Promotores de Salud campesinos y parasitosis: una experiencia transformadora en el Valle de Luracatao, provincia de Salta, Argentina

The Luracatao Valley, located in the Calchaquí Valleys of Salta Province, Argentina, is inhabited by indigenous peasant communities where family farming systems prevail. In the face of neglected health related issues, a health education experience was developed aimed at addressing parasitic diseases of regional importance. The initiative emerged from community concerns related to parasitic infections observed during livestock management; and was jointly promoted by the community-based organization Comunidades Unidas de Molinos, the National Institute of Agricultural Technology – Seclantás Extension Agency, and specialised parasitology research teams from the Laboratory of Immunoparasitology (Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata) and the Centre for Parasitological and Vector Studies. The proposal was structured through participatory workshops based on Participatory Action Research approaches. Activities were directed to rural health promoters and included content on parasite life cycles, diagnosis, prevention, and the interconnections between human, animal, and environmental health. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic context, part of the training was initially conducted virtually. The exchange between scientific knowledge and local knowledge made it possible to identify regional practices associated with parasite transmission and to recognise the presence of two species of sanitary relevance: Echinococcus granulosus and Fasciola hepatica. Popular names for these parasites and their cultural meanings were also documented. This experience highlights the importance of horizontal and territory-based educational strategies for strengthening collective health processes, valuing community knowledge and promoting sustainable actions in response to local health challenges.