The Ministry of Health announced on March 27 the deployment of six intercultural health brigades to provide comprehensive medical services to indigenous populations in remote areas of the Loreto region.
The initiative aims to ensure timely, culturally appropriate, and quality healthcare for vulnerable groups. The program includes promotion, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment activities coordinated with indigenous leaders and organizations.
A total of 42 health professionals have been organized into six interdisciplinary teams. Over approximately 20 days, these teams will travel through hard-to-reach zones in the Peruvian Amazon to offer direct care across 65 geographically dispersed communities. During this second phase, the ministry projects around 35,000 consultations and expects to benefit more than 3,000 people. Each patient may present multiple health issues that are addressed immediately by the team or referred for evacuation when necessary.
The brigades operate along the Corrientes, Tigre, Marañón, Chambira, and Pastaza river basins. Their focus includes respiratory diseases, malnutrition, and vector-borne illnesses such as dengue fever, malaria, leishmaniasis as well as other conditions identified during their visits. Vaccination campaigns are also conducted to complete national immunization schedules for children and administer human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for women. Additional services include HIV and syphilis screenings alongside counseling on family planning and sexual reproductive health.
As part of the National Malaria Control Plan led by the Ministry of Health (MINSA), “thick drop” blood screening is carried out in coordination with local authorities and leaders to identify cases early for prompt treatment.
These interventions result from joint efforts between MINSA’s Directorate of Indigenous Peoples or Originaries (DPI) and Loreto’s Regional Health Management Office (GERESA). Four brigades coordinate with Nauta Health Network while two work with Datem del Marañón Health Network.
