MEDICINAL PIRAGUAS: A PROPOSAL FOR HEALTH EDUCATION FOR COLOMBIAN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

Abstract

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the process of approaching health education activities in the indigenous communities of Chocó, in Colombia, for the implementation of healthy lifestyle habits, in addition to knowing the perception that the participants of this initiative have, in order to evaluate the impact of these interventions in the improvement of the health conditions and the quality of life of the community. Visits were made to various communities and an educational program known as “Diplomado en hábitos de vida 
saludables bajo el modelo de prevención de enfermedades infecciosa” was carried out, in order to train health promoters, who, in turn, transmitted the knowledge acquired to the members of their communities. More than 220 indigenous leaders were trained from the department of Chocó, belonging to the Emberá communities (Dobida, Chamí, Katío and Eperara Siapidara), Wounaan, Tulé and Zenú.