‘Scorched Earth: The portrait of health in Brazil after the Bolsonaro's administration and the first 100 days of the Lula Government in health’

Abstract

This article is a rejoinder to the rebuttal letter authored by Jair Bolsonaro's former Minister of Health and Secretary of Primary Care to our initial article, ‘From Bolsonaro to Lula: The opportunity to rebuild universal healthcare in Brazil during the government transition,’ published in the International Journal of Health Planning and Management. We aim to refute the claims that we consider unsubstantiated and disconnected from reality, while reiterating the risks posed by authoritarian and antidemocratic far‐right governments, such as Bolsonarism in Brazil, to the sustainability and resilience of universal health systems. This political threat is gaining momentum across several countries worldwide, thereby endangering the Democratic Rule of Law, institutions, and social policies. Furthermore, we emphasise the significant actions implemented during the first 100 days of President Lula's government, which align with the priorities established during the governmental transition process and strengthen the prospects of reconstructing and fortifying the Brazilian universal health system.