The Frequency of Porcine Cysticercosis and Factors Associated with Taenia solium Infection in the Municipality of Tuchín-Córdoba, Colombia.

Taeniasis and cysticercosis are parasitic infections that affect humans and pigs. Their global distribution constitutes a serious public health issue with significant implications for pork production. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of porcine cysticercosis in backyard swine from 42 indigenous communities throughout Tuchín-Córdoba, Colombia. Between December 2020 and March 2021, free-range pigs (n = 442) were assessed using the ELISA cysticercosis Ag test; 85 pigs were examined through sublingual visual evaluation, and 4 slaughtered pig carcasses were subjected to standard operation inspection. The collected cysticercus underwent histological and PCR analysis. Furthermore, 192 surveys of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) were used to identify the factors that facilitate infection transmission. Serological investigation revealed that 9.7% (46/472) of the animals were positive for cysticerci Ag. Sublingual inspection identified cysticercus in 28.7% (25/87) of the animals, while PCR analysis indicated that cysticercus corresponded to the T. solium American/African genotype. The factors associated with T. solium infection in the pigs in the surveyed areas numbered 14. The majority are associated with factors that promote the active persistence of Taenia solium's life cycle in an area, such as lack of environmental sanitation, a lack of coverage or care for drinking water and wastewater treatment services, and no solid waste disposal.

Role of sacred groves in southwestern Nigeria in biodiversity conservation, biomass and carbon storage.

Sacred groves are remnants of primary forests with rich biological diversity, protected by indigenous communities. Their role in carbon sequestration and provision of other ecosystem services is being recognized. We investigated four sacred groves (Idanre Hills, Igbo-Olodumare, Ogun-Onire, and Osun-Osogbo) in southwestern Nigeria for biodiversity conservation, biomass production, and carbon storage. A total of 32 temporary sample plots of 800 m2 each were laid across all the sacred groves. Within each plot, all trees with dbh greater or equal to 10 cm were identified, and their diameters and heights measured. Saplings and seedlings were assessed within 100 m2 and 25 m2 sub-plots, respectively. Non-destructive methods were employed in estimating volume, biomass production, and carbon storage. Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Margalef index, and tree species richness in the four groves ranged from 2.63-3.55, 5.64-10.02, and 41-85, respectively, and differed significantly. The four groves were sanctuaries for many indigenous tree species of immense social, religious, ecological, and socio-economic importance. The high densities of seedling and sapling, together with the inverted-J tree diameter distributions, are indications of active regeneration and healthy ecosystem. Mean volume was high (range 244.99 to 343.08 m3 ha-1). The biomass (range 87.8 to 231.85 t ha-1) and carbon stock (range 43.9 to 115.9 t ha-1) of the groves revealed their potentials for climate change mitigation through atmospheric CO2 sequestration. Thus, besides being an effective biodiversity conservation method, sacred groves are important carbon sink. This calls for further conservation of sacred groves to serve as long-term carbon storage mechanism.

Occurrence of Eimeria spp. in Wayúu goat herds in the Municipality of Maicao, La Guajira, Colombia.

The department of La Guajira is considered the region with the largest goat population in Colombia. The disease caused by protozoa of the genus Eimeria can result in significant economic losses in goat production, threatening the region's food security. The objective of this study was to identify the occurrence of coccidiosis produced by Eimeria spp. in pools of fecal samples of young and adult goats belonging to 12 indigenous communities in the municipality of Maicao, La Guajira. The results showed the presence of eight different species of Eimeria spp. (E. alijevi, E. ninakohlyakimovae, E. hirci, E. arloingi, E. jolchijevi, E. caprovina, E. aspheronica and E. christenseni) differentiated by their morphological characteristics, in addition to the estimation of the parasite load in each fecal pool. In conclusion, this study is the first to report the occurrence of different species of Eimeria spp. in goats located in the department of La Guajira, Colombia.

