Who is going to pay the price of Covid-19? Reflections about an unequal Brazil.

Who is going to pay the price of Covid-19? Reflections about an unequal Brazil.

Fabiana Ribeiro, Anja Leist

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused high mortality rates among older people, and in order to avoid a healthcare system crisis, almost all countries worldwide have adopted social isolation measures to prevent the spread of the disease. However, in Brazil, a country demarcated by economic inequalities, in which approximately 25% of the population live below the poverty line, these measures will cost severe economic losses and accentuated starvation. For this reason, the underprivileged population should be immediately prioritized and well informed through good practice to avoid the virus. Since, government discrepancies in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak leaves the population without congruent guidelines on how to react or what to believe, allowing the spread of fake news and political crises. Here, we discuss who will pay the price of the Brazilian government denying the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and suggest some measures to ensure that clear information and protection reach this population.

2020

low-income population, COVID-19, Government discrepancies

DOI: 10.1186/s12939-020-01207-2

International Journal for Equity in Health

BMC