Promoting public policies aimed at people with disabilities and the regionalization of health were themes that marked the opening of the 1st Symposium of the Care Network for People with Disabilities in the Northeast, held this Monday (8), at the Praiamar Hotel, in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte.

With the participation of professionals and students from the fields of health, education and assistance, users of health services and family members of people with disabilities, the meeting established a space for the exchange of knowledge and sharing of perspectives on strengthening the Care Network for People with Disabilities (RCPD).  

The opening included the participation of Luciana Paz, a user and professional at RCPD; Arthur Medeiros, General Coordinator of Health for People with Disabilities at the Ministry of Health; Vânia Tie, General Coordinator of Paralympic Programs and Projects at the Ministry of Sports; Anna Paula Feminella, from the National School of Public Administration (Enap); and Lilian Lira Lisboa, manager of the Anita Garibaldi Center for Education and Research in Health (Anita), a unit of ISD. 

During the first day, lectures and roundtables focused on intersectorality, the leading role of people with disabilities in the development of public policies, governance, financing and regionalization of the RCPD (Regional Coordination for People with Disabilities), and an introduction and demonstration of the Paralympic Taekwondo modality.

Furthermore, the opening was enhanced by cultural performances from a theater group formed by users of the Heitor Carrilho Clinic, located in Natal, and the ISD Choir, formed by users of the institution's Specialized Rehabilitation Center.

The event

The holding of the 1st Northeast Symposium marks an important step in consolidating a collaborative network among the states of the region. “The Symposium was conceived with the objective of creating a space for the exchange of experiences, the collective construction of solutions to the challenges of the Network, and the strengthening of ties between the different territories. The Care Network for People with Disabilities has advanced, but still faces common challenges, such as access to and continuity of care, qualification of care, and the incorporation of technologies into the SUS (Brazilian Public Health System),” highlights Lorenna Santiago, coordinator of the Symposium.

On June 9th and 10th, the event's program will continue at the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience (IIN-ELS), an ISD unit in Macaíba.

The Symposium on the Care Network for People with Disabilities is promoted by the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the State Secretariat of Public Health of Rio Grande do Norte, with funding from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).

About ISD

The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) is a Social Organization of the Federal Executive Branch, supervised by the Ministry of Education, with the intervention of the Ministry of Sport. It encompasses the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience and the Anita Garibaldi Center for Education and Research in Health, both located in Macaíba. The ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research, and outreach activities, as well as contributing to a more just and humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.