"From the territorial grounds": an interview with Weibe Tapeba, secretary of Indigenous Health at the Ministry of Health.

Abstract

In this interview, Weibe Tapeba, secretary of Indigenous Health at the Ministry of Health in the Lula Government, discusses the process of reorganizing the Secretariat of Indigenous Health (SESAI) and Indigenous protagonism in the new administration. Among the points highlighted by the interviewee are the assessment of the Indigenous health scenario within the current political context of the Ministry of Health, dialogues with Indigenous movement organizations, as well as collaboration with research and educational institutions. The interview highlights the importance of developing strategies aimed at restructuring SESAI and improving Indigenous health public policy in Brazil through extensive coordination, involving planning, management, funding, and Indigenous social participation with Social Control. The secretary emphasizes the need for political cooperation within the federal government to promote the development of a policy of "comprehensive care in Indigenous territories," arguing that the concept of primary health care needs to be expanded to ensure that the principles of SUS are effectively guaranteed to Indigenous peoples in Brazil.