Deaths from malnutrition in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory in Roraima fell by 75.7 percent in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2023, according to Ministry of Health data.
Health officials consider the drop a major advance after the Yanomami territory endured its worst health emergency in recent history three years ago.
Malaria cases in the territory also dropped significantly over the same timeframe. Ministry figures recorded 6,800 confirmed malaria cases between January and June 2026, representing a 50.6 percent decrease from the first half of 2023. No deaths from malaria were recorded in the first half of 2026.
Deaths caused by acute respiratory infections also decreased across the three-year span, dropping by 40.8 percent.
The Yanomami Indigenous Territory is Brazil's largest Indigenous reservation, spanning vast rainforest areas across the northern state of Roraima and neighboring Amazonas along the border with Venezuela. The remote region relies on federal health infrastructure and specialized Indigenous health teams to deliver basic medical care to scattered rainforest communities.
The 2023 health crisis
The federal government declared a Public Health Emergency of National Importance in January 2023 following severe medical neglect across the Yanomami territory.
Indigenous residents were found suffering from severe malnutrition and widespread infections. Health records showed that 11,530 malaria cases occurred throughout 2022, and three children died from malaria between December 24 and December 27 of that year alone.
Former Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sônia Guajajara told CNN Brasil at the time that the crisis was long-standing rather than recent. She said data showed that a Yanomami child or elderly person was dying every 72 hours from malnutrition, diarrhea or malaria.
Brazil's Ministry of Health coordinates Indigenous health services through its dedicated Secretariat of Indigenous Health, managing emergency response efforts and medical logistics across remote Amazonian territories.
Vaccination and health infrastructure
To control the emergency and prevent future crises, health authorities expanded vaccination coverage in the region. The number of vaccine doses administered in the first quarter of 2026 reached 20,267, up from 11,273 in 2023, representing an increase of 9.8 percent.
Among children under one year of age, the proportion with a complete vaccination schedule rose from 28 percent to 57.6 percent. Routine nutritional monitoring reached 84 percent of all children in the territory.
Medical staffing in the area has also expanded. The Yanomami territory now operates 37 base hubs and 30 Basic Health Units to deliver local care.
Health teams currently monitor 228 essential medicines and medical supplies on a weekly basis to guide stock replenishment. Structural improvements were also made at Indigenous Health Houses, known as Casai, including upgrades to bathrooms, lodgings, kitchens, milk preparation rooms, effluent systems and water wells.
Indigenous Health Houses, known as Casai, serve as vital support posts where Indigenous patients from isolated communities receive temporary accommodation, specialized meals and continuous treatment near municipal healthcare centers.
