Developing primary health care for a nomad tribe: the Penans of the Baram

Unlike much of Peninsular Malaysia, the Baram District of Sarawak remains sparsely populated and underserved, one of the most underserved peoples being the nomadic and semi-nomadic Penans of the Baram. Until quite recently these Penans lived as small nomadic bands of hunter-gatherers. More recently, they have begun to settle in longhouses. However, lacking the necessary skills to live a settled mode of life, these Penans suffer a great deal of hunger, malnutrition, disease and death. Primary health care with its emphasis on the seven essential elements, including food production and nutrition, environmental sanitation, good maternal and child health, knowledge of disease and how it can be prevented as well as the treatment and control of locally endemic diseases, is of critical value in the survival of the semi-nomadic Penans. The specially designed primary health care programme for the Penans of the Baram is outlined briefly in this paper.
Keyword: Baram, Penans, Primary Health Care, Sarawak, Village Health Promoter.