Conversações sobre a peste branca: formação em controle de tuberculose de profissionais da Estratégia de Saúde da Família no Estado do Rio de Janeiro Conversation about white plague: formation in tuberculosiss control of professionals of the Health Family Strategy in Rio de Janeiro's State

The objective was to estimate the level of knowledge and the effect of educative actions about tuberculosis (TB) between the professionals. Eight-hour training courses in TB were given, emphasizing general and control aspects of the disease, to physicians and nurses working at primary health care. The course consisted of theoretical classes as well as discussion of cases. Preand post-tests on TB were given. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee from UNIFESO (protocol number 038/06). A total of 210 physicians and nurses took part in the activities, in four different moments, in cities of Angra dos Reis, Arraial do Cabo, Vassouras and Volta Redonda. All of them were preand post-tested. It showed enhance in cognition in all the cities, with increase in mean results between preand post-tests, fact confirmed by T-test on compared samples (p<0.01). Results obtained with the course on TB point to a reasonable degree of cognitive enhancement, what may result in impact on health actions and TB control from the part of the trained professionals.