13 February 2020 – Indigenous peoples encouraged to stay within their territories

Type of Intervention: Guidance, Specific Action
Sectors Involved: Ethnic and Minority Affairs, Health, Indigenous Peoples
Level of Jurisdiction: National
Lead People/Agency: Ministry of Health and Ministry of Interior

Overview: FOR: DEPARTMENTAL, DISTRICT AND MUNICIPAL SECRETARIES OF HEALTH, HEALTH PROMOTING ENTITIES (EPS for its name in Spanish), INDIGENOUS HEALTH PROMOTING ENTITIES (EPSI for its name in Spanish), INSTITUTIONS PROVIDING HEALTH SERVICES (IPS for its name in Spanish) INDIGENOUS HEALTH SERVICES (IPSI for its name in Spanish) AND ETHNIC GROUPS

SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PREVENTION, CONTAINMENT AND MITIGATION OF CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 IN ETHNIC GROUPS: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, NARP COMMUNITIES (BLACK, AFROCOLOMBIAN, ROOTS AND PALENQUERAS) AND THE ROMAN PEOPLE.

It is considered necessary to recommend that the ethnic groups attend the following specific measures, taking into account their socio-cultural characteristics:

1.1. Stay in their territory, within their individual or collective space, in order to reduce exposure to the risk of contagion.
1.2. Implement actions to avoid leaving their territories in order to reduce exposure to the risk of contagion.
1.3. Limit the entry of people from outside the communities, such as tourists, visitors from private institutions, delegates of NGOs or international cooperation, who carry out processes or activities in ethnic territories, unless only in case of extreme need.
1.4. Establish protocols in order to guarantee that people outside the communities that enter the territories of ethnic groups, by virtue of the extreme need or institutional actions of the Colombian state, are in optimal health conditions (without symptoms of Acute Respiratory Infection (IRA) – or COVID-19 or other infectious diseases, complete vaccination schedules, among others).
1.5. Limit the development of community activities or mass assistance, canceling activities and / or rescheduling them.
1.6. Keep people with symptoms of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) – or COVID-19 in isolation.
1.7. Restrict contact with people with symptoms of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) – or COVID-19 within ethnic territories.
1.8. Integrate actions that promote community surveillance focused on the timely identification of suspected cases, defining determining actors (leaders, health agents, community managers, experts, among others) and routes for immediate notification and reporting.
1.9. Develop communicative actions with clear and simple messages according to the customs and habits of the ethnic groups present in the territory (Resguardos, cabildos, Community Councils, Kumpanias and other community-based organizations).
1.10. Have interpreters that facilitate the interaction, flow and effective communication of information, guaranteeing that ethnic groups (indigenous peoples and communities, NARP – Negras, Afrocolombianas, Raizales and Palenqueras – and the Rrom People) are aware of the administrative acts and provisions that have been issued. and issue the national government on the prevention, containment and management of the coronavirus COVID-19
Full details here: http://www.regiones.gov.co/Inicio/assets/files/25.pdf

Other links: 1
Type of Justification: Advice of INTERNAL government advisory committee or group, Previous recommendations of the Ministry of Health (Circular 005 of February 2020)
Source of Evidence or Justification: World Health Organisation, National – government