Efeitos das transferências intergovernamentais sobre as finanças públicas dos municípios do Rio Grande do Norte (2001-2010)

The Brazilian tax structure has specific characteristics and the performance level of government. The autonomy given to municipalities to manage their activities after the 1988 Constitution, made them highly dependent on intergovernmental transfers of resources, revealing the fragility of the administrative capacity of these entities. The vertical gap revealed by the constitutional structure of the Brazilian fiscal federalism model contributes to the formation of this specific feature that you are eroding the tax base and the ability of municipal own revenues. Although there was a better regulation of these transfers after the enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Law, it is observed that the amount of resources transferred to the municipalities of Rio Grande do Norte is very high and is the main source of revenue of municipalities. In light of the theory of federalism and fiscal decentralization, in particular, the theories related to intergovernmental transfers, we seek to diagnose the transfers from the systematization of information on the origin, destination and value. We used the econometric model of System Dynamic Panel GMM in making the diagnosis and verification of the impact of transfers on public finances of the municipalities of the newborn, associated with a review in light of the theory of fiscal federalism and intergovernmental transfers. The paper presents some proposals for the transfer system and the composition of spending in order to contribute to greater tax efficiency

A eficiência do gasto e da qualidade da saúde pública: uma análise nos municípios do estado do Rio Grande do Norte (2004 e 2008)

The overall objective of this study is to analyze the efficiency in the use of resources and the quality of public health in the municipalities of Rio Grande do Norte, from 2004 to 2008. It also seeks to identify the determinants of municipal inefficiency and measure the productivity of public spending on health. To this end, three methods of analysis are used: the DEA, the Malmquist index and the Tobit regression model. Among other findings, it appears that municipalities considered more inefficient in the measurement of expenditure on health make the largest expense in this function. On the other hand, from 2004 to 2008, only 13 municipalities showed an increase in the productivity of public spending. It is also noted that municipalities considered efficient in quality of health, although having more physical and human resources, offer fewer health services to the population. In all, the major determinants of health spending inefficiencies are the variables: age of the mayor, coalition, population density, literacy race and budget revenues. Regarding the inefficiency of the health quality, variables such as: coalition, literacy race have strong influence on this behavior. Thereby, the hypotheses proposed by the study have been fully accepted. In other words, for the efficiency of the quality and health spending it is needed more than resources, i.e., the expenditure shows itself as essential, but not enough, for political and economic aspects also interfere with the performance of spent and in the quality of health care offered to the population

Concentração da posse da terra e o programa nacional de crédito fundiário - uma análise para o estado do Rio Grande do Norte, 2006 - 2012

O objetivo do trabalho é propor um estudo sobre a relação do Programa Nacional de Crédito Fundiário - PNCF, no estado do Rio Grande do Norte, e sua concentração fundiária. Ou seja, se o PNCF está sendo direcionado, para as microrregiões que apresentam maior índice de concentração, de acordo com o índice de Gini, e se as áreas adquiridas através do crédito fundiário estão emergindo nestas microrregiões. Para isto, o estudo levantou a hipótese de que o PNCF no estado do Rio Grande do Norte não está sendo conduzida, de modo a reduzir a concentração fundiária, dentre as microrregiões do estado. Ou seja, não existe correlação entre o índice de Gini, da concentração fundiária, e as áreas adquiridas através do programa. Além disso, o trabalho buscou realizar uma discussão da literatura sobre os programas de reforma agrária assistida pelo mercado. Apresentando os autores que são exaltadores do modelo e das suas potencialidades, atrelando as causas dos problemas levantados como sendo de ordem técnica e operacional, onde os principais autores desta linha são: Van Zyl, Kirsten & Binswanger, (1996), Deininger & Binswanger, (1999). Têm-se também a apresentação da posição dos autores adeptos as políticas fundiárias pautadas na dinâmica e liberação dos mercados de terras, mas que visam contribuir com estudos que permitam uma redução para o custo elevado e a sua incapacidade de abarcar a esfera social, em decorrência do pagamento á vista e a preço de mercado aos donos das terras, são eles: De Janvry & Sadoulet (2002), Gordillo (2002), Banerjee (1999), Jaramillo (1998) e Burki & Perry (1997). Todavia, apresentou-se a corrente de autores que ressalta a natureza socialmente agressiva da Reforma Agrária Assistida pelo Mercado (RAAM), sendo os seus principais contribuidores: El-Ghonemy (2001); Barros, Schwartzman & Sauer (2003); Borras Jr. (2006, 2003 e 2003a); Garoz et al. (2005); Sauer & Pereira (2006); Pereira (2005, 2006 e 2010); Sauer (2010); Lahiff, Borras Jr. & Kay (2007). Em sequência, o trabalho apresentou a transição e características dos programas de acesso à terra, no Brasil, a partir da década de 1990, bem como, alguns indicadores do PNCF, no Brasil e o estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Apresentou-se também os indicadores da concentração fundiária, no Brasil e no estado. Através dos dados do Censo Agropecuário de 2006 foi possível calcular o índice de Gini da distribuição fundiária nas microrregiões no estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Com os dados fornecidos pela Secretaria de Estado de Assuntos Fundiários e de Apoio à Reforma Agrária - SEARA mostrou-se a distribuição das linhas de crédito do PNCF e as áreas adquiridas, entre os anos de 2006 e 2012. Por fim, o valor do coeficiente de correlação simples (r) igual a (0,2865), que com base no teste bilateral da distribuição de t de Student chegou-se no resultado para T calculado no valor de (1,2333), que ao ser comparado com o valor de T crítico igual a (2,898), com 17 graus de liberdade, a um nível de significância de 1%, pode aceitar a hipótese de partida, ou seja, que o PNCF não estava sendo direcionado para diminuir a concentração fundiária no estado

