Epidemiological Situation

The digital platform “Covid-19 – Indigenous people from RN” was developed to accompany the evolution of the new coronavirus infection among Indigenous people from Rio Grande do Norte State. This platform gathers pandemic epidemiological data drawn from the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of RN (APIRN) and is a result of the efforts of several researchers from the Anthropology Department of UFRN together with Indigenous leaderships.

The APIRN movement has been systematically monitoring the health situation in Indigenous villages across RN, either by monitoring and recording epidemiological data, or by developing actions for health control and disease prevention. The APIRN’s operation has been decisive in this pandemic context, given the underreporting and total absence of records presented by updates from the Health Ministry Special Indigenous Department (SESAI). SESAI, which began acting in Rio Grande do Norte in 2014 through the Special Indigenous Sanitary District (DSEI) has not been serving villages and communities of Potiguara da Paraíba since January 2019. There is still a lack of qualified data about the situation of Indigenous people and Indigenous villages in the municipal and state secretariat reports.

This platform also intends to disseminate information that may aid the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and publicize campaigns and initiatives that mitigate its consequences focused on Indigenous people, notably with regard to food security which has been strongly affected by social isolation.

Updated: 11/03/2021   at   17:00