Health Problems in the Zlaqatahyi Communities

Infant malnutrition and Influenza There is a recurrent problem, especially in the southern winter months, of inflenza amongst the children of the communities of 'Our Forest' (Zlaqatahyi in the Wichí language). Sadly, there was aparticularly fierce epidemic among them during August and September 2010. In Hoktek T'oi alone, this took the lives of two small children and led to the hospitalization of one other. Susceptibility to this disease is doubtless rendered greater by malnutrition and access to medicines made more difficult by poverty. Our Lush grant of March 2011 gave us the funds for these communities to buy medicines and, in emergencies, pay for transportation of very sick patients to hospital.