Food health and safety get a boost at Ver-o-Peso with action from Sespa
Market vendors receive exams, vaccinations, guidance, and renewal of health cards in an initiative that runs until June 24
With the aim of strengthening the health of the workers at the Ver-o-Peso market and ensuring food safety at one of the most visited tourist spots in Belém, the Pará State Department of Public Health (Sespa), in partnership with the Municipal Health Department (Sesma) and the Municipal Department of Economic Development (Sedcon), is promoting a comprehensive action for diagnosis, prevention, and health education. The initiative began on the morning of this Tuesday (10) and will continue until June 24, providing market vendors with essential services aimed at combating schistosomiasis, worm infections, and other endemic diseases.
The action is part of the activities of the Endemics Department of Sespa within the strategic planning to prepare the city for the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), which will be held in Belém in 2025.
“Sespa has been tirelessly contributing to health actions in preparation for this mass event, aiming to mitigate future problems, risks, or damages. The Endemics Department, through the Coordination of Schistosomiasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Geohelminths, and Trachoma, has been developing a series of preventive and educational actions. The workers at Ver-o-Peso have been included with the mission of ensuring the well-being of the workers, as well as contributing to increased productivity and quality of life at work,” says Adriana Tapajós, coordinator of the Endemics Department of Sespa.
Care that reaches where the vendor is - One of the main innovations of the action is to bring exams to the workplace of the vendors, eliminating the need for travel and extra time. “Look, it’s a very interesting action for us, right? Very beneficial for us vendors. May these actions come more and more, being more positive for our side,” said Evelise Novaes, who has been working at the market for 30 years.
Carlos Guedes, with 42 years of experience at the market, shares the sentiment: “All vendors need to take care of their health, so this project is very good. We feel safer. Our health needs to be up to date, and we are very grateful for this support.”
Vendor Regina Gomes emphasizes the importance of practicality: “We leave, get home late, and don’t have time. So taking care of health at the workplace is very good. Sometimes we skip doing exams to come to work. If it stays all the time, it’s too good.”
For Cátia Silva, the action represents an unprecedented advance: “We spend more time working than taking care of our own health. They had never brought exams to our workplace. This competence is top-notch.”
Partnerships expand services and ensure more quality - The action is the result of an articulation with various sectors of Sesma and Sespa. The Municipal Schistosomiasis Control Program (PMCE) conducts exams right in the market environment, distributing collection cups and collecting biological material.
The partnership with the Parasitology Laboratory of the Pharmacy course at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) allows for expanded diagnostics, including intestinal protozoa such as amoebas and giardias. “The importance of the partnership with UFPA is that now we can conduct a more comprehensive survey, analyzing not only worm infections but also the protozoa that affect the health of the vendors. This greatly enhances the effectiveness of the work,” explains Patrícia Nascimento, a technician from the state program of Sespa.
In addition to exams and guidance, the Sanitary Surveillance of Sesma is present to update health and food handler cards. The Immunization team will carry out a vaccination campaign on June 13. The Zoonoses team from Belém will schedule rat control for the market on a date to be determined.
Vendors like Jane de Souza see the action as an opportunity for regularization and improvement of product quality. “It’s a chance to update the food handling card, to be able to sell healthier food. The market attracts people from all over the world, so it’s important to maintain quality,” she assessed.
Worker health is safety for all - Schistosomiasis, unlike worm infections, is not transmitted through food but through contact with water contaminated by infected snails. However, all these diseases are silent, and when not diagnosed early, they can evolve into severe conditions. The mobilization is part of the state's effort to make Ver-o-Peso an even safer environment for workers, consumers, and tourists.
“This care becomes even more relevant as we prepare for COP30. Worm infections, for example, can be transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food. Ensuring the health of workers also guarantees safer food for the population and tourists,” emphasizes Antonilde Arruda, state coordinator of Sespa.
David Furtado, who has been in the market for 60 years, appreciates the initiative. “This action is very good. It’s important for us to do these exams because we don’t have time, right? It’s the first time I’ve seen a doctor come to my workplace.”
Text in collaboration: Suellen Santos and Giullianne Dias
