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Brazil

Articles by Brazil

Gestos - Brazil

Gestos is a philanthropic organization founded in 1993 by sociologist Acioli Neto, journalist Alessandra Nilo, sociologist Márcia Andrade and social worker Silvia Dantas.

The first project developed was supported by MISEREOR and focused on psychological care for people living with AIDS, as well as the training of information multipliers in the poorest communities of the Metropolitan Region of Recife.

Since then, they have effectively contributed to guaranteeing the human rights of people living with HIV and AIDS. About 70% of the people who have sought legal support from the institution have had their rights redressed, through precautionary measures and sentences, which today are even part of the list of jurisprudence on the subject of Law and AIDS.

Throughout its history, the organization has considered communication as fundamental in the fight against AIDS and has fought to expand this understanding in Pernambuco, Brazil and Latin America. This vision has consolidated Gestos as an important reference in Communication and AIDS in the country, with special emphasis on discussions on Public Policies on Health Communication.

They also help to form new civil society organizations, such as the National Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (RNPVHA - 1995), the Positive Work Group - GTP+ (2000), the Group of Positive Actions (2003), the Group of Support to HIV Positive People (GASP) 2003, Acts of Citizenship (2006).

From 2007 to 2011, Gestos created and coordinated the UNGASS-AIDS Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health, where it oversaw the implementation of agreements signed at the UN in sixteen developing countries. The UNGASS-AIDS Forum has established itself as a space for political debate on issues related to HIV and AIDS and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

They are also a consultative NGO at the UN, with ECOSOC status since 2017.

 

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lula supporters
01 February 2023

Now Bolsonaro is gone, human rights must be top of Brazil’s agenda

The result of Brazil’s election last October was a cause for celebration for many across the country. After four long years of far-right rule under Jair Bolsonaro, change was coming via a progressive administration committed to equality and freedom, under new president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Gabriella, a Brazilian-British woman and Lula supporter, was in the city of Salvador on election night. “The joy and relief… it was like Carnival,” she said, speaking to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the organisation where I work as regional director for the Americas. “The nightmare of Bolsonaro’s corrupt, violent and inept government was finally over.” 2023 marks the beginning of a pivotal era of change for Brazil, kicked off by the announcement that the country will leave the Geneva Consensus – a global anti-abortion declaration introduced by the Trump administration in 2020. It’s a colossal win for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocates, who have fought long and hard for this moment. But many obstacles remain. The legacy of Bolsonaro  Even before the election, there was a long and insidious campaign to undermine voters’ faith in democracy. Afterwards, false allegations of election fraud soon spread among Bolsonaro supporters. Then, on 8 January, in a move mirroring the US Capitol Hill attack almost exactly two years earlier, Bolsonaristas stormed the three most important political buildings in Brazil: Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace. It was a clear display of the macho fundamentalist politics that has infiltrated the psyche of many across the country in recent years. As with Trump in the US, Bolsonaro’s rise to the presidency was fuelled by growing religious extremism, overseen by evangelical Christians and conservative politicians who took advantage of Brazil’s economic fragility and violent crime rates to undermine democracy and push a solid conservative agenda. Bolsonaro argued that the “flawed politics of human rights”, “gender ideology”, and the loss of moral values were the cause of Brazil’s problems. Evangelicals gained key positions in Bolsonaro’s government, and his tenure saw rampant attacks on human rights, especially SRHR. Bolsonaro himself was openly anti-abortion and sexist. There were concerted political efforts to discredit and restrict comprehensive gender and sexuality education in schools; teachers even faced disciplinary action for holding lessons on feminism and gender-based violence. Bolsonaro was also openly homophobic, and his administration incited hatred towards LGBTQI+ people, removing LGBTQI+ protections from the remit of the human rights ministry. Although heavily underreported, attacks on LGBTQI+ people steadily increased during his presidency – as highlighted in a 2019 survey by independent media outlet Gênero e Número. For a country with a long history of socially liberal politics, this sharp jolt away from the principles of democracy is a chilling reminder of the far-right fundamentalist regression sweeping the globe – a regression that has sown its seeds so deeply that long-held democratic values remain under threat, even after the Bolsonaros and Trumps of the world have left office. Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Now, just weeks into 2023, the struggles for democracy continue. Feminist organisations across Brazil are strategising and reprioritising to put the human rights of the Brazilian people back at the top of the agenda. For the non-governmental organisation Gestos, International Planned Parenthood Federation’s partner in the city of Recife in the north-east of Brazil, this means working with the new administration to rebuild from scratch the devastated terrain of sexual and reproductive health and justice. Securing financing is crucial. This includes using parliamentary support to overcome the 2023 budget restrictions set by the Bolsonaro administration and lobbying to draw down on funds assigned to other policy areas. It also includes pushing for the reversal of Bolsonaro’s devastating fiscal laws, which cut funds from national health, social protection and SRHR budgets. After all, good policies need a budget to implement them.

