Abstract
Environmental pressure could be linked with the dramatically increased of the number of suicides in the Guarani ethnical groups living in the suburban areas of Dourados where recurring nutritional and mental disorders were found in the at-risk population. Although periodic population surveys have been carried out in Brazil since the 1970s, no specific tracking has been recorded of those indicators that affect indigenous populations other than a few limited regional studies. In any event, the increase of adverse health indicators associated with environmental stress as diarrhea or pneumonia, the emergence of nutritional disorders and the high prevalence of suicide rates have been identified as common trends by independent studies. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the impact of environmental factors, traffic-related pollution and relevant health determinants in populations living in a suburban and nearby urban environment such as the Guarani-Kaiowá community of Dourados-Mato Grosso do Sul- Brazil. A qualitative document analysis based on the synthesis of existing literature has been complemented with the critical review of relevant outcomes of health surveys on health determinants. The opening of highway MS-156, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil has further worsened the health status and chronic health problems of the indigenous population of Itaporã reserve, which this road has split in two. The traffic-related air & noise pollution exacerbates the existing health problems impacting the health status of the Guarani-Kaiowá community, including mental health. A progressive increase in suicide cases has been observed. This is a global trend affecting indigenous communities worldwide
Presenters
Pedro Diaz PeraltaVisiting Fellow, Yale School of the Environment - Michelle L. Bell´s Research Group, Yale University, United States Claudia Ribeiro Pereira Nunes
Student, PhD, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Human Impacts and Responsibility
KEYWORDS
Environmental Factors, Health Risks, Health Determinants, Suicide, Indigenous Communities