Eficiência nos gastos públicos em educação fundamental: uma análise nos municípios do estado do Rio Grande do Norte, 2007 e 2011

This paper aims to measure the degree of efficiency in the allocation of public resources in education from the FUNDEB in elementary education in the towns of Rio Grande do Norte in 2007 and 2011. To do so, we must determine to evaluate the efficiency in the allocation of public resources in municipal education in the early and last grades of elementary education; verify that the towns that achieved higher levels of efficiency that were allocated the largest volumes of resources in primary education and analyze which towns reached the worst and the best levels of efficiency in the allocation of public resources in education. This is on the assumption that the relation between the educational policies of local governments and concern for efficiency in the allocation of resources in education is limited only to increase spending on education. It is intended from the model of Data Envelopment analysis, (DEA), with Variable Returns to Scale (VRS), estimate the efficiency of spending on education and municipal pubic purging the problem of outliers. Estimations show that the municipalities of Rio Grande do Norte do not allocate their resources in public elementary education efficiently

O Probásica e a formação de professores no Pólo de Parnamirim: política de formação profissional no Rio Grande do Norte?

This work studies the thematic of the politics of formation of teachers in the Program of Professional Qualification for Basic Education (PROBÁSICA) developed in the City of Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte. It has as its main objective to identify and to analyze the contribution of this politics of initial formation for the professional formation of teachers. To install the work, we will use the procedures of bibliographical research, documentary analysis, comment, structuralized interview, questionnaire-script and virtual research. In the analysis of the data, we trace a general view on PROBÁSICA while initial formation along with the continued formation, pedagogical research, collaborative research and the exercise of the teaching profession, identifying the possibilities and limits of the Program in the direction to reach the objective considered in this work. From the inquiry, we construct the institutional land scope of the program in question, also focusing, the organizational aspects of its functioning. We have to take care about the results, we evidence that PROBÁSICA is making the possible to access of the teachers in the educational service to the University, what the main aspect that consists, trying to prove eminent weak points in its systematic due to give to the organizational structure of this educational politics that does not count with curricular, institutional and financial the necessary conditions for the success of the professional formation of the teachers. The research will try to understand that the operationalization of the politics of formation in Parnamirim will be belong with it the main idea of the Educational Reformation in years of 1990, articulated to the neoliberal interests, that the responsibility for the problems of the public system of education attributed to the teachers, and that are not answered completely through the purpose of the professional formation, and ti seems that it does not define one global national politics that deals with seriousness to the questions the initial formation, permanent formation, pedagogical research, , career and conditions of work for the teachers

O ensino de matemática no Rio Grande do Norte: trajetória de uma Modernização (1950-1980)

