There are more than 476 million indigenous peoples in the world, found in all regions of the world, from the Arctic to the tropical forests. Indigenous peoples are more than 6 per cent of the global population. Indigenous peoples, in particular indigenous women and girls are often disproportionately affected by epidemics and other crises. Indigenous peoples are nearly three times as likely to be living in extreme poverty as their non-indigenous counterparts. They account for almost 19 per cent of the extreme poor, irrespective of the region and residence in rural or urban areas and even across international borders. They are also custodians of a wealth of traditional knowledge and practices, languages and culture, which includes time tested responses to crises. In addition to poverty and underlying health status, many indigenous peoples live in isolated or remote communities, where health-care services are difficult to reach and have limited capacity, or do not exist. The role of elders in indigenous communities is particularly significant as they play a key role in keeping and transmitting indigenous traditional knowledge and culture and practices that can contribute to the health, well-being and recovery of their own and wider communities. Bearing in mind that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples establishes the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of indigenous peoples, stakeholders should consider the following: GOVERNMENTS & REPRESENTATIVE INSTITUTIONS • Recognize indigenous peoples’ representative institutions, authorities and governments as the legitimate representatives of indigenous peoples. • Include indigenous peoples’ representatives, leaders and traditional authorities in emergency and health response entities in their communities, overseeing responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indigenous peoples should be included in both responses to the pandemic as well as to its repercussions.
ACTIVITIES
RELATED SECTORS
Livelihoods Development, Social Responsibility, Social Protection, Safety Nets, Disability, Indigenous Rights, Health and Wellbeing, Access to Health Care, Mental health, Communication with Communities, Data Collection/Needs Assessments, Post Disaster & Recovery Employment, Response Technologies, Youth