Recommendations :
1.
Allocate personnel and finance resources for :
a) Data disaggregation : The general lack of disaggregated data
based on ethnicity and sex in national reports prevents the
development of a full perspective on the status of health and other
rights among indigenous peoples. Furthermore, process and
outcome indicators on health programs being implemented and
affecting indigenous peoples should be included.
b) In-depth study on the health status of indigenous peoples based on
their broad context of ‘well-being” towards proper and effective
targeting. Targeting and implementation should be done in
partnership with indigenous peoples, communities, experts and
organizations. Specifically,
indigenous birth attendants have
recommended the conduct of a study on the their occupation and
practice vis-à-vis the claim that a many of maternal and neonatal
mortality are related to “unskilled” aid and home births.
c) Intercultural Health :
Development of culturally and gender
sensitive strategies and programs. This includes capacity building
to sensitize health workers and other service providers including
indigenous health care providers i.e birth attendants. The roles of
indigenous health care providers in family and community health
care and management should be recognized and strengthened
through enabling activities and mechanisms (i.e scholarships for
formal training and providing accreditation to practice as skilled
birth attendants)
without prejudice to the development of
indigenous medicinal and health-related knowledge and practice.
The intercultural health approach will also facilitate promotion of
culture/identity, advancement of indigenous knowledge and
good health-seeking behavior among women, children and youth.
This entails effective information and communications and
developing mechanisms for participation and inclusion in decision
making.
d) Integrated and Holistic Approach to Health : “Wellbeing” is the sum
of the different components that contribute to the health status of
an individual or community. It has references to the health or the
capacity of the land, resources and the environment to provide the
needs of the community. It also has reference to the capacity of the
person and the community to withstand or overcome health crisis
through governance and management that upholds the dignity of
the life and culture of indigenous peoples – women and men under the principles of equality.
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