TY - JOUR KW - leprosy KW - Health Education KW - Promotion of health AU - Andrade C G AU - Costa I C P AU - Freire M E M AU - Santos K F O AU - Gouveia E M L AU - Claudino H G AB - Objectives: To verify how the Community Health Workers (CHWs) understand leprosy and to propose educative actions to the strengthening of that understanding. Method: This is a descriptive, qualitative and quantitative study that followed the ethical principles of the 196/96 Resolution. The sample consisted of 14 Community Health Workers (CHWs) who work in Family Health Units in the city of Guarabira (PB). Data were collect between March and April 2010, through a structured instrument. Qualitative analysis was done through technique of collective subject discourse and quantitative data were analyzed from the absolute numbers and percentages. Results: The study has proved that CHWs have a limited understanding in relation to the signs and symptoms of the pathology, that the process of qualification is disjointed, although they have conscience of the possibility of healing and of the types of medication for each clinical form of the disease. Conclusion: Based on the answers provided, it is concluded that inadequate understanding of health professionals in relation to leprosy makes deficient the actions for promotion, protection and recovery of the disease, what affects the quality of life of the supported population. BT - Revista Brasileira de Ciências da Saúde CN - ANDRADE 2011 DO - 10.4034/RBCS.2011.15.01.03 IS - 1 J2 - Rev. bras. ciênc. saúde LA - por M1 - 1 N2 - Objectives: To verify how the Community Health Workers (CHWs) understand leprosy and to propose educative actions to the strengthening of that understanding. Method: This is a descriptive, qualitative and quantitative study that followed the ethical principles of the 196/96 Resolution. The sample consisted of 14 Community Health Workers (CHWs) who work in Family Health Units in the city of Guarabira (PB). Data were collect between March and April 2010, through a structured instrument. Qualitative analysis was done through technique of collective subject discourse and quantitative data were analyzed from the absolute numbers and percentages. Results: The study has proved that CHWs have a limited understanding in relation to the signs and symptoms of the pathology, that the process of qualification is disjointed, although they have conscience of the possibility of healing and of the types of medication for each clinical form of the disease. Conclusion: Based on the answers provided, it is concluded that inadequate understanding of health professionals in relation to leprosy makes deficient the actions for promotion, protection and recovery of the disease, what affects the quality of life of the supported population. PY - 2011 SP - 17 EP - 24 T2 - Revista Brasileira de Ciências da Saúde TI - [Leprosy: Understanding of Community Health Agents] TT - Hanseníase: Compreensão de Agentes Comunitários de Saúde UR - http://periodicos.ufpb.br/ojs2/index.php/rbcs/article/viewFile/9914/5810 VL - 15 SN - 1415-2177 ER -