Between floods and ebb tides: the use of crafts in the production of care and healthcare access in the liquid territory of an Amazon municipality, Brazil

Abstract

Qualitative study aimed at analyzing crafts as a dimensionofaccesstohealthcareintheliquidterritory of a municipality in the state of Amazonas. The data were produced from the cartographic method and involved interviews, participant observations, and photographic images taken with healthcare workers from the municipality during trips that took place between 2019 and 2020. The analyzed boats included rabeta canoes, small boats, large boats/recreational boats, jet boats/express boats, and the River Basic Health Unit’s boat (Unidade Básica de Saúde Fluvial in Portuguese). For material analysis, we employed the concept of a visibility plan, which revealed the use of boats in accessing and providing healthcare; and boat usage according to water cycles. It was evident that the use of these boats for healthcare access varies, depending on the social, economic, cultural, and health conditions of riverside communities, as well as the characteristics of the crafts themselves, such as shape, size, motor power, and cargo capacity. Additionally, the use of these craftsis directly linked to the dynamics of the water cycles, which determine the type of boat, the route to be taken, and the travel time.