Cimi denounces abandonment in the Health Service for indigenous peoples
The Indigenist Missionary Council denounces their apprehension and concern with the abandonment of health attendance to indigenous communities.
In the state of Tocantins 15 children of the Apinajé-indians died in the last five months, due to diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. In Mato Grosso the Sul dozens of Guarani-Kaiowá childred died due to malnutrition. In Pará seven children of Munduruku-people were victims of intestinal infections. In Amazonas, the indigenous organizations are denouncing the increase of infect-contagious diseases. Like in Roraima, were among the Yanomami, malaria indexes are growing again due to the lack of preventive actions. In Acre, 10 children Kaxinawá died in consequence of the diarrhoea. In the states in the Southeast and the South, dozens of cases of malnutrition were registered among Guarani and Kaingang children, with even some cases of deaths. The majority of these cases are located in small areas of lands, formerly destroyed by the colonists. In Mato Grosso, the government was accompanying passively the death of a Xavante child in the indigenous area of Marawatsede. This area, already demarcated and ratified, continues to be invaded by farmers in the neighbourhood. In the state of Maranhão, 14 children of the village Bananal died in 2005, and in January 2006, there were already registered six more deaths, caused by diarrhoea and malnutrition. In Rondônia, the absence of a consistent intervention on the part of Funasa (National Health Foundation) has been causing the spreading of infect-contagious diseases, for example hepatitis B and C.
Along this infant mortality and the increase of diseases, dozens of adults’ deaths can be added due to malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis. Diseases that should be eradicated from our country, but that have come back due to the omission of the State and the failure of their politics, especially the paralysis in the demarcation processes of the indigenous lands and lack of protection of these lands.
Even in the states where the control of indigenous organizations on the attendance in the area of health is larger, the medical equipments and the used vehicles to assist the communities are in a very bad stage. In several places, employees are forced to cross the arms due to the delay in the payment of their wages, for example in the Yanomami District.
Besides this also the implementation by Funasa of sanitation projects, perforation of drinking water and the construction of health centres in villages throughout Brazil has been very slow. The lack of quality water in the indigenous communities is a catalyst of diseases that could be avoided easily.
This reality has, in their essence, several factors:
1) the privatisation of the heath politics, initiated in the former government and continued by Lula, with the added difficulty that under the current government in all the states political agreements were established with local oligarchies, which historically were opposed to the interests and rights of the indigenous people;
2) the emptying of the health politics;
3) the ending of the administrative autonomy of the districts, passing all the responsibility to the regional coordination of Funasa.
In the last years Funasa has been provoking countless attritions with the organized indigenous movement, when promoting the unilateral breaking of partnerships and their substitution by institutions totally strange to the indigenist field, like ´academic´ associations and NGO´s, as well as municipal city halls. The occupations of the headquarters of Funasa in practically all the areas, demonstrates the unconformity of the indigenous people with the health attendance.
From 28 to 30th of March there will be the IV National Conference of Indigenous Health. But Funasa is trying to restrict the organized participation of the indigenous people, like they also did during the regional meetings, which generates doubts about the legitimacy of IV National Conference.
Above all, Cimi beliefs that the Brazilian government will have to reformulate the health politics, referencing the general guidelines of the Second National Conference of Health, accomplished in 1993, to make social control about the actions of the responsible organ for the indigenous health possible, as well as put available financial and human resources appropriate to assist in a worthy and responsible way the indigenous communities in the whole country.
Luziânia (GO), March 16, 2006