Best Practices to Support the Self-Determination of Indigenous Communities, Collectives, and Organizations in Health Research through a Provincial Health Research Network Environment in British Columbia, Canada.

In Canada, the health research funding landscape limits the self-determination of Indigenous peoples in multiple ways, including institutional eligibility, priority setting, and institutional structures that deprioritize Indigenous knowledges. However, Indigenous-led research networks represent a promising approach to transforming the funding landscape to better support the self-determination of Indigenous peoples in health research. The British Columbia Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (BC NEIHR) is one of nine Indigenous-led networks across Canada that supports research leadership among Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) communities, collectives, and organizations (ICCOs). In this paper, we share three best practices to support the self-determination of ICCOs in health research based on three years of operating the BC NEIHR: (1) creating capacity-bridging initiatives to overcome funding barriers; (2) building relational research relationships with ICCOs ("people on the ground"); and (3) establishing a network of partnerships and collaborations to support ICCO self-determination. Supporting the self-determination of ICCOs and enabling them to lead their own health research is a critical pathway toward transforming the way Indigenous health research is funded and conducted in Canada.

Diet change and sustainability in Indigenous areas: characteristics, drivers, and impacts of diet change in Gunayala, Panama.

Many Indigenous communities around the world have been experiencing rapid and profound diet changes. This case report uses a Sustainability Science lens to understand the characteristics of diet change in Indigenous Gunas communities of Panama, as well as its drivers and sustainability impacts. We use primary information collected through interviews with 30 experts and 232 household surveys in three Gunas islands  characterised by different levels of development, western influence, and cultural erosion. We observe a rapid westernization of diets that has been mainly driven by closer interaction with tourists and the Panamanian society, as well as broader development processes. However, this diet change has a series of intersecting sustainability impacts related to food security, health, and socio-cultural and environmental change. It is necessary to understand the intersection of these phenomena when designing programs and interventions that seek to prevent or mitigate negative diet changes in Gunayala, and other  Indigenous contexts more broadly. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-023-01325-0.

Positive impacts of oral health services provision by a student-led primary care clinic to an Australian rural indigenous community.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine whether oral health services provision by a dental student clinical outplacement embedded within a Community Controlled Health Service positively impacted a rural Indigenous community and to explore the nature of these benefits. METHODS: Aggregated and de-identified 2017, 2018 and 2019 student-led clinic services provision data were retrospectively analysed. The change in services mix over time was measured. Rural outplacement clinic operational costs to the university were estimated. Government-funded local public dental clinic waiting list and services provision data were used to identify any student clinic establishment effect. RESULTS: The student-led clinic services mix shifted over time from mainly acute care for toothache towards prevention of disease and tooth restoration, indicating an improvement in patient oral health and correspondingly reduced system costs. Imputed value of 2017-2019 student-led clinic services provision totalled almost AUD$1 million. Government public clinic waiting list times decreased after full establishment of the student-led clinic, indicating decreased pressure on the public system. CONCLUSION: The Community Controlled Health Service and university partnership improved community oral health care access, its timely delivery and simultaneously provided valuable human capital development from the student training experience. The student-led clinic's targeted Indigenous community showed oral health improvement over time. © 2023 Australian Dental Association.

Family listening/circle program: The experience of community action projects to promote family and community wellness in three tribal communities in New Mexico.

