The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a United Nations agency, offers a series of free and Portuguese self-learning courses in its Virtual Campus public health platform. Formations address varied themes, such as communicable and chronic diseases, mental health, the problems of alcohol consumption for women and expectant mothers and the relationship between health, sanitation and water management.
One of the courses offered is the water safety plans, which presents theoretical and practical instruments for drinking water supply companies. The training is also geared towards sanitation teams that perform activities of management, operation, surveillance and monitoring of the water supply system in the countries of the Americas.
The schistosomiasis training in the Americas: multidisciplinary aspects have ten modules on strategies to control and eliminate this disease as a public health problem. The lessons discuss the history of schistosomiasis, diagnosis, treatment, sanitation, surveillance and intermediate hosts, among other subjects.
PAHO also promotes the training of alcohol and women’s health and the pregnant woman, which analyzes the consumption of alcoholic beverages based on the most relevant and current scientific evidences. The course addresses the problems related to alcohol intake for women of reproductive age or who are pregnant. The training discusses topics such as early detection, motivation for change and the promotion of health in this segment of the population.
About Virtual Campus
The Virtual Campus of public Health also offers other classes and teaching materials, in other languages, regarding the following topics: sustainable development, equity in health, gender and cultural diversity; Health emergencies; Non-communicable diseases and mental health; Communicable diseases and environmental determinants of health; Evidence and intelligence for health action; Family, health promotion and life course; Knowledge management and publications; and health systems and services.
The platform is a network of people and institutions that share resources, services and education activities, with the common goal of improving workforce skills and public health practices.
