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Addressee: Member States, IPOs, NGOs, PAHO, UNICEF and WHO
Full Text
The Permanent Forum recommends that the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), States, non-governmental organizations and indigenous peoples’ organizations join efforts in implementing appropriate expert health-care actions to prevent disastrous disease problems affecting indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and recent contact, and consider adopting rapid-effect emergency procedures in situations where the health situation is critical, as it is at present in the Javari Valley in Brazil.
Responses
The Peruvian Government has established the National Centre for Intercultural Health (CENSI) within the Ministry of Health as a line agency of the National Health Institute. This Centre has signed agreements with 12 regions to protect the health of indigenous people. It has also scheduled a second health survey of the indigenous communities of the Peruvian Amazon.
CENSI has prepared two technical guides on topics relating to indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact: “Relations with indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation or initial contact in cases requiring interaction with them”, prepared pursuant to Ministerial Resolution No. 797-2007-MINSA, and “Health care for indigenous peoples in recent or initial contact at high risk of illness”, prepared pursuant to Ministerial Resolution No. 798-2007-MINSA.
As can be seen, the Government recognizes the vulnerability of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact and gives priority to protecting their health. Act No. 28736 establishes, implements and ensures oversight of cross-cutting special measures that protect the rights of such peoples, particularly with respect to health.
UNICEF: Progress has been made to prevent health problems affecting indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and recent contact as UNICEF supported Paraguay’s Ayoreo organization Organización Payipie Ichadie Totobiegosode and an non-governmental organizations (NGO) to supply a rainwater system and sanitation to Totobiegosode communities, whose inhabitants were in voluntary isolation until 2004. UNICEF has also helped expand health care services to those communities. Unfortunately, there was no mention of any work in developing rapid-effect emergency procedures in situation where indigenous health is critical.
Final Report of UNPFII Session 6 (2007)
Area of Work