Introduction: The Family Listening/Circle Program (FLCP) is a community-based participatory research (CBPR), culture-centered, intergenerational family strengthening program that was co-developed in partnership with the University of New Mexico's Center for Participatory Research (UNM-CPR) and three tribal communities (Pueblo of Jemez, Ramah Navajo, and Mescalero Apache) in New Mexico. The Family Listening/Circle Program brings together fourth and fifth graders, their parents, caregivers, and elders to reduce risky behaviors associated with the initiation of substance use among the youth, and to strengthen family communication and connectedness to culture and language as protective factors. Methods: The tribal research teams (TRTs) from each community worked with UNM-CPR to co-create, pilot, implement, and evaluate the tribally-specific FL/CP curricula centered in their own tribal histories, language, knowledge, visions, and actions for the future. A key component of the FL/CP involved the planning and completion of community action projects (CAPs) by participating families. During the final session of the program, the families present their community action projects on poster boards, with children leading the presentations. The TRTs and UNM team document narratives of what was shared and learned by the families. Results: The CAPs provide an empowerment and community benefit focus based on Paulo Freire's philosophy that people can become agents of change if they identify and work on issues that are important to them. The community action projects are also centered in Indigenous values and practices of reciprocity, responsibility, and being active members of the community. Discussion: The CAPs added unique contributions to the Family Listening/Circle Program as the participants' learnings were strengthened when they had the opportunity to give back to their communities. The CAPs were important to document as they illustrated the potential range of effectiveness with their capacity to empower participants to address challenges within their communities, strengthen cultural norms and values, and improve the wellbeing of community members.

Effectiveness of Dengue Awareness Calendar on Indigenous Population: Impact on Knowledge, Belief and Practice.

BACKGROUND: Dengue is prevalent among the indigenous community due to impoverished living conditions near the forest fringe areas and lack of health awareness. The study aims to determine the effect of a dengue awareness calendar on knowledge, belief, and practices (KBP) among the indigenous population. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in nine selected indigenous villages in Selangor, Malaysia. A dengue awareness calendar was distributed to the indigenous communities after pre-intervention. The KBP scores were compared between the pre-and post-intervention. RESULT: A total of 609 paired responses were obtained. Knowledge, perceived severity, cues to action, self-efficacy, and prevention practices were significantly improved after the intervention (p > 0.00). Participants with primary (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.627; 95% CI 1.338-5.160) and secondary level education (OR 2.263; 95% Cl 1.126-4.550) reported a high increment in practices score. High increments in dengue knowledge scores (OR 2.190; 95% CI 1.521-3.757, p < 0.00) were significantly more likely to report a high increment in practices score. Housewives (OR 0.535; 95% Cl 0.289-0.950), perceived severity (OR 0.349; 95% CI 0.184-0.662), and perceived susceptibility (OR 0.474; 95% CI 0.286-0.785) were significantly less likely to report an increment in prevention practices score. CONCLUSION: Findings inferred that the dengue awareness calendar significantly improved knowledge and practices. Our findings revealed the effectiveness of the dengue awareness calendar in dengue prevention among indigenous communities.

Sociocultural practices and beliefs during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum among indigenous pastoralist women of reproductive age in Manyara, Tanzania: a descriptive qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Despite interventions improving maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, progress has been sluggish, especially in hard-to-reach indigenous communities. Sociocultural beliefs in these communities more often influence the adoption of particular behaviors throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Therefore, this study identified sociocultural beliefs and practices during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum among indigenous pastoralist women of reproductive age in the Manyara region, Tanzania. METHODS: The study was a descriptive qualitative design. We used purposive sampling to select twelve participants among community members who were indigenous women of Manyara who had ever experienced pregnancy. In-depth interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and organized manually. We used manual coding and inductive-deductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The study's findings showed that sociocultural beliefs and practices are widespread, covering antenatal through childbirth to the postnatal period. Both harmful and harmless practices were identified. For example, the use of herbal preparations to augment labor was reported. Previously, most women preferred home delivery; however, the practice is changing because of increased knowledge of home delivery complications and the accessibility of the facilities. Nevertheless, women still practice hazardous behaviors like applying strange things in the birth canal after delivery, increasing the risk of puerperal infection. CONCLUSIONS: Sociocultural practices are predominant and widely applied throughout the peripartum period. These beliefs encourage adopting specific behaviors, most harmful to both mother and fetus. These sociocultural practices tend to affect the utilization of some essential maternal and child health practices. Eliminating unsafe peripartum practices will increase the use of medical services and ultimately improve outcomes for both mothers and their newborns. Public health interventions must recognize the cultural context informing these cultural practices in marginalized indigenous communities. Healthcare providers should routinely take the history of commonly traditional practices during the peripartum period to guide them in providing quality care to women by correcting all harmful practices.

