Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Tuberculosis in Indigenous Communities of Antioquia, Colombia: Epidemiology and Beliefs

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Morbidity and mortality caused by tuberculosis are increased in most of the Latin-American indigenous communities. Factors that could explain this situation are poverty and limited health services access due to social conflicts and geographical isolation. We determined the frequency of tuberculosis in Colombian indigenous communities and described their knowledge related to transmission and control. We developed a descriptive study and health survey. Interviews were performed to find ancestral knowledge about tuberculosis. Sputum samples from patients with respiratory symptoms were analyzed. 10 indigenous communities were studied, which tuberculosis incidence was 291/100,000. Communities believe that tuberculosis is a body and spirit disease, which transmission is by direct contact or by witchcraft. Tuberculosis incidence in the studied communities was ninefold higher than that of the general population from Antioquia Department. Knowledge exchange could facilitate the community empowerment and implementation of educational activities which might improve the control of the disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Weis SE, Moonan PK, Pogoda JM, Turk L, King B, Freeman-Thompson S, Burgess G. Tuberculosis in the foreign-born population of Tarrant county, Texas by immigration status. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;164(6):953–7.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Zuber PL, McKenna MT, Binkin NJ, Onorato IM, Castro KG. Long-term risk of tuberculosis among foreign-born persons in the United States. JAMA. 1997;278(4):304–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. World Health Organization. WHO Report 2010. Global tuberculosis control. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Press; 2010.

  4. Maher D, Raviglione M. Global epidemiology of tuberculosis. Clin Chest Med. 2005;26(2):167–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ministerio de la Protección Social, Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS). Situación de salud en Colombia. Indicadores básicos 2010. Bogotá, Colombia; 2010.

  6. Castellanos M, García MA, Sulca JA. Tuberculosis en municipios indígenas. Boletín: Epidemiología. 2010;27(11):1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Culqui D, Zavaleta C, Romero J, Bonilla C, Trujillo O, Cueva N. Tuberculosis en poblaciones indígenas del Perú: Los Aimaras del Perú, 2000–2005. Revista Peruana de Epidemiología. 2009;13(1):1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Culqui DR, Trujillo OV, Cueva N, Aylas R, Salaverry O, Bonilla C. Tuberculosis en la población indígena del Perú 2008. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2010;27(1):8–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Guevara J. En busca de un modelo de salud para los Pueblos Indígenas: La experiencia del Vaupés, Servicio Seccional de Salud del Vaupés. Bogotá: Ministerio de Salud; 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  10. García I, De la hoz F, Reyes Y, Montoya P, Guerrero MI, León CI. Prevalencia de sintomáticos respiratorios, de infección y enfermedad tuberculosa y factores asociados: estudio basado en población, Mitú, Vaupés, 2001. Biomedica 2004; 24:124–131.

  11. Daza CO, Hurtado EJ, Imbachí JA, Solarte YA. Tuberculosis en Guambía según indicadores de la “Guía de atención a tuberculosis pulmonar y extrapulmonar” 2000–2004. Facultad Ciencias de la Salud. 2007;9(1):21–32.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Nóbrega RG, Nogueira JdeA, Netto AR, de Sá LD, da Silva AT, Villa TC. The Active search for respiratory symptomatics for the control of tuberculosis in the Potiguara Indigenous Scenario, Paraiba, Brazil. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2010;18(6):1169–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Montero E, Nazar A, Vázquez V. Seguimiento del procedimiento diagnóstico de tuberculosis pulmonar en tosedores crónicos indígenas de la Sierra de Santa Marta, Veracruz, México. Población y Salud en Mesoamérica. 2007;4(2):105–24.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Alvarez-Gordillo GC, Alvarez-Gordillo JF, Dorantes-Jiménez JE, Halperin-Frisch D. Percepciones y prácticas relacionadas con la tuberculosis y la adherencia al tratamiento en Chiapas, México. Salud Publica Mex. 2000;42(6):520–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Turner V. La selva de los símbolos. Barcelona: Gedisa; 1989.

  16. Romero C. Creencias y consecuencias sociales de la tuberculosis pulmonar en dos comunidades indígenas del estado de Oaxaca: Una aproximación cualitativa. Revista del Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias. 1999;12(4):235–49.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Alcaraz GM, Yagarí L. La concepción de la curación Chamánica entre los indígenas Embera de Colombia: Un proceso de comunicación socio-cultural y fisiológico. Investigación y Educación en Enfermería. 2003;21(2):60–78.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kent PT, Kubica GP. Public health micobacteriology. A guide for the level III laboratory. Atlanta: Centers for Diseases. Control. 1985;36–9, 47–69, 185–7.

  19. Dirección Seccional de Salud de Antioquia. Enfermedades inmunoprevenibles 2000-2010 por municipio (http://www.dssa.gov.co/index.php/estadisticas/eventos-de-salud-publica). Accessed Oct 2011.

