Health in Peru

Health in Peru has changed drastically from pre-colonial times to the modern era. When European conquistadors invaded Peru, they brought with them diseases against which the Inca population had no immunity. Much of the population was decimated, and this marked an important turning point in the nature of Peruvian healthcare. Since Peru gained independence, the country's major healthcare concern has shifted to the disparity in care between the poor and non-poor, as well as between rural and urban populations. Another unique factor is the presence of indigenous health beliefs, which continue to be widespread in modern society.

Gran Sello de la República del Perú

History

Before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the early 1500s, the population of the Inca Empire which covered five countries - Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern and central Chile, northwest Argentina - is estimated at between 9 million and 16 million people. The Andean people had been isolated for millennia and therefore had no reason to build up any sort of immunity against foreign diseases. This meant that the introduction of a non-native population had the potential to spell disaster for the Andeans. Even before Francisco Pizarro arrived on the coast of Peru, the Spaniards had spread diseases such as smallpox, malaria, typhus, influenza, and the common cold to the people of South America. Forty years after the arrival of European explorers and conquistadors, Peru’s native population had decreased by about 80%. Population recovery was made almost impossible by the killer pandemics that occurred approximately every ten years. Additionally, the stress caused by war, exploitation, socioeconomic change, and psychological trauma caused by the conquests was enough to further weaken the indigenous people and render recovery impossible.

Current issues

The risk of infectious disease in Peru is considered to be very high. Common ailments include waterborne bacterial diseases, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, and leptospirosis. In 2010, the World Health Organization collected data about the life expectancy of people living in Peru. It found that, on average, life expectancy for men at birth is 74 years, while for women it is 77. These values are higher than the global averages of 66 and 71 years, respectively. In the population under five years of age, common causes of death are congenital anomalies, prematurity, injuries, pneumonia, birth asphyxia, neonatal sepsis, diarrhea, and HIV/AIDS. The mortality rate of this population has been decreasing steadily since 1990 and now stands at 19 deaths per 1000 live births.

Many of the people that comprise Peru’s indigenous population experience health issues due to the environments in which they live. Many of these places are extremely isolated and there is often reduced access to food, water, and shelter, as well as to basic healthcare. According to one study, infant mortality in indigenous communities can be 3-4 times higher than national averages.

In recent years, there has been a trend of migration to urban areas, which has subjected some indigenous people to the effects of acculturation. There have been increased reports of health issues such as alcoholism, obesity, and hypertension, which are generally observed more often in urban populations. Perhaps because of these health risks, many indigenous people choose to live in voluntary isolation from mainstream society.

See also

• Healthcare in Peru