Vaccination against Covid-19 reached 90% of the indigenous villagers over 18 years old; the work is carried out by the Special Secretariat of Indigenous Health (Sesai)

The Special Secretariat of Indigenous Health (Sesai) is one of the essential arms of the Ministry of Health for the care of traditional peoples and communities. This year, even marked by the challenges that the Unified Health System (SUS) faced with the pandemic, more than 10 million medical consultations were carried out in indigenous territories.

In addition, Sesai carried out seven actions with non-governmental institutions where more than 21 thousand procedures were performed, including ophthalmologic care with the delivery of corrective lenses, surgeries, dental procedures, medical consultations, and exams.

In the professional field, the Ministry of Health implemented the Young Indigenous Program. The project makes job openings available for indigenous people who do not have professional experience in the positions of nurses and nursing technicians, thus making it possible for them to enter, through a selection process, the Indigenous Special Sanitary Districts (DSEI).

According to the secretary of Indigenous Health, Robson Santos da Silva, the various actions served to ratify the commitment of the Federal Government to meet the needs of the indigenous populations living in villages all over Brazil. "One of the main marks of this year was the work done based on strict standards of governance and transparency. This was reflected in each of the actions, in the proper use of resources, optimized for the benefit of indigenous health.

Vaccination

In 2021, the Federal Government allocated R$ 29 million to fight Covid-19 in the communities served by the Ministry. Indigenous people were a priority for vaccination. The country has also reached the level of 90% of indigenous people over 18 years old with the first dose. The second dose has also reached 84% of this public.

The 406,962 indigenous people over 18 years old served by the Indigenous Health Care Subsystem (SasiSus) are within the priority groups of the campaign since the beginning, on January 18, following the National Operationalization Plan for Vaccination against Covid-19 (PNO).

Sanitation

By November, works for supply systems were completed in 25 villages to bring access to drinking water to these communities. Fourteen renovation or expansion projects of existing structures were also delivered. Currently, 76 works are in progress.

The year also ends with 173 building and sanitation projects, such as the deep tube well project, the project for electrical installations for the Water and Supply System (WSS), and the Home Sanitation Module.

Nathan Victor
Ministry of Health