The Santos Dumont Institute and the State Department of Public Health (Sesap/RN) began this Wednesday (26) the permanent health education action with the theme: “Comprehensive care for people in situations of sexual violence in Rio Grande do Norte”. The training, which will last eight months, with monthly meetings at the ISD headquarters in Macaíba (RN), aims to improve the care network and develop professional skills to ensure comprehensive care for people in situations of sexual violence.

The training will involve 50 professionals from 13 health services in the state network, in the areas of social assistance, psychology, nursing, medicine and management. According to the deputy secretary of SESAP, Lyane Ramalho, who attended the opening ceremony in the ISD auditorium, the activity marks “a historic moment of strengthening the network”, in which the participants of the continuing education action will be able to serve as agents of knowledge multiplication in their respective health services.

“This is an extremely necessary initiative and needs to be strengthened. Those who suffer violence go through several moments of needing attention, from the first moment, when they are welcomed, to the notification. It is essential to have this diversity of representation from the health regions here, as this is what guarantees quality regionalization,” said the deputy secretary.

The ISD General Director, Reginaldo Freitas Júnior, also highlighted that this type of action represents the strengthening of the Unified Health System (SUS), with the integration of the network and the various health professions. “The SUS was planned and built to function as a network and, to this end, our work needs to be collaborative and synergistic. It is impossible to strengthen the SUS isolated in our own services, sectors or professions. This requires teamwork and networking, and that is what we will do here over the course of these eight months.”

In addition to the participants in the strategy, the opening ceremony was also attended by Professor Técia Maria de Oliveira Maranhão, Vice-President of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Association of RN (SOGORN); Sônia Fernandes, collaborator of the Culture of Peace Technical Group; Paola da Costa Silva, responsible for the External Causes Surveillance Sector of Sesap (VIGCE/SUVIGE/CVS); Priscylla Maryana Miranda, head of the Life Center of the Health Care Coordination and Jéssyka Basílio, legal advisor of Casa Renascer – Center for the Defense of Human Rights of Children and Adolescents of RN (CEDECA).

Sexual violence

Sexual violence is any sexual act or attempt obtained through violence, coercion, attacks, comments or unwanted advances. Despite the increase in the number of cases observed over the last few decades, professionals and researchers state that underreporting of this type of crime is still a reality in Brazil, for various reasons, such as victim blaming, fear and difficulty in accessing reporting channels.

Complaint

The Women's Support Center – Dial 180 is available to listen to and provide qualified support to women in situations of violence. The service registers and forwards reports of violence against women to the appropriate agencies, as well as complaints, suggestions or compliments about the functioning of the support services. It is also possible to make the notification directly to the health service. In emergency situations, it is possible to call 190.