POVERTY: Venezuela: Two Indigenous Groups Suffer From Malaria, Tuberculosis And Malnutrition

Two indigenous groups in Venezuela are being hit by serious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and malnutrition, health experts reported that country. Researchers at the University of Carabobo (UC) found cases of malnutrition, parasites and the presence of so-called "dwarf tuberculosis" in the Piaroa community of Amazonas state in the south.
Regional Health Directorate of the area also confirmed an outbreak of malaria in three villages of the Yanomami.
Sources connected to the health unit reported death from malaria of at least one person, while 60 others had made and were being treated. No more deaths were ruled out.
The pulmonologist UC Jesus Rodriguez said a multidisciplinary team visited several indigenous communities piaroa last August to make a diagnosis on the health situation.
"The Indians themselves have guided us so we could see that there is tuberculosis in the community of Caño Piedra, but we were astonished because malnutrition and parasitic diseases are also killing people," said the specialist.
The university group, consisting of three nurses, a psychologist and a doctor, had to take a tour of more than three days by rivers and jungle to get to this remote community Autana Municipality in Amazonas.
"It has been shown that children have yellow hair, a sure sign of malnutrition. In addition there are five Indians with confirmed diagnosis of tuberculosis, "said the doctor.
The daily diet is based piaroa cassava or manioc, a fruit called Malacca, crickets, spiders and other insects, said the pulmonologist, who stressed that these indigenous people rarely hunt or fish.
For the specialist, the number of patients should be higher because "the five people diagnosed with tuberculosis live with 90 other Indians in the same home, as usual."
UC academics hope to return to the area with diagnostic technology, medicine and food because, says Rodriguez, "these Indians are starving."
For its part, the regional director of Amazonas State Health, Miguel Hernandez, said that about 60 are confirmed cases of malaria among Yanomami Indians, with the death of a member of ethnicity.
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