Dr Ilana Ambrogi
28 May 2020

COVID-19 Impact: What we know so far – Brazil

An interview with Dr Ilana Ambrogi, a family medicine physician, who is also a researcher at ANIS, the Institute of Bioethics in Brazil (and IPPF's partner in the Western Hemisphere Region), and a PhD candidate at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.  How badly has Brazil been affected by coronavirus/COVID-19? Brazil is a large country with a population of over 200 million. It is extremely diverse, unequal, and many communities are very remote. These things put Brazil in a particularly difficult situation when facing a pandemic like COVID-19. There has also been constant political disagreement between federal and local governments on how to deal with the pandemic from the outset. During the pandemic, two health ministers have left their posts. According to the Brazilian Ministry of health website, as of 20 May there were 271,628 confirmed cases and over 17,000 deaths. Brazil also has one of the lowest COVID-19 testing rates in the world, and there has been no consistent indication of substantial containment of COVID-19. Health systems are already showing signs of collapse, particularly in the most vulnerable, poorest areas like the north and northeast regions. What impact is coronavirus having when it comes to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services across the country? Access to SRH among the most vulnerable populations has always been an issue in Brazil. There is a known unmet SRH need, particularly in the regions which have been worst hit by COVID-19. These are also the regions with low Human Development Index that were most affected by Zika and have high rates of adolescent pregnancy. Over 70% of the Brazilian population depend exclusively on the public system. When you consider the impact of COVID-19 on SRH you have to remember existing vulnerabilities and inequalities in specific regions and populations which means some people are at greater risk of losing their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Currently the Brazilian government has not made any efforts to promote, guarantee or protect SRH. Which services do you think will be the worst hit? Unfortunately, public health services have been chronically underfunded, particularly since 2016. The current federal government targeted SRH prior to the pandemic as an area to be combated. It invested in “abstinence-only programs”, and defended the removal of public information about condom use which was geared towards adolescents. Recently, during the pandemic, the Ministry of Health has recommended that IUD placement should be delayed until further notice. There have been reports that SRH services were the first ones to close given that it was not seen as essential or a priority. Adolescents will probably be the most unassisted given that schools are closed, and health services are shifting their attention to symptomatic patients only. With this in mind, ANIS has been working on initiatives to increase information access digitally. We are using strategies on social media to promote information on sexual and reproductive health, like tips on safe sexual practices during the pandemic. We are also developing strategies for popular phone communication apps like WhatsApp to provide up-to-date and on demand information about sexual and reproductive health and access to services during the pandemic. What impact has there been on abortion services and post-abortion care? Legal abortion services have been under significant pressure since the current government took office. Women have the right to a legal abortion in Brazil if the pregnancy was a consequence of rape. During the first weeks of the pandemic, the largest legal abortion service in Sao Paulo was shut down without any other arrangements to guarantee women’s access to legal abortion services. ANIS participated in a quick, coordinated and strategic mobilization of civil society together with others to try to find solutions for this. After six days of pressure the service reopened. There have been several reports of increased gender-based violence, but the pandemic and isolation measures make access to services increasingly difficult. Given this reality, ANIS is also working on digital strategies, like the development of an app, to provide a channel for women who are isolated in the community to communicate with each other and find reliable information and services. Are frontline staff still able to go into the community?  