A malaria test for a Urarina from the Amazon region in Peru

The Urarinas have long since ceased to live in isolation, but before they were enslaved they retreated to remote areas to work as rubber collectors. Around 70 years ago, settlers began to settle in the lower reaches of the Rio Chambira. Later, loggers, traders and oil prospectors came to the Chambira, bringing with them infectious diseases against which the Urarinas' immune systems were powerless. (see source: http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/urarina.html). Many cases of severe, sometimes fatal, whooping cough led to the intervention of the Friends of Indian Aid at the request of the Urarinas and with the mediation of anthropologists working there. Vaccinations and medical care have reduced the most dangerous infectious diseases.

Malaria is a problem in many tropical countries. The disease, which is transmitted through mosquito bites, is a health hazard and can even lead to death. Repeated attacks of malaria lead to general physical weakness. The inhabitants of the Amazon lose their ability to work, can no longer hunt or cultivate their small fields. Less food threatens the whole family with malnutrition. Malnutrition makes them susceptible to many other diseases. The birth weight of newborns whose mothers suffer from malaria during pregnancy is significantly reduced - a poor starting point in an environment with many health risks.