According to a recent report by Survival International, a London-based group that advocates for native cultures, ‘native peoples are suffering a swine flu infection rate four to five times higher than that of the general population.’ Native-rights groups assert that the world’s indigenous people such as tribes are at ‘greatest risk from the swine flu pandemic.’
There are several factors as to why native peoples are more susceptible to the latest global pandemic. According to experts, ‘native peoples’ immune systems are particularly vulnerable to outside germs.’ Stephen Corry, director of Survival International, says, “Isolated peoples have little or no immunity to outside diseases, meaning that any contact with outsiders with swine flu could spell disaster for the tribes.”
Add to that is the fact that native groups and tribes ‘often have relatively low standards of living, which puts the groups behind the curve, in terms education, public health, and infrastructure.’ Almost all of these indigenous communities live in poverty and in overcrowded living spaces that are often without proper sanitation and hygiene.
Among the native groups that are more affected by the swine flu virus spread are the Manitoba First Nations in Canada, the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia, and the Machiguenga Indians which is a tribe in southeastern Peru.
