So Paulo 10 March 1992
CCPY UPDATE 54
SENATOR SUPLICY VISITS YANOMAMI TERRITORY
Senator Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy, Workers Party (PT)
representative for So Paulo, visited the Yanomami territory from
9-12 February. The trip was undertaken at CCPY's invitation and
had the support of the National Indian Foundation (Funai), which
made an airplane available for the senator and those accompanying
him: Claudia Andujar and Carlo Zacquini (CCPY), Dinarte Nobre de
Madeiro (Funai's head of the operation to remove the
garimpeiros), and the senator's son, Joo.
During his visit Suplicy was able to review a variety of
situations. He first visited the Casa do dndio (Indian House), a
type of "hospital" maintained by Funai in the city of Boa Vista.
He then visited communities which had suffered large numbers of
deaths through malaria in the malocas (village communal houses)
Surucucus, Xideia and Homoxi. He then visited the Catrimani
community where the Catholic mission of the Consolata order has a
health post. Finally the senator visited the Demini community,
where the Yanomami leader Davi Kopenawa Yanomami lives, and where
CCPY maintains a health care project for the community.
"My conviction that the demarcation of the Yanomami area is
correct, was strengthened" said the Senator on his return from
Boa Vista to Brasilia, where he handed the new Health Minister
Adib Jatene, the National Health Foundation (FNS) report on the
health of the Yanomami (see text below).
The Senator said that he believed that "the government will
always defend better its national sovereignty while it continuous
to pay respect to the Yanomami's territorial rights". Referring
to the garimpeiros (wildcat mining prospectors) he said "We
cannot admit the use in 1992 of similar methods to those of the
Bandeirantes" (groups which opened up the Brazilian west during
the colonial period, killing a large number of indigenous people.
During the visit there was an incident with the Army at the
Frontier Platoon of Surucucus. Because of mechanical failure the
aircraft used was unable to take off. Thus the group asked the
platoon commander if they could stay the night. After consulting
his superiors by radio the officer said that only the senator and
his son could stay in the barracks and that the other three,
including Claudia Andujar, should find shelter with the Indians.
The senator's trip had widespread coverage in the Roraima
press, mostly critical of his position in defence of the
Yanomami.
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THE GOVERNMENT PUBLISHES INFORMATION ON THE YANOMAMI HEALTH
SITUATION IN 1991
The National Health Foundation (FNS), a Ministry of Health
body, published its first report on the health situation in
Yanomami territory for 1991. The FNS has since April 1991 been
charged with the coordination of health care in an area of 90,000
square kilometers within the states of Roraima and Amazonas,
where around 10,000 Yanomami live.
At the end of last year, there were some 147 people from
different organizations working in this area, consisting: 95
staff from FNS, 28 from FUNAI, 4 from CCPY, 2 from the Amazonian
Evangelical Missions (MEVA), 3 from the Diocese of Roraima, 3
from the New Tribes Mission of Brazil (MNTB), 6 from Medecins du
Monde (MDM), a French organization, and 6 from Medecins sans
Fronti
re (MSF), a Dutch organization, as well as members of the
Indigenist Missionary Council (CIMI). During the year CCPY hired
12 health professionals to work in its projects.
The majority of these people are contracted on a temporary
basis, not guaranteeing continuity of health care. Through
CCPY's project two nurses were maintained permanently with the
Indians.
Having worked in the area since February 1991 the FNS took
over legal responsibility in April 1991 for health care to the
principle and most populated areas where Yanomami have a critical
health situation: Surucucus, Xideia, Homoxi and Paapi#, with an
estimated population of 3,500 Indians.
>From September the areas of Mucaja!, Parafuri and Eric" with
around 1,300 Yanomami were attended regularly. These areas make
up some 67% of the Yanomami population in Roraima. Some
indigenous communities in the state of Amazonas began to receive
attendance from FNS in the last months of the year. CCPY health
care, also in Amazonas state, has been undertaken since the
beginning of 1991.
By the end of the year a total of 18,021 consultations were
given to the Yanomami in both states. Medical teams covered 11
of the 12 areas, grouped by kinship relations, and 64 of the 91
communities in Roraima (70%).
The disease of most epidemiological significance is malaria,
with 6,788 recorded cases. There were also 1,940 cases of acute
respiratory infection, 1,662 cases of skin diseases, and 934
cases of mal-nutrition.
Malaria cases accounted for 55 deaths in the first semester
and 30 deaths in the second semester, reflecting an improvement
in steps to control the disease.
- In 1991 43 cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed in 1991 as
opposed to 23 in 1990. This increase in cases reported may be
accounted for by improvements in health services, including the
active search to diagnose in areas of highest incidence, research
into communicators and the introduction of the research method
involving alcohol-acid bacillus resistance. FNS admits, however,
that there may have actually been a real increase in the disease
amongst the Indians.
Last year 193 deaths were registered from these and other
diseases. Of these there were complete records in 143 cases, 75
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of which occurred in the first semester, and 50 cases with
incomplete registers.
The FNS report indicates that there have been improvements in
health attendance of Indians in the city of Boa Vista. The Casa
do Indio (Indian house), which acts as a kind of hospital with
capacity for 100 interned patients, had alterations to the sewage
system, to physical installations, to the water and electric
systems. These alterations were promoted by FNS and Medecins du
Monde.
Despite the improvements, lack of adequate material conditions
(laboratory and x-ray equipment, for example) increases the
length of time the sick and those accompanying them have to stay
at the Casa do Indio.
FNS's targets for 1992 will be:
1) Maintain and expand health teams and logistical support
through applying financial resources which guarantee the hiring
and training of personnel, and adequate remuneration for them.
2) Improve referral and cross referral system.
3) Improve management of information by acquiring computerized
equipment and specialist advice.
4) Purchase and install solar energy equipment to maintain
refrigeration system.
FNS's intention is to secure contracts for trained personnel
for periods of not less than three years, in sufficient numbers
to maintain a rotation system. Rotation is necessary because of
sickness among the medical teams themselves, or through
exhaustion from the work, and difficulties in adapting to the
peculiarities and adversities of the area.
In order to reach this target FNS proposes that all
organizations involved in indigenous and/or assistencial matters
should work together.
Comissao pela Criacao do Parque Yanomami - CCPY
Rua Manoel da Nobrega 111 cj.32
04001 So Paulo SP Brasil
Tel: (011) 289-1200 Fax: (011) 284-6997