In a life full of risks, COVID-19 makes little difference. Responses to COVID-19 among mobile migrants in gold mining areas in Suriname and French Guiana - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue Social Science & Medicine Année : 2022

In a life full of risks, COVID-19 makes little difference. Responses to COVID-19 among mobile migrants in gold mining areas in Suriname and French Guiana

Marieke Heemskerk
Helene Hiwat
  • Fonction : Auteur
  • PersonId : 1174581
Hedley Cairo
  • Fonction : Auteur
  • PersonId : 1174582
Pierre Pratley
  • Fonction : Auteur
  • PersonId : 1174583

Résumé

Worldwide, the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 disproportionally affect vulnerable groups in society. This paper assesses responses to, and impacts of, the pandemic among mobile migrant populations who work in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in Suriname and French Guiana. These populations are characterized by poverty, informal or illegal status, and limited access to health care and information. Field research in Suriname (November 2020–January 2021) and French Guiana (January, May, June 2021) included qualitative interviews, informal conversations and observations, and a quantitative survey with 361 men and women in ASGM communities. Contrary to reports from the ASGM sector elsewhere, interviewed inhabitants of ASGM areas in Suriname and French Guiana showed little concern about COVID-19. Respondents reported feeling safer in the forest where they work than in the urban areas or in their home country. Trust in home remedies and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals further reduced anxiety about the pandemic. Three-quarters of survey respondents reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had not affected their work or income at all. The researchers conclude that in these remote Amazon communities, responses to COVID-19 mirror attitudes and behavior vis-à-vis malaria and other health risks: self-medicate, ignore, and pray. Living on the margins of society mitigates the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19, as containment measures are not applied to these socially invisible populations. Whereas the urban poor are severely hit by the pandemic, this hidden population benefits from high gold prices, an outdoors lifestyle, and traditional resourcefulness in dealing with a life full of risks.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
1-s2.0-S0277953622000508-main.pdf (2.75 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine : Publication financée par une institution

Dates et versions

hal-03814447 , version 1 (14-10-2022)

Identifiants

Citer

Marieke Heemskerk, François-Michel Le Tourneau, Helene Hiwat, Hedley Cairo, Pierre Pratley. In a life full of risks, COVID-19 makes little difference. Responses to COVID-19 among mobile migrants in gold mining areas in Suriname and French Guiana. Social Science & Medicine, 2022, 296, pp.114747. ⟨10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114747⟩. ⟨hal-03814447⟩
132 Consultations
20 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

Gmail Facebook X LinkedIn More