title: Health of Indigenous people in Africa.
abstract: Our paper is part of a series focusing on Indigenous peoples' health in different world regions. Indigenous peoples worldwide are subject to marginalisation and discrimination, systematically experiencing poorer health than do majority groups. In Africa, poor health in the general population is widely recognised, but the consistently lower health position and social status of Indigenous peoples are rarely noted. Disputed conceptual understandings of indigeneity, a history of discriminatory colonial and post-colonial policies, and non-recognition of Indigenous groups by some governments complicate the situation. We discuss two case studies, of the central African Pygmy peoples and the San of southern Africa, to illustrate recurring issues in Indigenous health in the continent. We make recommendations for the recognition of Indigenous peoples in Africa and improvements needed in the collection of health data and the provision of services. Finally, we argue that wider changes are needed to address the social determinants of Indigenous peoples' health.
authors.affiliation: Lesada Communications Network, Kenya.
authors.forename: Nyang'ori
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohenjo
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nettleton
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Good
authors.forename: Benon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mugarura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000350:Africa, Central / Q000453:epidemiology; D000353:Africa, Southern / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D015497:HIV-1; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D044382:Population Groups; D011203:Poverty; D011287:Prejudice