Understand the Yanomami health crisis, which led the government to declare an emergency

This Friday (20), the health crisis among the Yanomami led the Ministry of Health to declare a Public Health Emergency of National Importance. The folder informed that it sent a team to investigate the situation in the indigenous territory last Monday (16).

Upon arriving at the site, the ministry team observed a scenario with children and elderly people with serious health problems. Malnutrition, malaria and acute respiratory infection (ARI) were some of the complications reported by the folder.

Malaria alone accounted for more than 11,000 cases in 2022 in the Yanomami Special Indigenous Health District. For comparison purposes, the entire Yanomami territory has around 30,000 inhabitants. The number of cases of the disease in 2022 is higher in those over the age of 50.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was in the area and called the situation “inhumane”.

According to the Ministry of Health’s Indigenous Health Care Information System (Siasi), 99 deaths of Yanomami children were recorded in 2022. The causes are varied, including malnutrition and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Three of these deaths were registered from December 24th to 27th in Keta, Kuniama and Lajahu communities. The documented causes are Srag, dehydration and malnutrition.

Complete mission data from the Ministry of Health should be finalized in February. That’s because the technicians remain in the territory until January 25 and then have 15 days to write the report.

“Technicians are analyzing the entire health situation in the region, the services provided and available inputs”, informed the Ministry of Health.

Even with the data not yet consolidated, a situation room was set up to deal with the crisis facing the Yanomami. According to the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, basic food baskets, supplies and medicines have already been sent to the territory.

The Public Health Emergency Operations Center (COE-Yanomami) was also set up to take measures during the national emergency situation.

Another problem previously reported is related to verminoses. In November 2022, an operation was carried out by the PF (Federal Police) and the MPF (Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office) to combat an alleged diversion of public resources intended for the purchase of medicines from the Yanomami.

The alleged frauds resulted in the withholding of medicines, especially dewormers, which left 10,193 children unattended, according to a note released by the Federal Police.

Data used by the MPF indicate that, of the 13,748 children eligible for treatment for worms in the first half of 2022, only 3,555 received treatment.

The result of the embezzlement of drugs was an “increase in infections and manifestations of severe forms of the disease, with children expelling worms through their mouths”.

The health situation among the Yanomami, who had their territory demarcated 30 years ago, has already been reported previously.

Published in April 2022, the survey “Yanomami under attack” carried out by the Associação Yanomami Hutukara and the Associação Wanasseduume Ye’kwana, with technical assistance from ISA (Instituto Socioambiental), showed that a crisis in the area was already being observed, with an increase in cases malaria and childhood malnutrition.

The situation gained prominence with a photo of a Yanomami girl lying in a hammock with her ribs exposed.

According to the survey, Arathau, one of the regions of the indigenous land located near the Parima River, registered the highest rate of malnutrition in the entire territory. Among children up to five years old, around 79.3% had low or very low weight.

The report carried out by the associations also points to mining as one of the biggest problems of the indigenous people and that is directly associated with the increase in malnutrition. For example, the practice causes deforestation of the land, reducing fertile land. In addition, mining introduces diseases among the indigenous people, which reduces their ability to work and care for children.

Malaria is also described in the report as a disease that has seen an increase in cases in recent years. Still in communities located in Arathau, cases grew by about 1127% between 2018 and 2020.