CLEANING TODAY, HEALTH TOMORROW: BASIC HYGIENE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN DONE BY IFMSA BRAZIL.

Introduction and Objectives: The WHO recommends the cleaning of the place where we live, as well as the habits that involve behavioral changes in the surrounding environment, as a way of avoiding infectious and contagious diseases related to hygiene. This summary aims to report the experience of medical students from IFMSA Brazil that organized the campaign: “Cleaning today, health tomorrow”. Methodology: The activity had children aged until 12 years old as main target audience and consisted on teaching about basic hygiene care. At a square in Belém, Parál, a stage was built in order to create a pleasant environment and to instigate children to see what it was about. By a theater play with drawings, many hygiene myths were clarified. The students showed the correct way of washing hands, taking shower, care with shoes, food cleaning before eating, brushing teeth, among other topics. The participants also had a space to have questions answered. Results and Conclusion: The activity was successful by reaching its goal, since children and their parents were participative. Therefore, it is clear that playful ways of approaching kids in order to promote health education is relevant; in a way it shows the whole population more about how they should maintain their health in their daily life. Besides that, approaching kids is even better since they are still acquiring some habits and it is easier to teach them the correct way they should do things.