Ecosocial relations and territorial health in indigenous communities: insights from Chugchilán Parish, Ecuador

Abstract

The Indigenous communities of Chugchilán are facing an ecosocial crisis driven by the expansion of an agroindustrial model based on the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. This model has degraded terrestrial and aquatic environments, compromised population health, and displaced traditional agricultural practices that maintained a balanced relationship with the territory. The problem is framed within a context of structural inequalities, exploitation, and loss of food sovereignty, thereby reconfiguring territorial and ecosocial dynamics in the region. The health of Indigenous communities is deeply interwoven with the ecosocial relations and forms of social organization that shape their territories. This study aimed to analyze the expressions of health in relation to the ecosocial dynamics present in the parish of Chugchilán, located in Ecuador’s central highlands. A quantitative and geospatial research design was employed. The results show that health is conceived as an integral process that articulates balance with nature, community cohesion, and the transmission of ancestral knowledge, beyond institutional biomedical approaches. The findings also reveal tensions with public health policies that tend to render these perspectives invisible, although opportunities for intercultural articulation are identified. The study concludes that recognizing the role of territory in the social determination of health—through the identification of protective and destructive processes that undermine health—contributes to the design of more inclusive and sustainable public policies.