8 Issues Regarding Public Health in Brazil

Developing Country and Health: Enhancing Public Health in Brazil

In Brazil, public health issues are similar to those in other developing and developed countries. For instance, just as obesity and diabetes is a problem of epidemic proportions in the U.S., so too is it in Brazil. Brazil's health care structure, however, is significantly different, with free health care for all citizens being available (the finer details of this policy are not as alluring as they may seem on the surface, as long wait times for health care can often be the result) (Fleury, 2011). Nonetheless, this paper will highlight eight significant categories in order of importance and discuss why these particular variables should be focused on in Brazil.

Top Eight Categories

Health care reform. In Brazil, free health care is on the surface a good thing -- but the way in which health care is provided and funded is not as efficient as it could be. For instance, the Family Health Program in the country coordinates how funds are divided among parts of the country. In certain poorer regions of Brazil, funds are not available and citizens in those regions do not receive the same proportionate amount of care that more developed or prosperous regions do (Atun et al., 2015). Ensuring that adequate care is available for all persons in the country is the top-most priority for Brazil to address.

2. Obesity. Obesity is a growing problem in Brazil. It is increasing at a rapid rate and coincides with the introduction of fast food chains and Western-style "fast" diets into the country (Niehues et al., 2014). ABESO, the country's health department agency, recommends that Brazilians exercise more -- particularly by biking to work -- but as Cunningham-Myrie et al. (2015) show, exercise is just one part of combating obesity: diet is another. Brazil must address this issue of getting back to a healthy diet to combat the spread of obesity.

3. Infectious diseases. As the World Health Organization notes, travelers to Brazil should be away of infectious diseases. Riding Brazil of these diseases is already underway and should continue so that travelers and tourists can come to Brazil without fear of being infected by a local disease.

4. Zika. Zika is a virus transmitted by mosquitoes that swept up through South and Central America in recent years. It is a very serious virus especially for pregnant mothers. Developing a vaccination for this virus should be a top priority for Brazil in the coming months.

5. Population growth. Population growth is an issue that should be addressed in Brazil because it impacts a lot other factors, such as available health care, poverty, available resources, and the economy. All of these factors and variables are interconnected and Brazil's population is one of the main underlying elements that each of these factors has in common. Thus, its importance to the nation's public health should be self-evident. The growth of the population should be effectively monitored and maintained.

6. Migrations. Migrations are another issue that Brazil should face head-on. As persons and families migrate from rural regions to urban regions, cultural shifts occur and issues within the Family Health Program arise, particular due to how funds are doled out by district. With migration shifts, these districts are disrupted and funding may not be sufficient to meet the number of people now in one region or vice versa (Paim et al., 2011).

7. Environmental pollution. As attention given to the Olympic Games in Rio showed, Brazil faces serious environmental pollution issues that are a threat to public health and safety. Going forward, Brazil must take steps to clean up its polluted waters and shores and make its streets cleaner as well.

8. Education. Education is an important health issue in Brazil as well because it is the gate by which the next generation learns about how to properly care for itself. If the upcoming generation is not properly educated about public health and how to maintain it, all that is being done right now will be in vain. The torch has to be passed so to speak and education is the primary method for this to happen.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Brazil faces an uphill battle in order to ensure that its public health policies are implemented effectively -- but that battle is no different from anywhere else in the world. It requires the same ingenuity, the same resolution, and the same commitment as in all societies in order to make adequate headway against infectious diseases, gaps in health care, education, and environmental clean-up. Brazil can achieve great things in terms of managing its public health and indeed it has already taken significant steps in the right direction -- for example with its free health care program. However, there is always room to grow and more steps to be taken and a good look at where Brazil is coming up short can be all the incentive the country needs to take the next steps in this on-going fight. Brazil is still a developing a country in many ways, but when it comes to public health, it can quickly jump to the fore.

References

Atun, R. et al. (2015). Health-system reform and universal health coverage in Latin

America. Lancet, 385(9974): 1230-1247. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61646-9

Cunningham-Myrie, C., Theall, K., Yonger, N., et al. (2015). Associations between neighborhood effects and physical activity, obesity, and diabetes: The Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey, 2008. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 68(9): 970-978. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.08.004.

Fleury, S. (2011). Brazil's health-care system reform: social movements and civil society. Lancet, 377(9779): 1724-1725. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-

6736(11)60318-8

Niehues, J. et al. (2014). Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from the age range of 2 to 19 years old in Brazil. International Journal of Pediatrics, 583207: 1-7. DOI: 10.1155/2014/583207

Paim, J., et al. (2011). The Brazilian health system: history, advances, and challenges.

Lancet, 377(9779): 1778-1797. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60054-8