HEALTH DEMANDS, ANCESTRAL THERAPEUTIC PRACTICES, AND DETERMINANTS OF ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN THE CARIRI INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Abstract

Brazilian Indigenous health continues to be marked by structural inequalities that hinder access to healthcare, while ancestral therapeutic practices for health care coexist within these communities. In this context, the present study aims to describe a technical visit to the Cariri Indigenous Community of Poço-Dantas Umari, located in the municipality of Crato, Ceará, Brazil, identifying its main health demands, ancestral therapeutic practices, and determinants affecting access to healthcare. This is a descriptive, qualitative study presented as an experience report. The findings revealed significant weaknesses in healthcare provision, including the absence of an Indigenous Primary Health Care Unit, difficulties in accessing specialized healthcare services due to transportation barriers, insufficient preventive health actions, and a lack of multidisciplinary care. At the same time, the persistence of a traditional therapeutic system was observed, led by the Pajé (Indigenous spiritual leader and healer) and traditional faith healers, whose knowledge is transmitted across generations and coexists in a complementary manner with conventional medicine. It was also found that the community does not reject medical care but rather calls for a stronger presence of the State and the provision of culturally sensitive health services. It is concluded that strengthening Indigenous healthcare requires expanding access to health services, valuing ancestral knowledge, and developing practices capable of promoting comprehensive care, equity, and respect for the sociocultural specificities of Indigenous peoples.