Brazil's Indians sick, hungry - missionary
Date: 17-Sep-99
Country: BRAZIL
Malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea and malnutrition were
cited by experts as just some of the chronic health problems prevalent
among Brazil's 215 native tribes.
"There are more than 150,000 Indians who are hungry, many of them depend
on the basket of staple foods given by Funai (National Indian
Foundation) or a politician from their region," said Roberto Liebgott,
representing the Indigenous Missionary Council, a Catholic organisation.
Liebgott was one of the speakers at a hearing of a commission set up to
monitor the health of Brazil's 326,000 Indians, many of whom live in the
remotest areas of Brazil's vast Amazon basin.
He said Brazil's government was neglecting its indigenous peoples, and
blamed their poor health on a lack of clear policy and funding from
Funai, the government's Indian agency.
"The health situation is part of a policy of lack of attention by the
government to the Indian population. The state gives the Indian
population no priority," Liebgott said.
Mauricio Guarani, a representative for the indigenous communities also
speaking at the commission hearing, said the government's health
programmes were administered with no consideration for specific needs of
individual tribes.
"Every tribe has its own way of living and using remedies," he said. "If
the government cared more about Indian health, they would use more funds
and give us better attention."
