Aprendizagem do conceito de saúde única a partir do ensino por investigação das zoonoses e arboviroses que afetam a comunidade do Rio Morno no Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract

The One Health approach integrates human, animal, and environmental health in a sustainable manner, aiming to optimize these aspects collectively. Environmental degradation has been affecting both wild and urban areas. Brazil combines some of the highest urbanization rates in the world with environmental degradation, social vulnerability, and the circulation of goods and services, factors that favor the spread of zoonotic diseases such as arboviruses. In this context, reducing the impacts of human activities, especially on health, has become an urgent necessity. In the peripheral neighborhood of Linha do Tiro, in Recife, the frequent accumulation of trash, particularly along the Rio Morno (Morno River), worsens environmental conditions and contributes to the incidence of zoonotic diseases, such as leptospirosis, and arboviruses. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to develop the One Health concept with high school students from the Escola de Referência Padre Nércio Rodrigues, turning them into multipliers of information on zoonosis and arboviroses prevention through inquiry-based learning and interdisciplinary activities. The goal was to raise community awareness and mitigate the spread of these diseases. A preliminary assessment of the students' knowledge about zoonoses, etiological agents, and the role of the environment, animals, and the circulation of goods and services indicated a good understanding of respiratory diseases and arboviruses, including etiological agents, modes of transmission, and the role of the environment and human mobility. However, knowledge about the role of animals appeared less clear. Field visits to local health units and community areas allowed for the observation of environmental factors responsible for maintaining zoonotic cycles, as well as the collection of epidemiological data from the neighborhood. Interdisciplinary classroom activities such as analyzing epidemiological data in Mathematics to create graphs and interpret dengue case reports, and using Geography to map critical points related to local socio-environmental conditions helped reinforce the One Health concept. Knowledge construction, mediated by the teacher through these investigative activities and interdisciplinary approaches, enabled the development of an inquiry-based didactic sequence to address the One Health concept in high school education.