An ethnographic study on the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on indigenous people and their coping strategies in Bangladesh.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented suffering to the lives and livelihoods of indigenous people across the country, especially in the south-eastern parts of Bangladesh, but the situation has rarely reported by the mass media and academic literature. This study was an attempt to find out the impacts and vulnerabilities of COVID-19 on the indigenous Chakma community at Rangamati sadar (sub-district) of Rangamati (district) in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) area, Bangladesh. It also aimed to investigate how indigenous people respond to the pandemic and how they can develop resilience to adapt to the adverse situation. For conducting this study, a critical ethnographic approach was adopted, along with participant observation, in-depth interview, and focus group (FGs) for collecting data in the study area. The findings of the study indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic severely affects the traditional way of life, mythology, culture, food security, economic activities, and educational activities, along with increasing health risks for the people of the indigenous community. However, indigenous people respond to this pandemic in their own ways, involving their ancestors' works, avoiding dependence on market systems, keeping faith in traditional medicines, building close relation to nature, along with following some health guidelines announced by government. This work refutes the existing mainstream discourse that indigenous people are unwittingly vulnerable and docile in their waiting for outside assistance.

Scoping the Need of Mainstreaming Indigenous Knowledge for Sustainable Use of Bioresources in the Indian Himalayan Region.

Globally, Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKSs), which have evolved through rigorously tested methods and practices, are a testimony of human intelligence and endurance. The diversity of goods such as food, beverages, herbs, etc., and its associated systems, which form an integral part of modern cuisine and healthcare systems, are deeply rooted in IKS and immensely contributing to overall well-being of mankind. The present study is an attempt to document and understand the contribution of indigenous and local knowledge to biodiversity conservation and management. Appreciation to the value of traditional and indigenous knowledge is globally recognized for their principles of coexistence and sustainable use practices. Past studies indicate a strong relationship between indigenous knowledge and sustainable development goals. This knowledge is valuable not only to dependent communities, but also to the modern world for ensuring food security and human well-being. The documentation of such valuable knowledge is therefore fundamentally essential for mainstreaming and strengthening the discourses on sustainable ecosystem management, and to address the preponderance of poverty among indigenous communities. Amid the changing scenario of consumption and the trend of revisiting nature-based solutions, the IKS hold a tremendous scope of engaging the community people in sustainable harvest and utilization of natural resources.

Measuring Impact of Climate Change on Indigenous Health in the Background of Multiple Disadvantages: A Scoping Review for Equitable Public Health Policy Formulation.

How climate change is uniquely affecting Indigenous health remains a very less explored area in the existing research literature. The imperative of inclusive climate action to protect indigenous health multiplies manifolds due to their unique vulnerabilities owing to predominant dependence on natural resources and multiple disadvantages faced. The current article attempted to add to the evidence pool regarding climate change impacts on the indigenous population by systematically collecting, processing, and interpreting data as a scoping literature review for effective and inclusive climate policymaking. Twenty-Nine articles of varied study designs were identified employing a systematically organized search strategy using PubMed (Field, MeSH, and advanced search) and Google scholar; relevant data were extracted for further analysis. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were followed. Changing climate scenarios had both direct and indirect health-related impacts on indigenous health, and altered the epidemiological triad for various health-related events, causing the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases, and increased prevalence of chronic diseases and mental disorders. An expanded framework was developed showcasing the variability of climate change events, multiple disadvantages, and its impacts on indigenous populations. Few studies also reported a wide range of adaptation responses of indigenous peoples towards climate change. It was substantiated that any climate-change mitigation policy must take into account the trials and tribulations of indigenous communities. Also, due to the complexity and large variability of the impacts and differences in mitigation capabilities, policies should be contextualized locally and tailored to meet the climate need of the indigenous community.

