During the Summer of 1998, I returned to Alto Corrientes to continue my Anthropological research on traditional subsistence patterns among the Achuar of Ecuador. I found the village to be the same vibrant and loving community as before and I participated on many hunts and fishing trips thus, adding to my understanding of their way of life.

Unfortunately, I also and encountered numerous health problems some of which I have listed below. For example, a little boy named Washi got a hold of his father’s shotgun (some of the Achuar are acquiring firearms) and accidentally blew off one of his toes. Thanks to the generous donations made to the Alto Corrientes Health Care Fund, we were able to help pay for the costs of his emergency medical treatment. A little girl named Sonya came down with meningitis and can no longer walk unaided as a result of her illness (meningitis is a treatable condition but ONLY if the proper treatment is administered in a timely manner).

Problems at the state-run Hospital (this is NOT the Hospital Voz Andes del Oriente):
Many Amazonian Indians seek out the state-run hospitals for treatment because they are less expensive than private hospitals. However, the care given to patients in these government institutions is often less than satisfactory and sometimes it can be quite appalling. Recently for example, a five-year old Indian child was admitted to the state-run hospital with a dislocated elbow but the traumatologist did nothing until the third day! The quicker you get bones back in their proper places, the better. Another example is of an indigenous woman who needed blood after hemorrhaging from a spontaneous abortion, but she did not even get a transfusion until the fourth day!

Furthermore, the high rate of illiteracy among Indians makes them very vulnerable to exploitation. There are reports of Indians being charged with inexplicably high hospital bills for treatment they have received (it is easy to overcharge patients if they do not understand writing or numerals).

Even more disturbing are the reports of increased cancer rates among certain Amazonian groups that had NO cancers before contact with the Western world. What exactly is causing this increase in tumors is still unclear but it may be related to environmental pollution from industry.

These are just a few of the problems that the people of the Ecuadorian Amazon are facing. With your donation, you can help the Achuar remain healthy and autonomous in their rainforest habitat. Thank you for your concern!

I will be returning to the Achuar village of Alto Corrientes in the Summer of 1999 to continue my research on traditional subsistence patterns.