Construção de material educativo para contatos de pessoas acometidas pela hanseníase

Abstract

Leprosy is an infectious condition caused by the microorganism M. leprae, whose tropism for skin, eyes and peripheral nerves leads to the manifestation of dermatoneurological symptoms that can progress to physical disabilities. Despite its chronic character, it has treatment and cure. Transmission occurs between people who are in close and prolonged contact through the secretions from the airways of patients with multibacillary forms. In Brazil, leprosy is a serious public health problem: the high number of cases still persists and the measures to combat it remain insufficient. Thus, the Ministry of Health listed actions to reduce the burden of the disease in the country, one of which refers to the examination of contacts, whose performance is important in the early diagnosis of new cases, the prevention of disabilities and in the break of the chain of transmission. However, there are still failures in the adherence of contacts to the exam, since little information about the disease is disseminated. Leprosy is still involved in stigmatizing specters that impair patients' quality of life and disease control actions. Educational actions and technologies are essential to change this scenario. The objective was to develop an educational technology specifically aimed at the contacts of people affected by leprosy. This is a methodological study, carried out from January to July 2022. The construction of the material consisted of the following steps: 1. Content survey (updated manuals from the Ministry of Health); 2. Text development; 3. Capture and selection of illustrations; 4. Diagramming. For the first two phases, general aspects were raised about the topics explained, in order to transcribe them into a language accessible to all levels of instruction. For the third phase, images from the Ministry of Health manuals, freely accessible documents and illustrations licensed by the platform used in the document layout were used. For the fourth phase, an online design platform was used for the construction of the material. The construct resulted in a 14-page booklet, containing cover, title page, table of contents, content and references. The following topics were covered: What is leprosy, diagnosis, treatment, transmission, examination of contacts, immunoprophylaxis and stigma. In each section, it was sought to use an accessible language in order to make the material elucidative. Thus, the present study aims to collaborate in the adhesion of contacts to epidemiological investigation, favoring early diagnoses and strengthening the support network of the person affected by leprosy.