Health education: teaching about American tegumentary leishmaniasis

Knowledge on the circulation of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) and perception by the local population are highly relevant for developing a control program, since they mobilize the community for effective health measures. This work aimed to orient primary school teachers and pupils (grades 1 through 4) in the public school system in Maricá, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, on ATL, using talks, posters, and leaflets with an interactive approach. Talks were given in seven municipal schools, and activities were held with 1,314 pupils and 56 teachers. Leaflets were distributed to the pupils with activities to help consolidate the content. Two months later one school was chosen for post-evaluation. Of the 213 pupils who had attended the talk, 198 answered a questionnaire, of whom 178 (89.9%) could remember the disease and 125 (63.1%) provided correct answers on transmission. Thus, informed children and teachers can function as information disseminators in health within their community and are therefore capable of contributing to control of endemic diseases.