  20. World Health Organization. Tuberculosis country profiles (http://www.who.int/tb/data). Accessed Nov 2011.

  21. Coimbra CE Jr, Basta PC. The burden of tuberculosis in indigenous peoples in Amazonia, Brazil. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2007;101(7):635–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Levino A, de Oliveira RM. Tuberculosis among the Indian population in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas State, Brazil. Cad Saude Publica. 2007;23(7):1728–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Romero-Sandoval NC, Flores-Carrera OF, Sánchez-Pérez HJ, Sánchez-Pérez I, Mateo MM. Pulmonary tuberculosis in an indigenous community in the mountains of Ecuador. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2007;11(5):550–5.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Basta PC, Coimbra CE Jr, Escobar AL, Santos RV, Alves LC, Fonseca LdeS. Survey for tuberculosis in an indigenous population of Amazonia: the Suruí of Rondônia, Brazil. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2006;100(6):579–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Ministerio de Salud Nacional. Guías de atención para el manejo de enfermedades de interés en Salud Pública. Resolución número 412 de 2000. Bogotá, Colombia; 2000.

  26. Nájera-Ortiz JC, Sánchez-Pérez HJ, Ochoa-Díaz H, Arana-Cedeño M, Lezama MS, Mateo MM. Demographic, health services and socio-economic factors associated with pulmonary tuberculosis mortality in Los Altos Region of Chiapas, Mexico. Int J Epidemiol. 2008;37(4):786–95.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Ministerio de la Protección Social de Colombia. Tuberculosis en los pueblos indígenas de Colombia: el reto de la prevención y el control. Bogotá: Organización Panamericana de la Salud; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Escobar AL, Coimbra CE Jr, Camacho LA, Portela MC. Tuberculosis among indigenous populations in Rondonia, Amazonia, Brazil. Cad Saude Publica. 2001;17(2):285–98.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Romero N, Martín MC. Intervención en tuberculosis pulmonar en una comunidad andina en Ecuador a través de la estrategia TAES/DOTS centrada en la comunidad. Cerdanyola del Vallès: GRAAL, Unitat de Bioestadística, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 2007. Report no.: GR-UAB-07-2.

  30. Friedemann NS. Jaibanás nele y enfermedad. Litoral Pacífico. Medicina Shamanismo y Botánica. Bogotá: Presencia Limitada. Funcol; 1983:27–37.

  31. Menegoni L. Conceptions of tuberculosis and therapeutic choices in Highland Chiapas, Mexico. Med Anthropol Q. 1996;10(3):381–401.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Ndeti K. Sociocultural aspects of tuberculosis defaultation: a case study. Soc Sci Med. 1972;6(3):397–412.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Liefooghe R, Michiels N, Habib S, Moran MB, De Muynck A. Perception and social consequences of tuberculosis: a focus group study of tuberculosis patients in Sialkot, Pakistan. Soc Sci Med. 1995;41(12):1685–92.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Metcalf CA, Bradshaw D, Stindt WW. Knowledge and beliefs about tuberculosis among non-working women in Ravensmead, Cape Town. S Afr Med J. 1990;77(8):408–11.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Teklu B. Reasons for failure in treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in Ethiopians. Tubercle. 1984;65(1):17–21.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

There is no conflict of interest with any individual or institution for the publication of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bacteriology and Mycobacteriology Unit, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Carrera 72 A No. 78 B–141, Medellín, Colombia

    José Mauricio Hernández Sarmiento, Gloria Mejía, Elsa Zapata, Verónica Gómez & Jaime Robledo

  2. School of Medicine, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Medellín, Colombia

    José Mauricio Hernández Sarmiento, Victoria Lucia Dávila Osorio, Lina María Martínez Sánchez, Laura Restrepo Serna, Diana Carolina Grajales Ospina, Andrés Eduardo Toro Montoya, Verónica Arango Urrea, Natalia Vargas Grisales, Manuela Estrada Gómez, Johan Sebastián Lopera Valle, Juan José García Gil, Lady Restrepo, Gloria Mejía & Jaime Robledo

  3. Organización Indígena de Antioquia (OIA), Medellín, Colombia

    Diver Lopera & José Leonardo Domicó Domicó

Authors
  1. José Mauricio Hernández Sarmiento
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Victoria Lucia Dávila Osorio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lina María Martínez Sánchez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Laura Restrepo Serna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Diana Carolina Grajales Ospina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Andrés Eduardo Toro Montoya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Verónica Arango Urrea
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Natalia Vargas Grisales
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Manuela Estrada Gómez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Johan Sebastián Lopera Valle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Juan José García Gil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Lady Restrepo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Gloria Mejía
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Elsa Zapata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  15. Verónica Gómez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  16. Diver Lopera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  17. José Leonardo Domicó Domicó
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  18. Jaime Robledo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to José Mauricio Hernández Sarmiento.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hernández Sarmiento, J.M., Dávila Osorio, V.L., Martínez Sánchez, L.M. et al. Tuberculosis in Indigenous Communities of Antioquia, Colombia: Epidemiology and Beliefs. J Immigrant Minority Health 15, 10–16 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9688-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9688-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation