Candeal Program - Health promotion for UA Cabula employees

This year, in addition to serving the communities in the health districts of Candeal and Cabula, the Candeal Program also worked within the borders of Bahiana with prevention and health promotion actions for employees of the Cabula Academic Unit. Throughout the first semester, weekly activities were held every Thursday morning.

Students participated in the planning of each action, being chosen a coordinator per week, responsible for coordinating the activity. “Each coordinating student presented basic information on the topic under debate, contributing to the intervention within their area of ​​expertise, enriching the exchange of knowledge with collaborators and colleagues”, says Biomedicine student Paulo Nascimento.  

According to the student, the groups prepared workshops, lectures and educational materials that corresponded to the subjects demanded by the employees of the Bahiana who participated in the action. Thus, meetings were held with the following themes: diet, STD, diabetes, hypertension and physical exercise. “During the semester, a measurement workshop was held, when blood glucose rates and height, blood pressure, weight and body mass index – BMI were measured”, says the student.

Paulo also highlights the importance of the Candeal Program in his training. “The activity provided skills that are not acquired in the theoretical approach, in the classroom. Interdisciplinary work is something that teaches you to respect and listen carefully to statements from other colleagues with different points of view on a common theme. It was also possible to reinforce the learning of knowing how to communicate with the community outside the scientific world, in a simple way and in horizontal dialogue”.

“The program showed me that many times the contents obtained in the classroom must be modified to a cultural language or even be explained more than once! With all the experience, I really enjoyed being closer to the target audience. I was able to learn from them that, in addition to myths and truths, the daily work, home, family change our responsibilities wherever we go and that listening and being open to criticism and suggestions strengthen us and make us better citizens!" declares the student of Nursing, Priscila Santana.

As of this second semester, the actions will also be extended to the employees of the Academic Unit Brotas. The initiative has the support of the Occupational Medicine service of Bahiana and administrative coordination of academic units.