By Andrea Hargraves 
When the epidemic started, I was the president of Abrasco [Associação Brasileira de Saúde Coletiva], an entity with three branches in relation to health: epidemiology; policies and planning; and social sciences and humanities. The association includes thematic groups dealing with issues such as indigenous peoples, racism, gender and the environment. I devoted a lot of time to Abrasco, and at the same time I continued to teach at the Org [Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro]directing and conducting research. This was too much of a burden, even on weekends.
My area of expertise is the epidemiology of chronic diseases, but during the pandemic I, like many colleagues, ended up changing focus to understand the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic. There has been a significant decrease in tests for early detection of chronic diseases. We publish an article They show about a 10% reduction in deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease. Our interpretation is that these people were already sick, with an increased risk of serious illness if they contracted SARS-CoV-2. Thus, Covid-19 was the cause of death recorded on the death certificate, without being able to monitor the effects of chronic diseases.
People stopped looking for diagnoses and put off treatment, which didn’t happen. This will have a significant impact on the health system, and we have drawn attention to the importance of the government ensuring adequate resources for this region and the other needs posed by the pandemic.
The life front It was a movement that began in May 2020, largely on the initiative of Abrasco. As chair, I have called on representatives of other scientific and health entities and the National Health Council, in great measure, to think about the best way to act in the face of the pandemic. We held a virtual rally in June 2020, and the movement grew in denouncing and lobbying the government to put in place a national plan to combat Covid-19. But we went further, and with over 80 people involved, in three weeks we wrote our own plan and opened up a great discussion. The final product was delivered to the Ministry of Health, the National Congress and STF [Supremo Tribunal Federal].
At the end of 2020, we also created a movement to strengthen SUS [Sistema Único de Saúde]. The front prioritized the defense of life, and raised issues such as the universal right to health, democracy, and the defense of the environment.
The Ministry of Health has never conducted a vaccination campaign against Covid-19, as the country used to do for other diseases. This absence has a significant impact, especially on the vaccination of children. People are hesitant, suspicious, and needless. On the contrary, it is time to protect your children. The pandemic is not over yet, children are at risk of poor development if they contract Covid-19 and side effects of the vaccine are extremely rare.
SBPC [Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência] Three researchers have been selected for the Carolina Bori Prize, and I have been selected in the field of biological and health sciences. I see this as a reflection of how important it is to value public health at a time when exits are not individual. Of course, all the basic research work is essential, which is what made vaccine development possible. But, in addition, there is a part of the distribution, the organization of systems for the introduction of the vaccine to all and the possibility of enjoying health as a fundamental right. Brazil has an advantage in terms of public health because it has the SUS, which is the largest public health system in the world.
Women represent more than 70% of professionals in my area, Collegiate Health. We are also the majority among health professionals, and we have a large portion of nursing. But there are few women parliamentarians in the field of health, in the National Congress as well as among the Directors. Men occupy more areas of power, and we need to change that.
Women play a very important role in facing the epidemic and in the reconstruction of the country, we are going through a very big political and health crisis. From an early age, we learn to take care of others and divide ourselves among tasks. There is also the perseverance, flexibility, and sensitivity to knowing when to be more kind or understanding and when to be tougher. I hope that the population will know how to elect good representatives so that the country has another future.