Responses have varied according to local governments. There are locations where staff continue to go to their community clinics. However, in many places efforts are being diverted to patients with Covid-19 symptoms. The copper IUD is the only long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) offered by public health clinics, and this service has been mostly stopped. Preventative visits for paps, IUD placement or physicals have been mostly canceled, but in some places it is possible to get repeat prescriptions and have prenatal appointments. What kind of SRH frontline services are still being offered and who is providing these? Since the WHO announcement of the pandemic in March, ANIS has been working on monitoring governmental and institutions measures and actions regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights. There has been a deafening silence regarding family planning/contraception during the pandemic. The latest informative material from the federal government geared to women has no mention at all about contraception or unplanned pregnancies and how to prevent them. The focus in terms of SRH has been almost exclusively on pregnant women during pre-natal care, labour, delivery and immediate postpartum care. There have been reports of women unable to schedule postpartum visits and a decrease of 90% in diagnostic exams being done in the country. An important part of ANIS’ work during the pandemic is to observe and document these facts and to think of strategies to mobilize against women’s rights violations. Can you tell us about any innovative measures that have been introduced in Brazil to provide services in a different way than usual? The use of telemedicine/telehealth has been permitted since the pandemic but it still seems to be underutilized. We know of one public SRH service that has started using telehealth for initial consultations, leaving only procedural or necessary physical exams to take place in a clinic. We are working to partner with services and assist with the development of protocols for sexual and reproductive telehealth that could be replicated throughout the country. Pharmacies are open and much more could be done via televisits to provide SRH for a wide range of the population, especially for those who are remotely located and those under isolation measures. What concerns do you have about any long-term impact on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Brazil? The existing inequalities that particularly affect young, poor, afro or native Brazilian women are of great concern when thinking about the long term impact of this pandemic. Over the past four years, we have supported many women affected by the Zika epidemic who are still fighting for their rights. This shows us the lasting consequences that an epidemic can have and how protective measures are essential for those in vulnerable situations. Women are at greatest risk during a pandemic. In a country where abortion is considered a crime and SRHR is not seen as priority, there is great concern for the increase in unplanned pregnancies and consequently maternal morbidity and mortality due to unsafe abortions, in particularly among the most underserved and vulnerable populations. What message do you have for people and your staff in Brazil when it comes to SRH services and COVID-19? The COVID-19 pandemic is not the first infectious disease outbreak to show how gender inequality endangers women’s lives. We must protect women and we must create ways to promote gender equality. Access to free, up-to-date SRH that includes abortion is a necessary step to achieve this. A central piece for this is also the promotion and guarantee or reproductive justice. We, at ANIS, will work towards that.

Healthcare worker and client.
16 June 2016

BRICS

The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) cover more than 40% of the world’s population. Cooperation between BRICS countries offers opportunities to share national challenges, approaches and learnings around sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment.  IPPF has been working with the BRICS governments in support of a seminar series for officials and experts on population and development issues.  For example we worked with the Government of South Africa to produce a report on population issues in BRICS countries. IPPF convened civil society organisations (CSOs) for BRICS CSO fora and to participate in the inter-governmental seminars.  IPPF facilitated advocacy by BRICS CSOs on the text of the BRICS Brasilia Ministerial statement on population matters.  IPPF also organised a study tour for South African officials and allies to learn about SRHR programming and to visit SRHR projects in Brazil.  The next BRICS seminar will be hosted in India towards the end of 2016.

