RETS - Rede Internacional de Educação de Técnicos em Saúde

Dear reader, the great news of edition is the confirmation of the 3rd General Meeting of RETS, being held on November 7th and 8th in Recife, in Brazil, with the 2nd Meeting of its two sub-nets, RETS-CPLP and RETS-Unasur. Besides being an excellent opportunity for the members to meet, the event is a special moment to reassess the work wich has been developed in the last four years and to discuss strategies that enable the continuity and even the strengthening of the initiative, which history has begun in Mexico, in 1996.

RETS was created as a response to the result of a great study about the education of Health Technicians in the Americas, coordinated by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). The idea was that the network served as a space of production and diffusion of knowledge which could guide and provide solid basis for the elaboration of public polices focused to the education and work of Health Technicians. Unfortunately, there were few changes in the scenario identified that moment and the Health Technicians still face great difficulties.

What can we do to resume the Network’s origins? How can we our work more effective? How can we give visibility to these workers that represent the basis of the National Health Systems and many times are ignored by the authorities and policy makers of the sector? What can we do to overcome the great challenges related to networking, like the dispersion of its knots and contact issues? These are some of the questions that the Meeting, which preparations are just beginning, will try to answer. For this purpose, however, it is necessary that all members participate in the preliminary discussions and give suggestions to enrich the presence meeting.

Otherwise, the magazine brings more information about the 3rd Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, through an interview with Roberto Esteves, researcher of the Open University of SUS (UNA-SUS) of Brazil, who works with professor professor Franscico Franscico Campos, Executive Secretariat of UNA-SUS and member of the Council of the Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA), in the organization of the 3rd Forum; a story about the importance of information to Health Sector and the role that Technicians can play in this area; and the second part of the text about the education of Health Technicians can play in this area; and the second part of the text about the education of Health Technicians in Uruguay. As a cover story, the magazine addresses the issue of curricula in educational courses of these workers, bringing some important considerations for all interested in the subject.

Enjoy your reading!

RETS Executive Secretariat.