This work aims to describe and analyze the process of the mathematics teacher modernizing in Rio Grande do Norte, in the period from 1950 to 1980. For that, we use as theoretical foundation assumptions of Cultural History and memories of the researchers Maurice Halbwach, Ecléa Bosi and Paul Thompson. As methodological tools, we used bibliographical resources and semi-structured interviews, in order to do a historical reconstruct of the mathematics educational scene of institutions and people who taught mathematics in Rio Grande do Norte, or those who participated in the modernization of the teaching of this subject, recovering their training and its practices in teaching. For the analysis of the bibliographical resources, initially we organized in a systematic way the transcripts of the interviews and documents, which were accumulated during the research, so long our thoughts, returning to the theoretical basis of this research, through questioning of knowledge acquired and that guided the problem of our study. The analysis showed that, important moments to modernize the teaching of mathematics in Rio Grande do Norte happened such: (1) Training Course of Lay Teachers in Rio Grande do Norte, in 1965, (2) Course for Teachers in Normal Schools, in 1971 (3) Satelite Project on Interdisciplinary Advanced Communications (SPIAC) in 1973; (4) Lectures of the teacher Malba Tahan, at Natal, from the end of the 50 s, that could be analyzed through the lessons notes of the teacher Maria Nalva Xavier de Albuquerque and the narrative of teacher Evaldo Rodrigues de Carvalho and (5) Courses of the Campaign for Improvement of Secondary Education and Broadcasting (CISEB). Thereby, the modernization of the school s mathematics teaching in Rio Grande do Norte, in the period from 1950 to 1980, was given mainly by disclosure of the Discovery Method and by the Set Theory contents in Teacher Training Courses

Acesso e permanência na universidade federal do rio grande do Norte sob o ponto de vista do docente e do estudante com deficiência Natal-RN

Inclusion of students with disabilities is a recent case that has been discussed in school contexts, but the current policy of inclusion for access and retention of students in higher education is still a problem face there is much to do, therefore, are incipient studies in which this student body is involved. Accordingly, what is happening is that the most studies deal with on these students and little is said about them. For inclusive education thus the institution should prepare to receive students, having as one of its premises their point of views about what actually experience aiming at promoting education for all. Therefore, this study deals with the process of inclusion of students with disabilities regularly enrolled in undergraduate courses at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN.They were used the assumptions of qualitative research enabled by the case study method and semi-structured interviews. It has been analyzed by guiding actions and teaching practices, under the views of disabled students and teachers, the conditions of access and permanence offered by UFRN. Twelve students with physical, visual, hearing disabilities participated and five teachers from the acedemic centers that in academic year 2008 taught to these students. For data analysis it was used the technique of content analysis. It was extracted two themes: access and retention of students with disabilities in UFRN, in which emerged the categories described and analyzed in the course of this work. The results show the difficulties of access and retention of students with disabilities within the UFRN, such as attitudinal, pedagogical and architectural barriers. However, as it has also turned out, initial advances in the quest for achieving more effective actions to guarantee access and permanence of these students in UFRN. It has concluded that the scope for the exercise of citizenship in the pupils with disabilities who need this Higher Education Institution has an inclusive education Project, wide and consolidated, for the actions undertaken by the Ministry of Education - MEC, by itself, are not guaranteed to all students due to mobility, autonomy and security. It has hoped this work will bring benefits for new studies to develop features that were located, but were not our focus, because then the UFRN may advance the inclusive process of disabled students

Gestão democrática da educação: a eleição direta para dirigentes de escolas públicas de educação básica do Rio Grande do Norte (2003-2006)

