Tuberculosis en comunidades indígenas del Chocó, Colombia. Análisis epidemiológico y perspectivas para disminuir su incidencia

Introduction. Indigenous communities have higher morbidity and mortality tuberculosis (tb) rates than other ethnic groups. Due to geographic location and armed conflict, they have health services limited access. In this study is presented a tb epidemiological analysis in indigenous communities to identified socio-cultural factors that can improve disease control. materials and methods. Observational descriptive study. tb frequency in indigenous communities of Colombian Pacific, department of Choco, from 2009 and 2016 period was analyzed. Data were compared with register country data of Ministry of Health. Sociocultural behaviors that could be affecting the occurrence of the disease in these communities are described. results. tb incidence rate in Colombia was 25.3 per 100 000 average inhabitants between the years 2009 and 2016. The incidence in the Afro community of the Pacific coast (which represents 90% of the population) was 41.7 per 100 000 inhabitants. In the indigenous peoples of the same region (representing 10% of the population), the incidence for the same period was 192.1 per 100 000 inhabitants. The Asociación de Cabildos Indígenas del Chocó (Asorewa) considered that the tb high incidence are due to problems of access to health services and the people magical concept of “transmission disease through spirits”. conclusions. tb incidence in indigenous peoples of the Colombian Pacific, is at least four times higher than the incidence in the general population, and affects women more than men. Tuberculosis control program, in municipalities that have an indigenous population, must involve to their authorities in the processes of recruitment, diagnosis and treatment patients.