Community Health Managers: A Pilot Pedagogic Experience in theUniversity of Rosario

Abstract

The “Grupo de Estudios en Sistemas Tradicionalesde Salud” from the School of Medicineof Universidad del Rosario, in agreement withthe “Instituto de Etnobiología”, has designed atraining course for a new health agent (the communityhealth manager) meant to consider inits curriculum the difficulties, deficiencies andsuccesses of the Primary Health Care Program.In particular, we have attended OMS suggestionsin terms of adequate training of local leaderswho should look for self-responsibility and selfdeterminationin health care coverage. account diverse cultures and traditions in orderto offer health care models able to consider culturalparticularities, epidemiological profiles,and contextual possibilities, with an interculturalpoint of view. Hence, the training course’s objectiveis to offer working tools so that communityleaders be able to value and promote traditionalhealth knowledge and practices; seek for foodsecurity by means of recovery of traditionalproductive systems or adaptation of appropriatetechnologies; environment conservation; use ofmedicinal plants especially in self-care, andstimulation of community and institutionalhealth promotion activities.Preliminary evaluation suggests that thisnew health agent will be able to set bridgesbetween communities and health care offersavailable, always looking for healthy ways oflife, culturally and environmentally friendly

Keywords

• Primary Health Care
• Promotion and Prevention
• Traditional Health Systems
• Medicinal Plants
• Self-care