Introduction:

The need to provide information in the fight against COVID-19 is more urgent in developing regions, which suffer from insufficient resources, limited government supervision, high poverty rates and difficulty in accessing information. Considering the reality experienced by those living by the Transamazonian Highway and the Xingu River and the urgent need to reduce COVID-19 cases in the region, which depends on the population taking prevention measures, this community outreach project called “e-COVID Xingu: Social media and information against COVID-19 in Altamira, Pará” took shape. This article aims to describe the experiences of the project members in the initial months of the outreach project during the pandemic in the region.

Experience Report:

The project’s audience target was the population of the Xingu region, especially indigenous communities and those living in rural areas. While posts on social media spread information about prevention, risk groups and social isolation, in order to reach the most vulnerable people, who lack an internet connection, a partnership with a local TV and radio broadcaster provided important information to these remote indigenous villages and rural communities. Moreover, an informative booklet with guidance on how to prevent infection by COVID-19 was released in both Portuguese and the Kayapo language to raise awareness and understanding among Xingu indigenous communities.

Discussion:

The posts on social media achieved a good reach in social media. Furthermore, mass media, like radio, remain efficient information disseminators. The use of multiple tools is one possible way to educate diverse social groups, including the use of the internet, the radio or printed materials.

Conclusion:

Using different communication platforms and respecting social distancing, the university, through this community outreach project, was able to contribute to the fight against COVID-19, spreading accurate and safe information and considering the need to include historically, socially and economically vulnerable population groups such as the indigenous and rural Xingu communities.

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