VER-SUS in Rio Grande do Norte: an experience report from a perspective on Health Equity

Abstract

This article aims to present the experiences of VER-SUS Equidade in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, from the perspective of project facilitators. The experiences involved the Warao Indigenous group, the Mendonça do Amarelão community, the Câmara Cascudo Museum, the Transsexual and Transvestite Outpatient Clinic (TT Outpatient Clinic), and the Elizabeth Nasser Women's Reference Center (CREN). The experiences involving the indigenous peoples (Warao Indigenous group, Mendonça do Amarelão community, and the Câmara Cascudo Museum) highlighted the need for a critical understanding of the history of this population, reflections on the effects of colonization on the construction of current inequalities, and the development of public policies that respect cultural and territorial diversity and the specificities of indigenous populations. The TT Outpatient Clinic, a significant achievement, highlights the importance of social movements in guaranteeing the rights of the LGBTQIAPN+ population, but also the inequities faced by trans and transvestite people, such as access to services, barriers to entering the job market, respect for social names, and mental health care. At CREN, the experience allowed reflection on the interfaces between health, rights, and social justice, in addition to highlighting the importance of professional training sensitive to the multiple expressions of violence against women and the construction of intersectoral care networks. Based on the experiences provided by VER-SUS Equidade, the transformative role of health education, guided by the integration of teaching, service, and community, was reaffirmed, expanding students' critical and health awareness and strengthening their ethical and political commitment to social transformation.