Mato Grosso Indigenous Health Webinar Highlights Care Gaps

The public ministry of Mato Grosso hosted a two‑day webinar titled “SUS Negado, Povo Apagado: A Biopolítica da Morte Indígena” to hear Indigenous leaders about persistent shortcomings in health services across the state. Participants included Indigenous chiefs, prosecutors, public‑health officials and researchers. Speakers reported that many health posts only have dipyrone and ibuprofen, that villages lack potable water and wells, and that municipalities frequently refuse responsibility for Indigenous patients.

The forum also raised environmental concerns, noting mercury contamination of the Xingu River and pesticide drift from farms. Calls were made for a dedicated SUS queue for Indigenous peoples, recruitment of health staff, and clearer assignment of food‑security responsibilities between state and municipal authorities. Prosecutor José Antônio Borges Pereira said, “Este espaço funciona como uma escuta para que possamos compreender, com profundidade, os gargalos da saúde indígena, que muitas vezes se mantêm por interesses econômicos que não podem se sobrepor à vida.”