Blood pressure and glucose measurements and health guidance are some of the actions carried out throughout August
Committed to the well-being and health of the citizens of Paranaguá, TCP, the company that manages the Paranaguá Container Terminal, is promoting the “Mutirão da Saúde: Medição da Pressão, Glicose e similares” (Health Task Force: Measuring Blood Pressure, Glucose and similar) this August, a campaign carried out in partnership with SESC and which is part of the Terminal’s “Caiçara Health and Well-Being Project”. The initiative aims to prevent diseases and disseminate information about health in the caiçara communities of Paranaguá, especially in regions with difficult access to health services.
The actions are carried out during meetings of the Caiçara Working Group, periodic meetings organized by the TCP team and which play an important role in identifying and responding to requests from the communities. The second location to benefit was Ilha do Amparo – with a population of approximately 230 residents, the region is located around 4 km from the Port of Paranaguá and can only be reached by boat.
“The distance between the communities and the central region of Paranaguá makes it difficult to access health services. With this action, we seek to mitigate these obstacles, promoting the health and well-being of residents, as well as distributing preventive materials,” says Rafael Stein, TCP’s institutional and legal manager.
The activities planned and carried out in the communities were developed through Participatory Socio-Environmental Diagnosis, taking into account the prerogatives of Brazilian Environmental Education. In this respect, measuring blood pressure and glucose levels regularly is fundamental for monitoring health and preventing comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. Both, when uncontrolled, can lead to serious complications, including heart disease and kidney problems.
“There are people here with high blood pressure, diabetes, other illnesses, and with this closer attention it’s easier to take care of yourself. To cross to Paranaguá is much more complicated, it takes a while, and it ends up making our day-to-day life a little more difficult. When they come here it’s very good, it makes it much easier,” said Solange das Neves Ramos, a resident of Ilha do Amparo.
To carry out the program, a boat was hired to transport the partner team and all the necessary equipment. As well as Amparo and Eufrasina, the first community to receive the visit, Piaçaguera, São Miguel and Ponta de Ubá will also receive the teams from the Terminal and SESC throughout the month. “This action improves the quality of life for all residents, as it creates an opportunity for participatory dialog where they can ask questions and discuss the current health scenario in the community,” explains Stein.
Ongoing initiatives for health and sustainability
Prevention campaigns and monitoring programs are essential to keep the population informed and engaged in proactive health practices. For this reason, the “Caiçara Health and Well-Being Project” is part of TCP’s Environmental Education for the Community Subprogram (PEAC), and since April 2018 it has been adapting to the needs of the communities, carrying out bimonthly prevention and health campaigns.
In 2024, there have already been three actions open to the entire community: the Fight against Dengue, the Dialogue on Influenza Vaccination and Fishermen’s Health in Winter. These projects are aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 3 of the United Nations Global Compact, which aims to ensure a healthy life and promote the well-being of people of all ages.
