The Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) has completed a training program in Chima that strengthened the skills of 26 community leaders in the prevention and comprehensive management of Chagas disease through community participation in healthcare.
With 26 community leaders receiving certification, the municipality of Chima concluded the training program Leadership Training for the Comprehensive Approach to Chagas Disease: A Focus on Health Participation. The initiative, part of UIS’s community outreach efforts, aimed to strengthen local capacities for health promotion and the prevention of the disease.
The program was developed by the Antorcha Program, led by the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), through the research groups Regional Observatory for Sustainable Human Development (ORDHS) and the Immunology and Molecular Epidemiology Group (GIEM), with support from the Cardiovascular Foundation of Colombia (FCV).
During the closing and certification ceremony, participants’ commitment was highlighted. Throughout the program, they strengthened their knowledge of Chagas disease from sociocultural, epidemiological, biomedical, and social participation perspectives in healthcare.
New Community Leaders
The training seeks to empower the new community leaders to become knowledge multipliers in their communities, promoting prevention practices, identifying risk factors, and creating community networks focused on health and well-being.
The event was attended by representatives of the Municipal Health Secretariat and the Immaculate Conception Parish, both of which supported the process and reaffirmed the importance of collaboration between institutions and communities to strengthen public health initiatives.
Beyond the certification itself, the completion of the program represents a step forward in consolidating local capacities for collective health. It provides community leaders with tools to recognize the specific characteristics of Chagas disease and promote preventive actions within their own communities.
Through this initiative, UIS reaffirms its commitment to community outreach and to developing health education programs that contribute to well-being, community participation, and the strengthening of local capacities across the region.
