The Ministry of Health this week released a new report on the situation of indigenous peoples in the Yanomami territory in Roraima, the country’s largest indigenous territory. It recorded an 80.8 percent reduction in malaria-related deaths between January 2023 and the end of 2025, after the Brazilian government declared a Public Health Emergency of National Importance (ESPIN) to address the humanitarian crisis caused by the invasion of illegal gold miners.

The report cites a 75.9 percent increase in the number of tests conducted through active case finding. Testing for the disease also rose from 144,986 to 257,930 in 2025.

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Deaths from malnutrition fell by a significant 53.2 percent between 2023 and 2025. During the same period, the share of children under five with adequate weight increased from 45.4 percent to 53.8 percent, according to the report.

There was an increase in the number of children receiving regular follow-up care from health teams, rising from 70.1 percent to 85.1 percent. Severe malnutrition also declined, with the share of children who were severely underweight falling from 24.2 percent to 15.2 percent during the period.

The number of consultations for acute respiratory infections increased by 254 percent between 2023 and 2025. As a result, the disease’s case fatality rate fell by 76 percent, while the number of deaths declined by 16.7 percent since the start of the Public Health Emergency response.

Vaccines

In the area of immunization, the Ministry of Health confirmed a 40 percent increase in the number of doses administered in 2025 compared with 2023, rising from 31,999 to 44,754. The percentage of children under one year of age with a complete vaccination schedule more than doubled during the period, rising from 27 percent in 2023 to 60.6 percent in 2025. Among children under five, the rate grew from 47.4 percent to 78.3 percent, reflecting stronger routine vaccination efforts.

According to the Ministry’s Secretary of Indigenous Health, Lucinha Tremembé, the results reflect expanded access to healthcare in the territory, reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting lives and promoting the health of indigenous peoples.

“We are making steady progress in improving health in the Yanomami territory, with a reduction in deaths and, above all, in deaths from preventable causes such as malnutrition and malaria. These results reflect the current administration’s ongoing effort to strengthen the Brazilian government’s presence, ensuring comprehensive, high-quality care that respects the cultural specificities of indigenous peoples,” she noted.

Health services

Among the advances highlighted by the Brazilian government is the expansion of the healthcare workforce in the territory. Since the start of the health emergency, the number of professionals has more than tripled, rising from 690 to over 2,130 workers deployed directly in villages, at the Indigenous Health Center (CASAI) in Boa Vista, and within the facilities of the Yanomami Special Indigenous Health District.

In the area of infrastructure, the Yanomami Center for Emergency Public Health Operations highlighted the completion of 261 interventions in water supply systems, along with the installation of more than 1,400 filters, helping expand access to safe water.

The government also installed 61 solar energy systems and upgraded health facilities, strengthening the foundation for primary care in the territory.

Another important milestone during the national emergency period was the renovation and expansion of the Indigenous Health Reference Center (CRSI) at the Surucucu base camp, deep inside the territory.

Since its restructuring, the facility - which serves as a reference point within the indigenous territory - has provided 4,374 outpatient consultations. Of these, 2,081 were laboratory tests and 328 were ultrasound exams. The facility serves 48 communities and handles most patient transfers to higher-capacity healthcare facilities in the region.

“This specialized infrastructure has helped improve clinical management, strengthen community ties, and streamline care pathways,” the Ministry of Health said in the statement.

Representatives of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), the organization coordinating the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre) in Brasília, delivered a seven-page letter on Thursday (Apr. 9) to the Brazilian president’s General Secretariat and the Ministry of Mines and Energy. In the document, they acknowledge progress in public policies but criticize delays in the demarcation of indigenous territories.

Titled “A sovereign Brazil is one with demarcated and protected indigenous lands,” the document notes that the current government was formed with the support of the indigenous movement to “rebuild the foundations of institutionality and democracy.”

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“It is necessary to recognize that important changes have taken place during this period,” the letter states.

Among these changes, they cited the creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, the presence of indigenous leaders in prominent government positions, and the reestablishment of spaces for dialogue.

However, the representatives believe these actions still fall short of what is needed.

“We acknowledge progress, but it still does not address the historical urgency or the Brazilian state’s debt to our peoples.”

A climate of violence

Indigenous peoples say there is a growing trend of territorial invasions, violence, and the criminalization of indigenous communities, leaders, and organizations.

“While some institutional frameworks have been rebuilt and there have been shifts in rhetoric, the concrete protection of indigenous territories and of the lives of indigenous peoples still needs greater consistency and continuity,” the letter reads.

Indigenous peoples argue that guaranteeing public policies is a permanent obligation of the Brazilian state.

The letter calls for measures in six areas:

• demarcation and protection of territories;
• consultation, participation, and self-determination;
• budgeting and permanent governance;
• life, security, and well-being;
• climate, ecological transition, and a ban on exploitation;
• memory, reparations, and the future of indigenous peoples.

Since last Sunday (5), various indigenous ethnic groups have gathered in Brasília, the country’s capital, for the Free Land Camp. According to the organizers, approximately 8,000 individuals are camped there.