[Information Strategies in Indigenous Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic].

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on society, especially in densely populated areas. Schools have implemented distance learning, which has spawned many related problems. This paper focuses on the difficulties arising from the epidemic in indigenous communities and how appropriate information strategies may be used to solve these. Four main suggestions are provided to assist indigenous students and their teachers to protect themselves and learn during the pandemic and to ensure that educational goals are achieved.

Understanding the Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies of Indigenous Households during COVID-19 Crisis in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study.

This study examined the food insecurity and coping mechanisms among the indigenous Bangladeshi population of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region to extract empirical evidence on the ongoing discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic-exacerbated food-insecurity situation. The study adopted a qualitative approach by interviewing 60 indigenous households. Data were collected in two phases between 15 June 2020, and 30 July 2021 in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region. Thematic data analyses were performed using the Granheim approach and NVivo-12 software. The authors used Huston's social-ecological theory to explain the indigenous coping mechanisms. The research evidence revealed that most households experienced challenges over daily foods, manifesting in the decreasing consumption of them, the increased price of food items, a food crisis due to an income shock, malnutrition, the shifting to unhealthy food consumption, starvation and hunger, and food insufficiency, thereby leading to mental stress. This study further revealed that the indigenous population took crucial coping strategies to survive the pandemic. In response to COVID-19, they took loans and borrowed foods, reduced expenses, changed their food habits, avoided nutritional foods, relied on vegetables, sold domestic animals and properties, collected forest and hill foods, and depended on governmental and societal relief. This study also provides the in-depth policy actions for the urgent intervention of government, stakeholders, policymakers, NGOs, and development practitioners to take necessary initiatives to enhance the quality of life of the people that were affected by the post-pandemic recovery period.

Social resilience of indigenous community on the border: Belief and confidence in anticipating the spread of COVID-19 through the Besamsam custom in the Dayak community.

The Dayak indigenous community has belief and confidence in taking a stance and taking actions towards a situation and circumstances that affect their social life. This belief is based on their customs and traditions passed down from generation to generation until now. The Dayak traditional custom is a form of social resilience for the community on the border to anticipate the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has become a problem in all aspects of community lives. Despite facing various issues and difficulties in dealing with the pandemic, the indigenous Dayak community in Indonesia has managed to survive and resolve these problems. In dealing with the social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Salako Dayak indigenous community on the Indonesia-Malaysia border carried out a traditional ritual called Besamsam. The indigenous Salako Dayak community believes this ritual boosts the social and psychological resilience of the Salako Dayak indigenous community. The research findings showed that the Besamsam ritual had changed people's beliefs about lifestyle, behaviour and perceptions in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Besamsam ritual can specifically affect the community's personalities, attitudes and actions towards the spread of COVID-19. Indigenous peoples have become easier to organize, dynamic, empowered, resilient, motivated to meet their needs, and capable of facing various challenges and social problems during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings prove that indigenous communities psychologically have strong confidence in their customary beliefs rather than cautionary advice from outside their community. The social impact of the Besamsam custom can serve as a model of awareness and a driving force for indigenous peoples' elements to work cooperatively to break the chain of COVID-19 spread.

Multijurisdictional outbreak of COVID-19 associated with a wake/funeral event in a northern Saskatchewan First Nations community.

