The Ngöbe are are a transnational indigenous population of approximately 200,000 to 250,000 who reside in territories in southern Costa Rica and western Panama. While the Costa Rican Ngöbe population is relatively sedentary, a large proportion of the Panamanian Ngöbe population annually migrates across the border into Costa Rica for seasonal employment during the coffee harvests. Both the Costa Rican and Panamanian Ngöbe territories have been formally recognized by the respective national governments; however, the Ngöbe still remain marginalized and underserved in both countries.
Among the most vulnerable members of the population are Ngöbe mothers and children. The national ministries of health and the UNFPA are currently working to reduce maternal mortality rates and make motherhood safer for Ngöbe women.
While infant mortality rates among the Ngöbe are already higher than national rates, the migrant Ngöbe population has been identified as having a particularly high infant mortality rate. During the next few months, I'll be conducting interviews with Costa Rican, Panamian, and migrant Ngöbe women to understand each group's particular circumstances of care access for infants and their care-seeking behaviors.
Hi, my name is Olivia Wolfe (high school senior working towards my IB Diploma in Virginia), and this summer I went to Costa Rica with the Duke Tip Program. It inspired me to learn more about the Ngobe tribe, and I am actually currently writing a paper on different home/traditional medicines used by the indigenous community. One of my professors from the program, Melissa Ceuterick, actually referred me to one of your powerpoints. I thought your information was very interesting, and I was wondering if there was any way you could share some specific home treatments the mothers used, or any other type of information that could be helpful to my paper!
ReplyDeleteI would really appreciate it.
my email is olivia2422wolfe@gmail.com