Sespa brings health and citizenship in action aimed at Peoples of African Matrices
Initiative offered health services at the Terreiro de Mina Dois Irmãos, with the presence of the Ministry of Health and Sespa
This Saturday morning (7), in the Guamá neighborhood of Belém, was marked by care, welcome, and appreciation of Afro-Brazilian culture. In another edition of the Health Action for Traditional Peoples of African Matrices (POTMAS), promoted by the State Department of Public Health of Pará (Sespa), in partnership with the State Coordination Health for All Pará and the Secretary of Racial Equality and Human Rights (Seirdh), the community had access to various health services at the Terreiro de Mina Dois Irmãos, from 8 am to 1 pm.
The program included consultations in the specialties of general practice, pediatrics, and gynecology, as well as nursing care, vaccination, rapid testing for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, oral health guidance with the delivery of hygiene kits, as well as referrals for exams and medical specialties. The State Coordination of People with Disabilities (CEPED) also participated with guidance on access to prosthetics, orthotics, wheelchairs, bathing, and free passes.
Recognition of terreiros as territories of care and resistance
The state coordinator of Indigenous Health and Traditional Populations of Sespa, Tatiany Peralta, highlighted the strategic role of the action in confronting institutional racism in the Unified Health System (SUS).
“The presence of the Ministry of Health in Pará, through Strategic Support for the implementation of the National Policy of Comprehensive Health of the Black Population, reinforces SUS's commitment to confronting institutional racism. In this scenario, CESIPT acts as a technical reference, contributing with concrete actions within the terreiros. We are promoting anti-racist training with health workers, strengthening intercultural dialogue with the terreiro peoples, and supporting integrative practices and traditional knowledge as care strategies,” she stated.
Responsible for the Terreiro de Mina Dois Irmãos, the mother of saint Eloísa Vieira celebrated the initiative and its importance for the low-income population.
“For us, it is important to have an action like this. Sometimes the vaccine is at the health post, but people don’t have time, they work, study. Here it was possible to get referrals for wheelchairs, exams, and specialized doctors. It is very difficult for those who live in the periphery, who do not have health insurance. My children of saint are all from the lower middle class, and this action reinforces what we already guide in the terreiro: care for the body, health, and each other.”
Testimonials show direct impact on the lives of the population
The action was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, such as the institutional supporter of health for the black population of Pará, Alana Alves, who highlighted the importance of the work to consolidate the National Policy of Health for the Black Population.
“This action makes terreiros visible as legitimate territories for promoting health and combating religious racism. By articulating the knowledge of biomedicine with traditional knowledge, it helps to break stigmas and prejudices still present in society.”
Residents from the surrounding area actively participated. Administrative assistant José Miguel da Cruz Pena sought the action for guidance on oral health.
“I was very well attended. I received information that I never had even in private health plans. I came to seek guidance on maxillofacial surgery and left very satisfied. It was much more informative than I imagined.”
University student Márcio Gabriel Silva took the opportunity to have a medical consultation.
“My family has a history of hypertension, so I came to check my blood pressure and do the rapid tests. Whenever there is an action here in the barracão, I come. It’s a good opportunity for us to take care of our health.”
Housewife Kelly Cristina Costa reported the difficulty of receiving care at the health post in the region, which led her to seek services at the terreiro.
“At the post near my house, there is no doctor, only nursing. Here I got care. The line is long, but the hope is great.”
The director of Racial Equality of Seirdh, João Corrêa, reinforced the integrative nature of the action.
“We integrate communities, cultures, and religions. With the support of the Ministry of Health and the State Government, we are building bridges between public policies and territories of African matrices. This articulation is fundamental for promoting equity.”
The action integrates the fulfillment of Commitment Term No. 01/2024, signed between Sespa and Seirdh, which provides for the continuous realization of health activities in terreiros of African matrices and quilombola territories throughout Pará. More than just offering services, what was brought to Guamá this Saturday was the recognition that health is also built with respect, listening, and valuing ancestry.
