Living conditions and therapeutic paths in a quilombola community in Goiás, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate living conditions and therapeutic paths of two quilombola communities residing in the State of Goiás: Almeidas (rural community), Jardim Cascata (urban community). We conducted a quantitative and qualitative study through questionnaire, semi-structured interviews with key informants and observation of reality. Four visits were made to each community in the years 2010 and 2011. Concerning to the general characteristics, the communities presented a low level of education, low income and lack of basic sanitation. People at those communities mobilize popular, religious and biomedical knowledge in their treatments. At Almeidas, people self medicate using homemade and conventional medication simultaneously. There is an elderly lady who prepares homemade treatments. The people at Jardim Cascata use mainly conventional self-medication. Family support networks are more intense in Almeidas than Jardim Cascata. In both communities, health services are often closed due staff turnover and poor infrastructure. Moreover, the two communities have historical determinations based to a lack of attention from the public sector and marginalization of the poor population.