Este trabajo es el resultado de un análisis de la política de gestión de la educación básica en el estado de Rio Grande do Norte (RN) y tuvo como objetivo presentar un estudio sobre la construcción e implementación del proceso de elección directa para elegir a los dirigentes de escuelas públicas de educación básica en las escuelas públicas durante el período 2003 a 2006. Partió de la suposición de que las elecciones para la escoja de los líderes escolares mediante el voto directo de la comunidad se presenta como un importante instrumento a través del cual se debe garantizar el derecho de participación a los diferentes segmentos de la escuela contribuyendo con el proceso de consolidación del proceso democratización de la gestión de escuela pública en ese Estado. Optamos por realizar una búsqueda dentro de un enfoque histórico-crítico, basado, teórico-metodológicamente, en el materialismo dialéctico. A partir de los objetivos y de los temas que guiaron el proceso de investigación, se consideró adecuado adoptar procedimientos de estudio y de recogida de informaciones y análisis bibliográfico y documental y, la realización de entrevistas semi-estructuradas. Los resultados muestran que la construcción del Documento de la Gestión Democrática definiendo la elección directa como una opción de los administradores de la escuela bien como su implantación ante las escuelas del estado sucedió basado en los principios democráticos. Además, los líderes elegidos directamente de las escuelas, la creación del Consejo Escolar (CE) y la institución de la Asamblea General de la Escuela demuestran la adopción de un modelo de gestión de la educación pública del estado que contribuye con el proceso de democratización de la gestión escolar. Por último, es evidente la necesidad de cualificación en el proceso democrático y la participación de varios sujetos involucrados en el proceso de gestión también incluidos los miembros del Consejo Escolar

A escola normal de natal (Rio Grande do Norte, 1908-1971)

The research aims to analyze Professor Education in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte-Brazil in the period of 1908 to 1971. The work falls under the theme History of Scholar Institutions as well as Professor Education. The research investigates the evolution of the so called Normal School, a school that aimed professor education. It was based on assumptions by works of Chartier (1990), Chervel (1990), Elias (1994), Nóvoa (1987), Schriewer (2000), amongst others. The research dealt with a great array of documents in different institutions such as Minutes, Public Instruction Management Reports, Laws, newspaper articles (from the newspaper A Capital, A Ordem e A República), magazines such as Pedagogium (1921-1940); all of which present in the Geographical and Historical Institute of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. In the State´s public archive it was possible to find a book called Livro de Honra (1914-1919) as well as class diaries and books that contained details related to Scholar group Inscriptions. In the Atheneu Memorial the Atheneu Congregation of Normal School (1897) document was analyzed. In the Kennedy Superior Institute the researcher analyzed the Professor Nominal Graduation Registry Book. The work proposes a comparative study regarding the genesis present in the Lisbon Primary Normal School and the ones situated in Natal. The analysis dealt with institutional meanings attributed by educators. Documents from The Portuguese National Library as well as the Lisbon Superior Education School were analyzed. In this in environment, it was possible to analyze documents such as Minutes, Books, Manuals, Internal Regiments related to Pedagogy. The study allowed acknowledging that these Normal Schools emerged from the same historical substrate and present consonance between the two countries regarding once both were associated with politicians, professors, doctors, hygienists and professionals evolved with education. It was also possible to acknowledge that there is a presence of a pedagogical discourse attached to the primary school universe and professor education. The Natal Normal School was present in different contexts and was consolidated as an institution that was responsible for the education and preparation of primary school teachers. The school was considered a locus where it was possible to produce and work with specific knowledge in a peculiar fashion. This knowledge provided the necessary support for professor education and was in accordance with the world´s professional pedagogical movement as well as ideas, discussions and reflections. This school was considered a space for pedagogical activities, professional affirmation allowing action reflection enabling professor representation as knowledge producers legitimating professor instruction

Mudanças nos modelos de gestão: a política educacional e dos (des)acertos da experiência no Rio Grande do Norte (1995-1999)

This work focuses on the educational policies, on the necessity of adopting new models of administration of the education, as well as the implementation of reforms in this filed during the 1990 s. It analyzes the strategies of decentralization of the education in Rio Grande do Norte, disclosing practices conceived in the governmental plans and programs. It also aims to evidence the aspects of the decentralization proposed in the educational system management model, adopted by the Department of Education and Culture of Rio Grande do Norte from 1995 to 1999. Bibliographic researches and documental analysis were used as sources and semi-structured interviews were held in order to collect data. This work also highlights the concepts of participation, autonomy and democratic management intrinsic to the process of decentralization in the education field. It is clear that decentralization, as the vector of democracy, requires not only certain conditions that assure the universal access to the necessary information, but also that all segments of the institution have a voice in the collegiates and that the management and decision-making processes be transparent. This analysis reveals the importance of creating means to promote autonomy, participation and democratic management in order to consolidate a decentralized system. It is also clear that these mechanisms have been proposed in a vague way by the governmental guidelines, which makes it harder to consolidate a democratic management model. Having this perspective as a parameter, it is possible to realize that the adoption of a management model prompted by the law hasn t established effective means of participation that, consequently, should provide decision centralizers which opposed to the democratic actions

A configuração da educação física no Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciencia e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte IFRN: contexto e perspectivas atuais.

