Covid-19: APIB Committee will track and register pandemic among indigenous people

The Indigenous People Articulation of Brazil (APIB) launches the National Committee for Indigenous Life and Memory aiming at monitoring the pandemic among the indigenous populations. One of the main drivers behind the creation of the committee is the negligence of the Brazilian State regarding the impact of Covid-19 in the traditional communities. Indigenous leaders say that the number of deaths is much higher than what is being officially reported by the Special Secretariat of Indigenous Health (Sesai), a Ministry of Health agency. Until May 12th, the Committee registered a total of 78 deaths among indigenous people, while Sesai registered 19. The difference between the numbers on infected cases is also huge: 371 versus 258.