Training Workshops in Guatemala

Bios A.C., through the Health in Selva Maya project, provided different training in person and virtual modality to the personnel of the health and educational sectors and community leaders of the Department of Petén, Guatemala, with the purpose of providing

During the months of April and May, Bios A.C. carried out 7 training sessions in the department of Petén, Guatemala, where they publicized the importance of the One Health approach and shared communication and pedagogical materials that will help inform and prevent diseases associated with zoonoses. These trainings were aimed at health personnel, primary and basic level teachers, and community leaders from 11 communities or villages near the Mayan Jungle, with the intention that each person, from their spaces, disseminate this information to the community. .

The first was held at the Petén Norte Health Area Directorate on March 27, where people from the health area who work with the communities were trained; This training resulted in a subsequent one aimed at the staff of the Vector Program of said region, since when its coordinator was present at the first training, he requested that it be given to his staff, since he considered it important that they strengthen their community communication skills to the prevention of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. From the same health sector, in the Health Area Directorate of Petén South East the training was directly to the health personnel of the communities of this region, while the health personnel of the Health Area Directorate of Petén South West were trained virtually. In total, 58 people from the health sector were trained.

Regarding the educational sector, the training took place on March 31 at the Petén University Center. With the help of the Departmental Directorate of Education of Petén, teachers from 10 of the 11 communities served by the project were brought together, so that a total of 30 teachers were trained in the use of teaching materials generated by Bios A.C. focused on promoting actions to prevent zoonotic and vector-borne diseases among their students. It should be noted that the teachers from the remaining community were trained directly in their village, with a total of 43 trained teachers from the 11 communities; With this, it is expected to indirectly benefit approximately 600 girls and boys.

Finally, training was given to the villages of Bethel, Santa Cruz la Frontera and El Carrizal at the request of community leaders, where not only community leaders but also fathers and mothers, religious leaders, staff from the posts gathered. health and teachers. In this way, 44 people were trained.

During the training, the majority of attendees showed interest in the information and the different materials. They were especially interested, in addition to the prevention measures that each individual can take, in the One Health approach and recognized that in one way or another their daily activities are influenced by the interaction they have with the environment and animals, so their Care is of great importance.

For Bios A.C. It was a very satisfactory experience, because in addition to providing different communicative and pedagogical tools, it gave rise to a cultural exchange and allowed the expression and sharing of the different knowledge and contexts of all the members who made the project possible.