With expanded healthcare services, deaths in Yanomami territory dropped by 21% in 2024

Data released by the Brazilian Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde/MS) on Monday, May 5, highlight progress in healthcare for the Yanomami population, with a reduction in deaths in 2024, mainly from preventable causes such as malaria, respiratory infections, and malnutrition. According to Report No. 7 from the Emergency Operations Center (Operações de Emergências/COE), this improvement is the result of a stronger presence of healthcare professionals, whose numbers have more than doubled, as well as of Federal Government investments in infrastructure and service quality.                  

The report shows a 21% decrease in the number of deaths in the Yanomami population between 2023 and 2024, including a 47% drop in deaths from acute respiratory infections, 42% from malaria, and 20% from malnutrition. Deaths considered preventable through healthcare interventions saw an even greater reduction, falling by 26% over the period.

“These results reflect President Lula’s administration’s commitment to protecting the lives of the Yanomami people, bringing together all ministries to take action,” stated Health Minister Alexandre Padilha. “This effort followed a period of neglect, during which the previous administration even encouraged illegal mining. The joint action of the entire Federal Government ensured the necessary response and allowed health professionals to reach the villages and care for the population. The number of health workers in the territory has more than doubled,” he added.

The number of new healthcare professionals increased significantly by 158% during the period, rising from 690 at the beginning of 2023 to 1,781. Of the 1,091 new hires, many were brought in through the Brazilian Agency for Support in the Management of the Unified Health System (Agência Brasileira de Apoio à Gestão do Sistema Único de Saúde/AgSUS) and the expansion of the Programa Mais Médicos (“More Doctors” Program). Today, 45 doctors from the program are working in the region, ten times more than before. The teams provide care directly in Yanomami territory or at the Indigenous Health Center (Casa de Saúde Indígena/CASAI) in Boa Vista.

Since the beginning of the emergency in Yanomami territory, the Ministry of Health has reopened seven base camps that had been closed due to safety concerns for healthcare teams caused by the presence of illegal mining. The physical structures of the health posts had also been destroyed. This action allowed healthcare services to reach 5,224 Indigenous people in the Kayanaú, Homoxi, Hakoma, Ajaraní, Haxiú, Xitei, and Palimiú base camps. By April 2024, all units had been reopened, reducing the healthcare gap within Yanomami territory. The poor condition of services found in 2023 led to underreporting of illness and deaths in previous years.

In 2024 alone, the Ministry invested BRL 256 million to recover and improve the infrastructure of Indigenous healthcare facilities. “With the reopening of the base camps, healthcare teams were able to return and ensure care, monitoring, and surveillance. All 37 base camps are open and functioning,” pointed out Weibe Tapeba, Secretary of Indigenous Health.

Tapeba also highlighted the construction of the Surucucu Indigenous Health Reference Center, the first specialized care hospital in an Indigenous territory, expected to open in September. In Boa Vista, the Ministry of Health has also improved care for the Yanomami population with a Backup Hospital, which has already started receiving Indigenous patients. The resolution of cases in the territory has also been enhanced with the implementation of telehealth, greater connectivity, and solar energy in several healthcare hubs.

This set of actions has resulted in a decrease in diseases. Severe malnutrition—very low weight for age—among children under 5 years old dropped from 24.2% in 2023 to 19.2% in 2024. On the other hand, the number of children with low weight only slightly increased, indicating an improvement in the nutritional status of this population, with a higher percentage of children at an ideal weight and a reduction in those with very low weight. Today, 50% of Yanomami children are at the ideal weight.

“Nutritional recovery in children is a slower and more complex process, particularly in the most severe cases, and it may take years to normalize weight and strengthen their immune systems,” Weibe Tapeba explained.

Malaria: decrease in deaths and positive diagnoses

The report highlights a 42% reduction in malaria-related deaths and a 47% decrease in case fatality rate (the proportion of deaths among confirmed cases) related to the disease between 2023 and 2024. During the same period, there was a slight increase of 9.7% in notifications (from 31,207 to 34,231 cases) due to the expansion of healthcare teams, strengthened surveillance efforts, and intensified diagnostics, including active case-finding. These actions resulted in greater service coverage and an increase in case detection and reporting. In 2023, 180,906 tests were conducted, while in 2024, this number rose to 260,251 — a 44% increase.

Despite the expansion, there was a nearly 24% reduction in the proportion of positive tests for the disease. According to Secretary Tapeba, “The data reflect significant progress in access to diagnosis and care, with a direct impact on reducing fatality rates and improving the response to malaria control in the territory.”

Expansion of healthcare services

The number of acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases increased by 270%, with a 73% reduction in fatality rates and a 47% decrease in deaths during the period. A total of 24,180 consultations were recorded in 2024, compared to 7,523 in 2023.

Data from the report shows that, in 2024, there was a significant increase in the services provided by the main professional categories compared to 2023. Notably, nutritionists saw a remarkable rise in consultations, from 8,905 to 49,974 (a 461% increase). Medical consultations grew by 72.6%, from 26,113 to 45,072. Nursing technicians and assistants maintained the highest volume of care, with a 13.9% increase (from 560,447 to 638,098). Nurses recorded a 28% increase (from 142,083 to 181,895).

As a result of the measures adopted, there was a significant decrease in admissions to the Indigenous Health Center (Casa de Saúde Indígena/Casai), a referral unit that provides medical care, lodging, meals, and multidisciplinary support to Indigenous patients referred for treatment outside their villages. The service acts as a bridge between primary care in the villages and specialized services in urban centers. There were 2,837 admissions in 2024, compared to 4,013 in 2023 — reflecting the positive impact of strengthened primary care within the territory.

Immunization: 65% increase in vaccine doses administered

The report also records a 65% increase in the number of routine vaccine doses administered during the Yanomami Public Health Emergency of National Concern (Emergência de Saúde Pública de Importância Nacional Yanomami/ESPIN-Yanomami). A total of 53,477 doses were given in 2024, compared to 32,352 in 2023.