Formação técnica de agente comunitário indígena de saúde: uma experiência em construção no Rio Negro

This report describes the experience of the technical professional training of 250 indigenous community health agents linked to the Special Indigenous Sanitary District of Rio Negro in the state of Amazonas. The initiative promotes the increase of the level of education and the respect towards the specific cultural features of the students. The main pedagogical elements, 'culture', 'territory', 'policy', 'care', 'information', 'education', and 'health planning' form a curriculum matrix that is operationalized through teaching based on research, multilinguism, multi-disciplinarism, and intersectoralism, in tune with the principles of indigenous education, the special attention to the health of indigenous peoples, and of curriculum references of the technical training of community health agents. The pedagogy process fosters the acquisition of skills and competencies to diagnose and monitor health conditions and the risk and vulnerability of indigenous populations, in order to support preventive actions, promotion, treatment, and rehabilitation at the different stages of life, and develop political and communal action in the fight for better health. Preliminary results of the experience show the recognition and strengthening of the indigenous health agents work, the improving the quality of health work in the community, and the highest level of satisfaction of the leaders of the indigenous movement, by broadening the access to a qualified and specialized education.