COVID-19 in Villages of the Peruvian Amazon: A Survey of Local Public Health Beliefs and Behaviors

Peru had one of the highest COVID-19 mortality rates globally, with the largest region, Loreto, facing unique public health challenges. This survey investigated the changes in health care access, health beliefs, and the COVID-19 behavioral responses in these communities to improve pandemic resilience. The survey was conducted as part of routine data collection from 100 adults attending Project Amazonas mobile health clinics in April 2022 in seven villages along the Ampiyacu River in Loreto. Data on demographics, health care access, public health beliefs, and societal behavioral responses to COVID-19 were analyzed and compared with previous surveys from 1999 and 2012. Fifty-four percent of the respondents reported difficulty accessing medical care, primarily due to distance. Lifetime doctor consultations increased from those recorded in 2012 and 97% of those surveyed had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The majority of participants used both traditional and modern medicine, with 47% consulting a doctor and 7% visiting a shaman for COVID-19. This survey shows high vaccine uptake and adherence to preventive measures, such as mask-wearing and social distancing, with some variation by gender. However, challenges in health care access and the use of ineffective treatments suggest there are areas to improve pandemic resilience in these communities. Local clinic expansion and training of village health promoters using new digital resources could help with this effort.