Coronavirus

Covid-19 pandemic leading to other health crises in Brazil

Covid-19 pandemic leading to other health crises in Brazil
Health workers work in the streets of Recife. Photo: Juliana F Rodrigues/Shutterstock

With Brazil’s health workers busy fighting the coronavirus, Brazil has observed a decrease in medical services in non-Covid-19 related areas. Since the start of the pandemic, the number of health workers fighting against AIDS, as well as tuberculosis, has fallen by around 40 percent. The publication also found that AIDS testing suffered a 22-percent decrease, while less than one-fourth of all expected tuberculosis tests were carried out.

In some parts of the country, as is the case in Salvador, the capital of northeastern state Bahia, emergency care for AIDS has been completely suspended. Also in the northeast, in some parts of Piauí state, appointments and examinations are being canceled while HIV-positive patients struggle to find new appointments.

Last week, an opinion piece by Bob Chapman and Maira Caleffi published by The Brazilian Report argued that, in order for Brazil to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, more should be done for science and public policy — and that this includes combatting other diseases, too. 

Support this coverage →Support this coverage →