Ethnographic profile and difficulties in accessing oral health care in Amazon region – an experience report

Abstract

The Indigenous People living in the surrounding areas of the lower course of the Amazon River have little and outdated epidemiological information on oral health. The access to oral health is a distant reality for this population and the precariousness of primary health care in these regions is alarming, thus access to oral health care becomes an unmet need. Objective: This experience report aims to contribute to a critical reflection on the barriers to access to oral health for the Sateré-Mawé Indigenous People of the Andirá-Marau Indigenous Reserve (Amazonas, Brazil). Case report: Traditional medicine practiced by healers proved to be active in the region, nevertheless, the precariousness of access to institutionalized health in Indigenous Health Districts is also part of the reality of these peoples, being justified by the difficulty of traveling to the regions with professionals and specialists. This situation reflects on the sparse results of the available health surveys, which show they have worse oral health conditions compared to the non-indigenous population. Conclusion: After daily experience, it was possible to register that more adequate sanitary approaches are needed that meet real needs of this community.