Young health workers learn about fighting dengue fever

Young agents in action! On Wednesday (19), 4th grade students from the Isabel Mendes Technological Educational Gymnasium in Méier were health surveillance agents (AVS) for a day. Together with teams from the Municipal Health Department (SMS), the students participated in educational activities on combating dengue fever, which involved searching for conditions that favored the emergence of Aedes aegypti breeding grounds in the schoolyard. In a playful way, the adult agents guided the children on the precautions they should take in their homes to combat the mosquito that transmits urban arboviruses, such as dengue fever, zika and chikungunya.

– It is an action between Health and Education, through the Health in Schools Program (PSE), where we are working in schools on the topic of preventing arboviruses. We strongly believe in the potential of children, and adults have a lot to learn from them. These children are learning about how to prevent mosquitoes and also what precautions they should take at home. And they will certainly take this knowledge home and replicate what they have learned with their families and in their territories. It is very important that we all learn from them to prevent arboviruses in the city of Rio – explained the Superintendent of Health Surveillance, Gislani Mateus.

Wearing uniforms and AVS vests, the children were divided into groups and walked around the schoolyard in search of containers that could store stagnant water, while the agents taught them what should be done with the containers. In a model of right and wrong, the students learned about what can and cannot be done in a house to prevent the proliferation of the mosquito. In addition, the teams showed the children the life stages of the Aedes aegypti and how it develops.

– This initiative is in line with our concern for children, the community and society. We are raising awareness among students, who in turn will raise awareness among parents and guardians. They will create an important bridge between the school and their families, for their health and well-being. When all of this works together, it is a success – said the school’s principal, Amanda Gomes.

At the end of the activities, the students received a certificate as a child health surveillance agent and proved to be highly competent in passing on all the knowledge they had acquired to the people around them.

– We learned that we can’t leave water standing, that the water tank has to be closed, and everything with a lid has to be closed so that mosquitoes don’t lay their eggs there. I’m learning a lot here, it’s really cool! I’m going to take everything home! – said student Lucas Paiva, 11 years old.

– I learned that you can’t leave water standing still, you can’t leave the pool uncovered and you also have to put containers upside down, otherwise the mosquitoes will lay their eggs there. I’m going to teach everything I learned here today at home – taught Melanny Luiza, 9 years old.

– For every four cases of dengue fever in the city, the mosquito breeding ground is within the municipality. Therefore, prevention and education actions are of great importance to raise awareness among the population about taking care of themselves inside their homes. It is important that the population sets aside 10 minutes per week to inspect plant pots and water tanks and remove containers with stagnant water to prevent the proliferation of the mosquito – concluded Gislani Mateus, emphasizing that this month the PSE is working on the topic of dengue fever prevention in municipal schools throughout the city.

Health Surveillance on the Street

The work to control arboviruses, both in residential areas and in places considered strategic points (cemeteries, tire shops, scrapyards, scrap metal or construction material depots, bus garages, etc.), is carried out by the SMS throughout the year. During the hot months, as part of the Summer Plan, the actions are reinforced.

This year, up to March 15, 2.461.837 properties were visited to prevent and control Aedes aegypti and 336.500 containers that could serve as mosquito breeding sites were treated or eliminated. In 2024, 11,6 million inspections were carried out on properties to control and prevent possible mosquito breeding sites, with the elimination or treatment of more than 1,8 million containers.

The SMS also constantly carries out educational and social mobilization actions to guide the population on measures to prevent urban arboviruses, aiming to awaken individual and collective health responsibility. When necessary, the population can request inspections or report possible mosquito breeding sites by calling 1746, by phone or through the website.

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March 19th, 2025

Appointments: Young health workers combat dengue fever City Hall of Rio prevention health Municipal Health Department