During the month of April, as part of the commemoration of World Chagas Disease Day, the CUIDA Chagas project led the #TodasLasVocesTODAS campaign, whose purpose was to position art as a mobilizing tool for the Social Appropriation of Health Knowledge about Chagas disease, and Colombia was no exception.

In a commitment to art as a transformative tool, the children’s community theater group “Puerta del Sol” from the municipality of Boavita toured the market squares, schools, and main parks of Soatá, Tipacoque, Boavita, and San Mateo. There, through theatrical performances, they promoted key messages about prevention, diagnosis, and timely treatment of this silent disease that mainly affects rural populations. This activity allowed us to reach more than 1,000 people in the aforementioned municipalities.

These activities involved the participation of local authorities, including the Mayor’s Office, the Health Center, educational institutions, and the Boyacá Health Secretariat, which reaffirms the sectoral and intersectoral commitment and strengthens the role of communities as protagonists in mobilization and prevention against Chagas disease.

The event not only provided clear and accessible information, but also fostered an intergenerational encounter in which people of all ages were able to resolve doubts about transmission methods, access to the health system, and the impact of the disease on their daily lives. All of this was done from the perspective and voice of children, who became promoters of change through art.

Puerta del Sol theater group – Tipacoque

“Culture is a strategic axis for social mobilization in health, as it facilitates processes of knowledge appropriation that directly influence understanding, prevention, and community response to Chagas disease,” said Johana Esther Hernández, Director of Public Health Research at the National Institute of Health.

As part of the strategy, educational materials were also provided so that communities could replicate the information and strengthen collective knowledge in their territories, thus ensuring that the message transcends.

Entrega material educativo (Comecocos)

Delivery of educational materials (Comecocos)

With initiatives such as this, the CUIDA Chagas project and its institutional allies are making progress in strengthening community capacities, reaffirming that the prevention of Chagas disease begins with access to information, recognition of the territory, and coordination between sectors, and that through art, education, and dialogue with communities, new paths for prevention and care are being forged. Because health education is also a cultural, collective, and transformative act.

Equipo CUIDA CHAGAS – Equipo Secretaría de Salud de Boyacá (Boavita)