The Catholic University of Maule is a central collaborator of the first project in Chile that investigates since 2014 the factors that influence or prevent the development of chronic diseases, for which 10 thousand residents of the commune of Molina are included, in the Maule region.

MAUCO is a central project of the first Centre for advanced chronic diseases in Chile (ACCDiS ), which corresponds to a strategic alliance of the PUC and the U. of Chile. On the other hand, The Catholic University of Maule is a central collaborator in this project, which is developed in the teaching module of the Faculty of Medicine and whose local epidemiologist is the academic of the House of Studies, DRA. Laura Andrea Huidobro, who explained that it has been investigated since 2014 and for a period of 10 years.

"MAUCO is the first population-based study in Chile to investigate the factors that influence or prevent the development of chronic diseases, such as: cancer, Diseases Cardiovascular, diabetes and obesity. In its population study it includes 10 thousand residents of the commune of Molina in the Maule region, surveys and sampling at the start of research and are followed in time to assess the occurrence of health events, as hospitalizations, diagnosis of diseases or changes in their risk factors", explained the academic of the UCM.

The project has had a positive impact on the development of Molina, this is indicated by Nilton Palacios Maldonado, director of the Santa Rosa Hospital in the commune.

"The project has had a very favorable impact on the community because multiple tests are being carried out and early diseases have been detected., managing referral to more complex hospitals", He began by saying.

"It has been a joint effort between the Catholic University of Maule and the Center for Advanced Studies of Chronic Diseases in Chile, with the research of MAUCO in order to enhance all the results that have been obtained so far, both chronic diseases and gastric cancer and is giving the first guidelines to work nationally in the prevention of chronic diseases ", Complemented.

On the other hand, the Dra. Huidobro stressed that MAUCO has been incorporating various subprojects that study different aspects of health in the population such as "health in the elderly and exercise, Oral Health, Role of Exercise in Liver Health, Health lifestyle, Polypharmacy, bacterial resistance, Pesticides and kidney health, Access to healthy food, hyperactivity syndrome, cognitive impairment, chronic pain, Health Effects of Childhood Events, etc. Lately the CDC installed in MAUCO the only follow-up study of COVID vaccines that it has in Latin America".

UCM's contribution to the community

The director of the Hospital de Molina emphasized the role that the House of Studies has had in the inhabitants of the commune.

"The UCM has been very important because we are not only developing these investigations, we are also clinical field of the University, We are in constant relationship, beyond the MAUCO project, are contributing to the community, We are working on a science fair and talks, So the relationship is not only focused on research, but also in other activities that we carry out together", Revealed.

Because the Hospital is a clinical field of the UCM, Palacios highlighted the great work done by its graduates. "It has been very beneficial because they know the Hospital because they have gone through the clinical field., They also know the community, So that generates a bond that is different from when a professional arrives who is from outside and has to get to know the area", He said.

This strengthens the relationship between both institutions, So he adds that "we have different joint projects that are being developed in research purely with gastric cancer, we also want to make operations with the UCM, Countless projects are coming that will benefit the community, to the Hospital and the University".

"The University is inserted in the Hospital and is being incorporated into the community and educational centers, which has also been a very important link because they were the first to support us in the activity with the interceptor., we are constantly operating and in alliance with the Catholic University of Maule", Mentioned

At last, Nilton Palacios had time to refer to the importance of training specialists at the UCM through Maule Scholarships.

"I think it's been a huge step., we have a pediatrician from the Catholic University of Maule who works in our center. It is highly valued by the community to have a pediatrician here and not have to travel to Curicó, we have focused the referrals from other communes to our Hospital, It is something invaluable to shorten the gap of specialists that exists in our country", Closed.

Read more at portal.ucm.cl