Missionaries' Outreach Risks Indigenous Health

Deep in Brazil’s forest, missionaries are using drones, satellite phones,

and remote broadcasts to connect with Indigenous peoples who have avoided outside contact

for generations. <break time="1.0s" /> These new methods are part of a growing trend that frames missionary work

as humanitarian or spiritual outreach. <break time="1.0s" /> However, Indigenous rights advocates and government

agencies warn that such activity can lead to outbreaks of illnesses like influenza,

measles and malaria. <break time="1.0s" /> It's not unprecedented. In the Greater Amazon Basin area, outside contact

caused 117 epidemics between 1875 and 2008, causing more than 11,000 deaths. <break time="1.0s" />

Advocates are calling for international pressure on missionary organizations and stronger protections