Gestos - Brazil

Gestos is a philanthropic organization founded in 1993 by sociologist Acioli Neto, journalist Alessandra Nilo, sociologist Márcia Andrade and social worker Silvia Dantas.

The first project developed was supported by MISEREOR and focused on psychological care for people living with AIDS, as well as the training of information multipliers in the poorest communities of the Metropolitan Region of Recife.

Since then, they have effectively contributed to guaranteeing the human rights of people living with HIV and AIDS. About 70% of the people who have sought legal support from the institution have had their rights redressed, through precautionary measures and sentences, which today are even part of the list of jurisprudence on the subject of Law and AIDS.

Throughout its history, the organization has considered communication as fundamental in the fight against AIDS and has fought to expand this understanding in Pernambuco, Brazil and Latin America. This vision has consolidated Gestos as an important reference in Communication and AIDS in the country, with special emphasis on discussions on Public Policies on Health Communication.

They also help to form new civil society organizations, such as the National Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (RNPVHA - 1995), the Positive Work Group - GTP+ (2000), the Group of Positive Actions (2003), the Group of Support to HIV Positive People (GASP) 2003, Acts of Citizenship (2006).

From 2007 to 2011, Gestos created and coordinated the UNGASS-AIDS Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health, where it oversaw the implementation of agreements signed at the UN in sixteen developing countries. The UNGASS-AIDS Forum has established itself as a space for political debate on issues related to HIV and AIDS and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

They are also a consultative NGO at the UN, with ECOSOC status since 2017.

 

Instagram

Twitter

lula supporters
01 February 2023

Now Bolsonaro is gone, human rights must be top of Brazil’s agenda

The result of Brazil’s election last October was a cause for celebration for many across the country. After four long years of far-right rule under Jair Bolsonaro, change was coming via a progressive administration committed to equality and freedom, under new president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Gabriella, a Brazilian-British woman and Lula supporter, was in the city of Salvador on election night. “The joy and relief… it was like Carnival,” she said, speaking to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the organisation where I work as regional director for the Americas. “The nightmare of Bolsonaro’s corrupt, violent and inept government was finally over.” 2023 marks the beginning of a pivotal era of change for Brazil, kicked off by the announcement that the country will leave the Geneva Consensus – a global anti-abortion declaration introduced by the Trump administration in 2020. It’s a colossal win for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocates, who have fought long and hard for this moment. But many obstacles remain. The legacy of Bolsonaro  Even before the election, there was a long and insidious campaign to undermine voters’ faith in democracy. Afterwards, false allegations of election fraud soon spread among Bolsonaro supporters. Then, on 8 January, in a move mirroring the US Capitol Hill attack almost exactly two years earlier, Bolsonaristas stormed the three most important political buildings in Brazil: Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace. It was a clear display of the macho fundamentalist politics that has infiltrated the psyche of many across the country in recent years. As with Trump in the US, Bolsonaro’s rise to the presidency was fuelled by growing religious extremism, overseen by evangelical Christians and conservative politicians who took advantage of Brazil’s economic fragility and violent crime rates to undermine democracy and push a solid conservative agenda. Bolsonaro argued that the “flawed politics of human rights”, “gender ideology”, and the loss of moral values were the cause of Brazil’s problems. Evangelicals gained key positions in Bolsonaro’s government, and his tenure saw rampant attacks on human rights, especially SRHR. Bolsonaro himself was openly anti-abortion and sexist. There were concerted political efforts to discredit and restrict comprehensive gender and sexuality education in schools; teachers even faced disciplinary action for holding lessons on feminism and gender-based violence. Bolsonaro was also openly homophobic, and his administration incited hatred towards LGBTQI+ people, removing LGBTQI+ protections from the remit of the human rights ministry. Although heavily underreported, attacks on LGBTQI+ people steadily increased during his presidency – as highlighted in a 2019 survey by independent media outlet Gênero e Número. For a country with a long history of socially liberal politics, this sharp jolt away from the principles of democracy is a chilling reminder of the far-right fundamentalist regression sweeping the globe – a regression that has sown its seeds so deeply that long-held democratic values remain under threat, even after the Bolsonaros and Trumps of the world have left office. Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Now, just weeks into 2023, the struggles for democracy continue. Feminist organisations across Brazil are strategising and reprioritising to put the human rights of the Brazilian people back at the top of the agenda. For the non-governmental organisation Gestos, International Planned Parenthood Federation’s partner in the city of Recife in the north-east of Brazil, this means working with the new administration to rebuild from scratch the devastated terrain of sexual and reproductive health and justice. Securing financing is crucial. This includes using parliamentary support to overcome the 2023 budget restrictions set by the Bolsonaro administration and lobbying to draw down on funds assigned to other policy areas. It also includes pushing for the reversal of Bolsonaro’s devastating fiscal laws, which cut funds from national health, social protection and SRHR budgets. After all, good policies need a budget to implement them.

