Brazil proposes international action to guarantee health of indigenous
The Brazilian government intends to submit to the World Health Organization (WHO) a resolution that guarantees international action in defense of indigenous peoples' health. The proposal was announced this week to the executive board of the entity by the Secretary of Science, Technology, Innovation and Strategic Inputs of the Ministry of Health, Carlos Gadelha.
"I would like to announce our intention to present a resolution on the health of indigenous peoples, a topic never before directly addressed by the World Health Assembly, with the aim of guaranteeing their right to health, in accordance with their own requirements and under their own administration."
In his speech at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, the secretary called for support from other member states, the entity itself and other international organizations to think of a way to "leave no one behind" through appropriate regulation on "a topic of great importance and one that has been commonly neglected."
"About 600 indigenous children have died in the last four years as a result of state neglect and lack of public policies. There is no sustainable development, no right to health in a situation where children die due to abandonment," Gadelha concluded.
