What must Brazil learn from the coronavirus crisis?

Beyond the health crisis, the coronavirus outbreak is taking Brazil through an interesting phase, laying bare the discrepancy between federal, state, and city authorities. While some countries have chosen to stay united in their fight against coronavirus, Brazil’s news cycle has become an unstoppable stream of contradictory opinions and plans, showing that the president, his cabinet, state and city administrators, Congress, and the judiciary are all coming at the crisis from different angles and points of view. 

Going beyond the political discourse, this crisis has uncovered a reality of extensive bureaucracy, a fractured healthcare system, a lack of leadership, and a lack of financial impetus for health and educational institutions. There is plenty to improve upon regarding Brazilian public policy; perhaps the crisis could offer a learning opportunity.

According to Brazil’s Economy Ministry, GDP projections for 2020 fell from an initial 2.1 percent growth to just 0.02 percent. Analysts are treating recession as unavoidable. Brazil has so far invested BRL 306.2 billion in contingency measures: re-allocating BRL 4.5 billion to the public health system, offering extra credit of BRL 3.4 billion for the ministries of Science and Technology, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Citizenship, and clearing BRL 100 million in social assistance for all municipalities in the country.

Other measures include tax deductions, reducing import tariffs for health and pharma materials related to the coronavirus, calling for startups who could offer innovative solutions for Covid-19.  While the list of measures is not short, they have come into effect...