Background: Sixty-eight laboratory-confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (12 in Alberta [AB], 56 in Saskatchewan [SK]) were linked to a gathering at a hospital in Alberta on June 1-4, 2020, and a wake/funeral in a First Nations community in northern Saskatchewan on June 9-11, 2020. Objective: The objectives were to provide a comprehensive description of the epidemiology of the outbreak and describe the chains of transmission to inform the hypothesis that there were multiple introductions of COVID-19 at the wake/funeral. Methods: Case investigation and contact tracing was conducted by local public health in AB and SK. The Public Health Agency of Canada conducted a centralized case analysis. An epidemic curve and a Gantt chart for period of communicability were created to support or refute whether there had been multiple introductions of COVID-19 at the wake/funeral. Results: Illness onset dates ranged from May 31 to July 1, 2020. Ages ranged from 2 to 80 years (median age=43 years). Five cases were hospitalized; there were no deaths. The available case exposure information supports the hypothesis that there had been multiple introductions of COVID-19 at the wake/funeral. Public health authorities in AB and SK declared the outbreak over on July 20, 2020; based on two incubation periods (i.e. 28 days) following the illness onset of the last primary case. Conclusion: During multijurisdictional outbreaks, data sharing, coordination across health authorities and centralized analysis is essential to understanding the events that lead to the outbreak and possible hypotheses around chains of transmission.

Essential components and pathways for developing Indigenous community-based monitoring: Examples from the Canadian oil sands region.

Historically, environmental research and monitoring in the Alberta oil sands region (OSR) located in northeastern Alberta, Canada, have largely neglected, meaningful Indigenous participation. Through years of experience on the land, Indigenous knowledge (IK) holders recognize change on the landscape, drawing on inextricable links between environmental health and practicing traditional rights. The cumulative impacts of crude oil production are of great concern to Indigenous communities, and monitoring initiatives in the OSR provide unique opportunities to develop Indigenous community-based monitoring (ICBM). A review of ICBM literature on the OSR from 2009 to 2020 was completed. Based on this review, we identify best practices in ICBM and propose governance structures and a framework to support meaningful integration of ICBM into regulatory environmental monitoring. Because it involves multimedia monitoring and produces data and insights that integrate many aspects of the environment, ICBM is important for natural science research. ICBM can enhance the relevance of environmental monitoring by examining relationships between physical and chemical stressors and culturally relevant indicators, so improving predictions of long-term changes in the environment. Unfortunately, many Indigenous communities distrust researchers owing to previous experiences of exploitive use of IK. In the present paper, we recommend important practices for the integration of IK into regional environmental monitoring programs. ICBM is important to communities because it includes conditions to which communities can exercise traditional rights, and highlight how industrial activities affect this ability. Equally important, ICBM can generate a resurgence of Indigenous languages and subsequently traditional practices; it can also revive the connection with traditional lands and improve food security. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:407-427. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Aprendiendo de La Vida (Learning from Life): Development of a Radionovela to Promote Preventive Health Care Utilization among Indigenous Farmworkers from Mexico Living in California.

Mixtecs and Zapotecs, originating from the Oaxaca area in Mexico, are among the largest indigenous groups of workers in California. Many adults in this community only access the health care system when sick and as a last resort. This article describes the development of a radionovela to inform the community about the importance of preventive health care. It was developed following the Sabido Method. The methodology to develop a radionovela may be of interest to other public health practitioners who want to develop educational materials in an engaging format, especially for communities that rely on oral, not written information.

Breeding Practice Improves the Mycorrhizal Responsiveness of Cotton (Gossypium spp. L.).

Maximizing the function of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi by choosing specific crop genotypes offers one of the few untapped opportunities to improve the sustainability of agriculture. In this study, the differences in mycorrhizal responsiveness (MR) in plant growth and shoot phosphorus (P) content among cotton (Gossypium spp. L.) genotypes from different release dates were compared and then the relationships between MR and P uptake-related traits were determined. The experimental design in a greenhouse included 24 genotypes released from 1950 to present in Xinjiang Province, inoculation with or without AM fungi, and P levels (15 and 150 mg P kg-1 added as KH2PO4). Results showed that the modern cotton genotypes exhibited a higher degree of mycorrhizal colonization, the hyphal length density (HLD), and mycorrhizae-induced changes in shoot growth than the old genotypes when inoculated with indigenous AM fungi at both the P levels. Moreover, MR was highly correlated with the HLD at low P levels and the HLD may provide useful insights for future cotton breeding aimed at delivering crop genotypes that can benefit more from AM fungi.