotherapy

consultations• 359 nutritional evaluations• 419 dentistry consultations• 29 occupational therapy

consultations

Psychology activities• Meetings with the local

leaders, identifying the “social web”

• Interviews to characterize the population’s dreams, desires and main critics about the city

The 2006 expedition

Educational activities - 126 lectures and workshops for:• Local leaders• Health professionals• Physicians• Children• Population in general

The 2006 expedition

• Infrastructure activities– Analysis of the city’s

sanitation system– Technical visits (informal

refuse disposal site)– Data and material collection– Construction workshops

• Agronomy activities– Group work with rural leaders– Workshops in a rural

community– Analysis of the cultures and

species raised

The 2006 follow-up

• Reports (meetings with the mayor)– The city’s health scenario

– The sanitation infrastructure perspective

– Identification of the local leaders

• Treatments– 325 patients directed to regional

hospitals

• Donations– Medicines (public system)

– 917 pairs of glasses

– 4 Portable Internet Computers

• Further educational activities– Pit construction in the rural

community

– Postural exercises

What remains for...

The city• Gets a full assessment, done by an excellence centre• Improvements in the health system and infrastructure• Projects for a long-term development, free of charge• Start point for other initiatives• Stimulating the autonomy by training the city’s

professionals

The mayor thanks the USP team for the realization of the “Bandeira Científica” project, which brings benefits to our population’s health.

What remains for...

The students• Interaction within the participant areas• Development of integrated projects• Applying the knowledge obtained in the university• Get in contact with the reality of a different part of

Brazil– Cultural aspects– Problems– Peculiarities

Project x sustainability

• An unhealthy population has low productivity and demands public resources that could be used in the community’s development.

• Basic actions can revert this situation:– Education

– Social organization

– Consciousness

The project’s sustainability dimensions• Social development through health actions• Economic development through

optimization of resources’ use (know-how transfer)

• Forming students aware of their country’s problems and motivate them to work on the solutions.

Thank you!

Acknowledgments

Contacts

Andrea: andreabspe@yahoo.com.br Fernanda: fernanda.belizario@gmail.com