HEALTH CARE FOR INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS

The 1988 Brazil constitution states that there is free universal health care to the public if you are a Brazil citizen. For the people living outside of the urban areas, and living in the forests of the Amazon or on reservations, the right to health care means something different. Areas that are not near city centers are affected in multiple ways when it comes to their health care. There is less attention paid to their needs since there are less medical professionals, medication, transportation and clinics available for them (Glock, 2013). Along with unequal access for indigenous populations, they have different health problems than those living in urban areas so procedures and exams need to be designed to fit their needs (Glock, 2013). The main reason why their health problems differ is because the indigenous populations have been consuming more processed foods since they need to adapt their diets to their changing economy system since their lands can be taken. As a result, they begin to eat different processed foods since they are the ones most easily available for them (Glock, 2013). Indigenous peoples suffer from malnutrition because of environmental degradation and contamination of the ecosystems in which indigenous communities have traditionally lived, loss of land and territory, and a decline in abundance or accessibility of traditional food sources (The Health, 2014). Since they have different health issues, they are looked at differently when in the public facilities that they are able to go to (Glock, 2013). There is little information on many of their specific health needs and concerns that puts them at a disadvantage when in the clinics. There are "only about 2 hospital beds for every 1,000 people and can take months for special services such as x-rays" (Khazan, 2014). In the Amazon, where many indigenous tribes reside, there are "53 cases of negligence in health care in 16 states, which affected a total of 53,000 people. The northern state of the Amazon accounts for the largest number of cases" (Glock, 2013). Indigenous populations have different health concerns that are due to their culture and their environment. They use alternative treatments than medications to cure their population. Some of their major health concerns are high infant mortality compared to urban areas, alcoholism, malnutrition especially in indigenous children, malaria, maternal mortality, and sexual health. "aboriginal groups are concerned about the lack of answer to their needs" (The Health, 2014). There was a survey conducted that had data from 113 villages and 5,305 households that looked at nutritional statuses of Brazil's indigenous health (Coimbra, 2013). The data found that that "basic healthcare and sanitation services are not yet as widely available in Brazil’s indigenous communities as they are in the rest of the country" (Coimbra, 2013). They found different health problems among the villages and cases that were worse than documented for the national Brazilian population (Coimbra, 2013). Some examples of health problems prevalent in women and children were hypertension, obesity, height for age deficit, and hospitalization during the prior 12 months in children (Coimbra, 2013). Health problems differ in regions and understanding these differences helps provide the right methods and treatments. Overall, medical practitioners are not fully educated on these problems and cultural values of indigenous groups. Their practices differ from those in more contemporary communities and if the medical professionals were more culturally aware of these differences and sensitivities then they would better effectively treat the patients.