Dr Ilana Ambrogi
28 May 2020

COVID-19 Impact: What we know so far – Brazil

An interview with Dr Ilana Ambrogi, a family medicine physician, who is also a researcher at ANIS, the Institute of Bioethics in Brazil (and IPPF's partner in the Western Hemisphere Region), and a PhD candidate at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.  How badly has Brazil been affected by coronavirus/COVID-19? Brazil is a large country with a population of over 200 million. It is extremely diverse, unequal, and many communities are very remote. These things put Brazil in a particularly difficult situation when facing a pandemic like COVID-19. There has also been constant political disagreement between federal and local governments on how to deal with the pandemic from the outset. During the pandemic, two health ministers have left their posts. According to the Brazilian Ministry of health website, as of 20 May there were 271,628 confirmed cases and over 17,000 deaths. Brazil also has one of the lowest COVID-19 testing rates in the world, and there has been no consistent indication of substantial containment of COVID-19. Health systems are already showing signs of collapse, particularly in the most vulnerable, poorest areas like the north and northeast regions. What impact is coronavirus having when it comes to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services across the country? Access to SRH among the most vulnerable populations has always been an issue in Brazil. There is a known unmet SRH need, particularly in the regions which have been worst hit by COVID-19. These are also the regions with low Human Development Index that were most affected by Zika and have high rates of adolescent pregnancy. Over 70% of the Brazilian population depend exclusively on the public system. When you consider the impact of COVID-19 on SRH you have to remember existing vulnerabilities and inequalities in specific regions and populations which means some people are at greater risk of losing their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Currently the Brazilian government has not made any efforts to promote, guarantee or protect SRH. Which services do you think will be the worst hit? Unfortunately, public health services have been chronically underfunded, particularly since 2016. The current federal government targeted SRH prior to the pandemic as an area to be combated. It invested in “abstinence-only programs”, and defended the removal of public information about condom use which was geared towards adolescents. Recently, during the pandemic, the Ministry of Health has recommended that IUD placement should be delayed until further notice. There have been reports that SRH services were the first ones to close given that it was not seen as essential or a priority. Adolescents will probably be the most unassisted given that schools are closed, and health services are shifting their attention to symptomatic patients only. With this in mind, ANIS has been working on initiatives to increase information access digitally. We are using strategies on social media to promote information on sexual and reproductive health, like tips on safe sexual practices during the pandemic. We are also developing strategies for popular phone communication apps like WhatsApp to provide up-to-date and on demand information about sexual and reproductive health and access to services during the pandemic. What impact has there been on abortion services and post-abortion care? Legal abortion services have been under significant pressure since the current government took office. Women have the right to a legal abortion in Brazil if the pregnancy was a consequence of rape. During the first weeks of the pandemic, the largest legal abortion service in Sao Paulo was shut down without any other arrangements to guarantee women’s access to legal abortion services. ANIS participated in a quick, coordinated and strategic mobilization of civil society together with others to try to find solutions for this. After six days of pressure the service reopened. There have been several reports of increased gender-based violence, but the pandemic and isolation measures make access to services increasingly difficult. Given this reality, ANIS is also working on digital strategies, like the development of an app, to provide a channel for women who are isolated in the community to communicate with each other and find reliable information and services. Are frontline staff still able to go into the community?  