HANSEN´S DISEASE CAMPAIGN: IMPORTANCE OF EARLY DETECTION

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE The Vila Velha University medical students attend an internship in the Public Health System, participating in all Family Health Unity activities, and collaborating to national campaigns organized by the Health Ministry. The aim of this study is to describe the medical students’ participation in the Hansen’s disease and Anthelmintic Administration National Campaign performed in a Public School, in Vila Velha, Brazil. METHOD The first day of the campaign, September 2nd 2015, the medical students went classroom by classroom promoting an educational activity, exposing information on Hansen’s disease and anthelmintic administration, distributing the authorization forms and explaining about the campaign. On September 9th 2015, the medical students received the forms filled in by the children’s parents, performed the physical exam on the students with disease suspicion, and administrated the anthelmintic to the students who parents authorized the administration. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS It was possible to inform the students and their teachers on Hansen’s Disease and Anthelmintic administration and to demystify some taboos. There were 395 students divided into 14 classrooms. All the students present received the anthelmintic. The students whose form was filled in by the parents indicating presence of skin lesion not related to birth were examined, only two cases were referred to the unity, and one case was confirmed as Hansen’s Disease. Early detection on Hansen’s Disease is essential for disease control. National Health Campaigns are necessary and extremely important, especially with children from public schools, who have limit access to health information and medicaments.