Introduction:

Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic parasitic infectious disease that affects the skin, mucous membranes and viscera. It is endemic in 98 countries and there are more than 350 million people at risk of transmission. In Colombia, the camps of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia were located in jungle areas where the disease is present. The objective of this work is aimed at describing the practices and knowledge of ex-combatants of the FARC-EP about cutaneous Leishmaniasis and its management in combat scenarios when living with this disease.

Methods:

The study is qualitative/exploratory, where knowledge about the disease and its form of transmission were addressed, as well as those practices related to the use of medications for its treatment.

Results:

In the analysis of the interviews it was found that the ex-combatants know the cycle of the disease from their experiences and by oral transmission, as well as their own healing practices adapted to the context of the armed conflict, this experience led them to develop knowledge management strategies based on the evidence.

Discussion:

The interviews give an account of the empirical and clinical knowledge of the ex-combatants about the cycle of the disease; There is no documentary record, nor manuals of procedures carried out in the jungle by the FARC-EP on the treatment of diseases; the members of the FARC-EP to develop evidence-based knowledge management strategies; the context of conflict significantly affected the time and technical resources to manage Leishmaniasis, this made possible the alternative responses to the disease documented in this work.

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