Responses have varied according to local governments. There are locations where staff continue to go to their community clinics. However, in many places efforts are being diverted to patients with Covid-19 symptoms. The copper IUD is the only long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) offered by public health clinics, and this service has been mostly stopped. Preventative visits for paps, IUD placement or physicals have been mostly canceled, but in some places it is possible to get repeat prescriptions and have prenatal appointments. What kind of SRH frontline services are still being offered and who is providing these? Since the WHO announcement of the pandemic in March, ANIS has been working on monitoring governmental and institutions measures and actions regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights. There has been a deafening silence regarding family planning/contraception during the pandemic. The latest informative material from the federal government geared to women has no mention at all about contraception or unplanned pregnancies and how to prevent them. The focus in terms of SRH has been almost exclusively on pregnant women during pre-natal care, labour, delivery and immediate postpartum care. There have been reports of women unable to schedule postpartum visits and a decrease of 90% in diagnostic exams being done in the country. An important part of ANIS’ work during the pandemic is to observe and document these facts and to think of strategies to mobilize against women’s rights violations. Can you tell us about any innovative measures that have been introduced in Brazil to provide services in a different way than usual? The use of telemedicine/telehealth has been permitted since the pandemic but it still seems to be underutilized. We know of one public SRH service that has started using telehealth for initial consultations, leaving only procedural or necessary physical exams to take place in a clinic. We are working to partner with services and assist with the development of protocols for sexual and reproductive telehealth that could be replicated throughout the country. Pharmacies are open and much more could be done via televisits to provide SRH for a wide range of the population, especially for those who are remotely located and those under isolation measures. What concerns do you have about any long-term impact on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Brazil? The existing inequalities that particularly affect young, poor, afro or native Brazilian women are of great concern when thinking about the long term impact of this pandemic. Over the past four years, we have supported many women affected by the Zika epidemic who are still fighting for their rights. This shows us the lasting consequences that an epidemic can have and how protective measures are essential for those in vulnerable situations. Women are at greatest risk during a pandemic. In a country where abortion is considered a crime and SRHR is not seen as priority, there is great concern for the increase in unplanned pregnancies and consequently maternal morbidity and mortality due to unsafe abortions, in particularly among the most underserved and vulnerable populations. What message do you have for people and your staff in Brazil when it comes to SRH services and COVID-19? The COVID-19 pandemic is not the first infectious disease outbreak to show how gender inequality endangers women’s lives. We must protect women and we must create ways to promote gender equality. Access to free, up-to-date SRH that includes abortion is a necessary step to achieve this. A central piece for this is also the promotion and guarantee or reproductive justice. We, at ANIS, will work towards that.

Healthcare worker and client.
16 June 2016

BRICS

The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) cover more than 40% of the world’s population. Cooperation between BRICS countries offers opportunities to share national challenges, approaches and learnings around sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment.  IPPF has been working with the BRICS governments in support of a seminar series for officials and experts on population and development issues.  For example we worked with the Government of South Africa to produce a report on population issues in BRICS countries. IPPF convened civil society organisations (CSOs) for BRICS CSO fora and to participate in the inter-governmental seminars.  IPPF facilitated advocacy by BRICS CSOs on the text of the BRICS Brasilia Ministerial statement on population matters.  IPPF also organised a study tour for South African officials and allies to learn about SRHR programming and to visit SRHR projects in Brazil.  The next BRICS seminar will be hosted in India towards the end of 2016.