Over time the Physical Education on IFRN has considered the sport as the only possibility of pedagogical action. In the purpose of investigating the aspects that determine this condition, this study aimed the context of physical education within the institutional framework and its current perspectives in the process of institutional transformation. In this sense, were addressed the following study questions: What political pedagogical aspects that influenced the context of Physical Education on IFRN and how the pedagogical experience on Mossoro s campus incorporated the perspectives of curricular proposals transformation for the High School and the theoretical changes of the Brazilian Physical Education. Methodologically the work was based on a qualitative approach characterized as a descriptive- comparative research. The technique of discourse analysis was employed in the speech of research collaborators having as categories of analysis the professional activities time in the institution; The ratio of official use of the assumptions to the pedagogical practice of Physical Education in IFRN; The sport in the education process of students and The Prospects of Physical Education in the current configuration of IFRN. The data analysis allowed us to infer that the theoretical methodology of pedagogical practice of Physical Education in IFRN need to be reformulated and that it is necessary a contextualization with the curricular principles of the political institutional pedagogical project and with the Curriculum Guidelines for Secondary Education. The teaching experience developed in the Mossoro s Campus was contextualized with the national curriculum guidelines for secondary education and the theoretical changes of the Brazilian Physical Education. We conclude that it is necessary a collective action of the group of teachers to transform the educational profile of Physical Education of IFRN, beyond the institutional support to be able to consolidate the physical education curriculum component in the current dimensions of society, human being, education, science, technology and work, proposed by the philosophical principles and epistemological political project of IFRN educational

O sensível no trabalho docente: representação social entre docentes do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte

The aim of this study was to analyze the social representation of the sensible among teachers of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Norte, attempting to identify its constituents and understand the dynamics that gives functionality to your organization. The study is significant considering that the professional conduct can not be delineated in its complexity without unraveling the social representations that teachers themselves have of their being and doing professional. The theoretical and methodological framework of the research is the theory of social representation. 107 teachers from various backgrounds participated. To collect the data were used as instruments : a questionnaire listing, which subsidizes the characterization of the subjects , the TALP - technique of free association of words ( ABRIC , 1994) , the PCM - Procedure for Multiple Ratings ( ROAZZI , 1995) ; questionnaire redemption of sensitive memories of the subjects in their school experiences of childhood , adolescence, youth and teaching practice . The PCM data, in which the slogan was directed at rating Give class, were submitted to multidimensional statistical analysis. Already TALP was analyzed by EVOC 2000 software, the profile questionnaire received descriptive statistical analysis and the memories received the questionnaire analysis of thematic content, Bardin (2004). Taken together, the results point to a social representation of sensitive teaching (the game, the fun, the touch, the smile, the relaxation) are not in the classroom. The sensitive pure still fits in school, but only in the courtyard, on the playground, in the intervals, therefore, outside of space-time class, playful perch that lives in each of us is totally strange to this world of the classroom . After doing the Approximation of ideas , we realized three discourses evident in the reports of teachers : the discourse of Numbness in which we perceive the distance of the teacher in relation to sensitive component as a facilitator in the learning process , the discourse of Feeling , in which we can discern small approximation to the sensitive dialogues and proposed in this study , the speech of reflection in which teachers analyze, evaluate and establish a discourse on the importance of education in sensitive , but not actualize in their teaching practice

Conceitos e práticas educativas nos regimentos escolares no Rio Grande do Norte (1910 1930)

This research aims to analyze the concept of childhood in the dimension of educational practice, which is present in the regimental school and historically constructed power relations during the period 1910 to 1930, in Rio Grande do Norte. To contextualize this study, it is necessary to address the Bylaws of the School Groups (1915), the Internal Isolated Schools (1925) and Education Reform (1916). The expansion of education in the State, aiming at preparing the individual for the new capitalist social order was the concern of all governments of the first republic. During this period, the school is conceived as a privileged scenario of a set of practices aimed at disciplining the children, to explore, in some respects, the concept of childhood. Over time, this cocepção was constructed historically. In addition, the school receives children, which in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, are inserted into an educational process in line with the state, embodied in laws, regulations and school discursive practices

