Zika Outbreak in 2016: Understanding Brazilian Social Inequalities through Urban Spatial Analysis and their Consequences to Health

Abstract

Despite mischief caused before, "Aedesaegypti" has acquired an international important status in view of recent zika outbreak in Brazil and consequently of the impressive numbers of Brazilian babies with microcephaly -approximately 2,106 cases in the last epidemiological week of October, 2016. In March 2016, the Brazilian Ministry of Health published the "Protocol" for the health care response to Zika-related microcephaly, but the number of cases has just increased. In the present case report we present the alarming numbers of microcephaly, mainly in Northeast and Southeast of country, and poor living conditions of cities. As we shall see, the "Aedesaegypti" seems to have won the battle against citizens because they were cunning and have adapted quickly to deplorable urban conditions and to climate change. In contrast, the executive entities eventually put their prescriptions against imbalance health system in practice, just in some isolated cases. There is a distinct gap between government's actions and population's reality, which suggests that special attention to vulnerable populations should be priority, especially for those who are going to be born, because they represent the future of nation. Analyzing available information, we could conclude that given the situation, it would be regrettable to consider that citizens are mere spectators, dependent on previously defined actions, when in reality the society should occupy a prominent position in any process, demanding appropriated decisions in order to ensure the effectiveness of health and housing programs.