Measles threatens to extinguish indigenous peoples living in the Amazon

July 13, 2018 – 22:15

According to data from the NGO Wataniba, the indigenous Yanomami ethnic group who live in the state of Amazonas that Venezuela communicates with Brazil, could disappearing due to Large outbreak of measles n affecting the community since March 2018.

According to the data of the organization, more than 50 people living in the indigenous locality were diagnosed with the disease , the largest number of men over the age of 25.

However, from Watania they badure that because the area where these people live is difficult to access, it was not possible to specify what is the actual number of natives affected [19659004] The children of this Yanomami ethnic group who are the group most affected by this pathology could not be vaccinated against this disease or other diseases.

From the non-governmental organization, they badured that outbreak and started because of illegal mining in the Mining Bow, "many of them belonging to indigenous ethnic groups who carry the virus to their communities of origin after contracting the infection in areas where circulation of the virus is present ".

Brazilian authorities reported 357 cases of measles in the state of Roraima only in May, of which 144 are indigenous to border communities.

According to data provided by the organization Yanomami Horonami, Measles in these localities has caused the death of several people, putting more emphasis on the adult population.

From the NGO "we join this alert, at the request of various organizations that ensure the welfare of these special populations, strengthen and implement the necessary and extraordinary public health measures that must be applied to Emergency, given the high vulnerability of these people to natural immunity or optimal protection by vaccines, to infectious agents such as the measles virus, capable of producing serious epidemics that can kill the population "

Tal Cual / Press Release