Avaliação da gravidade do trauma em condutores de motocicleta vítimas de acidentes de trânsito no Rio Grande do Norte

Descriptive exploratory study, prospective, with quantitative approach, performed on the Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel Hospital Complex (MWGHC), in Natal/RN, aiming to identify injuries by body area and wound severity on drivers who suffered motorcycle accidents, evaluate the severity of injuries and trauma on these drivers and identify the existence of association between wound and trauma severity and some of the accident s characteristics. The population comprised 371 motorcycle drivers, with data collected between October and December 2007. We used as instruments the Abberviated Injury Scale (AIS), Injury Severity Score (ISS) and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCE1). The results show that, concerning characterization, there was a predominance of the male gender (88.4%), aged between 18 and 24 years (39.90%), originating from the Natal metropolitan region (55.79%), with fundamental-level instruction (51.48%), catholic (75.78%), married (47.98%). 23.18% work on commerce-related activities and 75.20% have income of up to 2 minimum wages. As for the accident s characteristics, the predominant shift was the afternoon (46.36%), received up to one hour after the event (50.67%), transported by countryside ambulances colleagues and relatives (51.21%), 25.34% had the accident on Sunday; 53.91% suffered falls and vehicle rolls; among the collisions there was a predominance of the motorcycle-automoblie type (28.03%); 52,6% were licensed and among these 50.76% had up to one year of license; 65.50% declared not having suffered previous accidents; 65.77% declared waring helmets in the time of the accident; 57.41% said not to have used drugs, and among those who used, alcohol was the most consumed (98.10%). The lowest score evaluated by GCS1 (3 to 8) was linked to drivers who suffered accidents on Saturday (10.3%), those who were not wearing helmets (14.29%) and the victims of motorcycle-pedestrian/animal crashes (13.33%). The body areas most affected had AIS between 1 and 3 (95.76%) and were: external surface (39.90%) and head/neck (33.20%). As for trauma severity, the highest scores (ISS>25) belonged to those who consumed alcohol (30.73%), suffered falls or vehicle rolls (48.9%) and those attended to 3 hours or longer after the accident (50%). We conclude that for motorcycle drivers who suffered accidents, age, gender, weekday, type of accident, use of drugs and the absence of helmet use signal both to the risk of occurrence of these events, as well as for the greater severity of injuries and trauma.

Avaliação do impacto do treinamento de clínica em hanseníase e sua contribuição para o aumento da detecção da doença no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

Hansen´s disease is considered a serious public health problem. In 2006, the Ministry of Health reported that worldwide, Brazil ranked 2nd in the number of cases of the disease, surpassed only by India. The North region is the geographical area in Brazil that presents the most cases. In the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the disease is considered to be eliminated because its prevalence has been identified as 1 per 10.000 inhabitants, criteria established by the State Elimination Letter of 2005. Training programs have been offered by the Coordination for the Control of Hansen´s Disease Program of Rio Grande do Norte, PCH-RN since 1997, with the support of the English governmental agency Leprosy Relief Association, LRA, with no evaluation having been conducted. The objective of this study was to evaluate the training programs in clinical diagnosis of Hansen´s disease and their contribution to the detection of the disease in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The study was conducted in seven municipalities that are known as Regional Public Health Units (URSAPs): São José de Mipibu URSAP I, Mossoró URSAP II, João Câmara URSAP III, Caicó URSAP IV, Santa Cruz URSAP V, Pau dos Ferros URSAP VI and Natal, capital city of the State, in the Metropolitan Region. Physicians and nurses of the Family Health Program PSF were interviewed as to their perceptions of the implementation of the training program in clinica diagnosis of Hansen´s Disease conducted by the PCH-RN. They evaluated their own practice and the training program. These professionals presented a positive evaluation of the program and gave suggestions for future courses. The results of this study suggest the need for permanent education. Data of the disease obtained from the official records of the Secretariat of Health and from the interviews indicate that health education is the means to control Hansen´s disease effectively