Indigenous communities in Brazil have been especially vulnerable to the new coronavirus COVID-19. In Mato Grosso do Sul, a state in central Brazil which is home to many indigenous communities, teams from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are helping prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19.

With few doctors in Mato Grosso do Sul, there is often no one to identify the moment at which a person with worsening symptoms needs hospital care. When they finally arrive at hospital, it may be too late to save them. 

There is also a high prevalence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, among the indigenous communities of Mato Grosso do Sul. These conditions increase the risk of a person infected with COVID-19 developing severe symptoms and dying. In this area, these medical conditions appear to be linked to changes in traditional ways of life, as people become increasingly sedentary and eat more processed foods. The chronic diseases often go untreated due to the obstacles faced by many people in accessing healthcare – from discrimination in health units to a lack of proper health information.

“Where COVID-19 has arrived, it has left a trail of destruction,” says indigenous leader Oto Lara, from the village of Colonia Nova, in the indigenous land of Taunay/Ypegue. “Our concern increased when we learned that the disease was already in the neighbouring cities, because we knew that we had no medical facility here.”  

Since 27 August, MSF’s mobile teams have been visiting 11 villages in the region, providing consultations at local health posts and doing home visits to monitor people who have tested positive for coronavirus and to detect new cases. 

Where COVID-19 has arrived, it has left a trail of destruction.