Second delivery on the concept of Synergies to the Constitutional Court

On the occasion of the accompaniment that Sinergias will make to the judicial inspection ordered by the Constitutional Court to the health system of the department of Vaupés, we publish the second special delivery against the questions posed by the judicial body to our entity (You can see the first part here).

2° What are the health needs in Vaupés, that is, the population, the characteristics of its inhabitants, the territory they occupy and their special needs, with emphasis on what the indigenous communities require?

R/ The lack of access to services and goods that are indispensable for the social development of the indigenous communities has affected, and continues to affect, health conditions directly or indirectly.

For example, according to the index of unsatisfied basic needs (UBN), defined by the National Planning Department, Vaupés has almost triple (UBN: 87%) of deficiencies in access to water, basic sanitation, education and housing services, compared to the country (UBN: 27%).

The health situation of the population is precarious, especially in rural areas.

Until about 10 years ago, there was a network of 17 health posts and 55 basic health care units in rural areas. Many of them are now deteriorated or destroyed. About 50 operate sporadically with auxiliary nurses for four to six months a year, at best.

With regard to intercultural health, understood as dialogue and appreciation between cultures (Western and indigenous in this case), many of the services provided lack the cultural sensitivity necessary to guarantee responses in accordance with the needs and expectations of the communities (despite attempts in the past to build health models based on respectful dialogue with the ethnic communities).

Many are the health needs of the communities: the lack of health workers in rural areas, the need to adapt the service delivery model, the importance of incorporating the figure of traditional healers in the health scheme, the lack of timely and adequate care by the EPS are just some of the needs expressed by the communities.

Sinergias was able to confirm this in a departmental meeting held in the framework of a project in 2012, which aimed to build an intercultural health care model for the department.

At that meeting, commitments were made that have not yet been definitively implemented.

Undoubtedly, the health situation deserves special attention from the Constitutional Court and the country in general.

The progress and social development of the department's ethnic communities depends on joint efforts between local and national health systems, indigenous authorities, non-governmental organizations and the possibility of dialogue between these actors and the communities.