“We’re talking about ancestral knowledge that has beneficial consequences for health,” says Júlia. The researcher notes that the positive effects of traditional communities on biodiversity conservation, forest preservation, and wildfire containment were already known – but “now we have another path to pursue Indigenous rights and healthy ecosystems.”
“Indigenous peoples show us more sustainable paths. They are crucial for biodiversity preservation.” – Júlia Barreto
“For a long time, we only studied the causes – deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change – but eventually you ask: now what? How do we mitigate?” comments Paula. According to the researchers, foundational science has paved the way for integrating Indigenous sustainability into scientific production and, potentially, into public management.
“This is the first dataset that enables us to think about managing the entire Amazon region,” says Júlia. She affirms that it is the first open, systematized collection of information capable of promoting health impacts across the region. In the year that the Amazon hosts the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), the researchers hope their findings will influence public management. To support this, the data collected on diseases in each region has been made publicly accessible.
Malaria stands out. “It carries the highest burden on the population – it’s the biggest problem,” says Paula. Studying the disease was essential due to its impact in the region. The researchers highlight a major gap: the absence of a pan-Amazonian monitoring program. Countries do not report the same diseases, lack consistent Indigenous land laws, and their data covers different time periods. In Suriname, despite extensive forest cover, Indigenous Lands are not demarcated. In Venezuela, malaria data ends in 2017 – only Brazil and French Guiana have recent data.
