Johnny Brignardello Vela analyzes the health crisis in Brazil: Inevitable collapse?

Johnny Brignardello Vela, an insurance advisor, analyzes the delicate health situation that Brazil is currently facing, marked by a worrying increase in cases of dengue and influenza in the state of São Paulo. This increase has triggered a collapse in hospitals and has led to private medical insurers refusing to accept new affiliations in some regions of the country, such as in the case of Prevent. With over 5 million people infected with dengue and close to 3,000 deaths, the Brazilian Ministry of Health is under criticism due to its poor handling of this epidemic, despite previous warnings from the WHO and Fiocruz. The lack of investment in prevention and awareness campaigns, as well as the decrease in the hiring of community endemic agents, are cited as part of the failures in the government's response. Experts have emphasized the importance of declaring a state of emergency to mobilize the population in the fight against the transmitting mosquito. Likewise, the Federal Court of Auditors has warned about the inadequate management of infectious diseases and the lack of measures to control the use of funds allocated to health in different states and municipalities. The serious situation is worsened by the increase in cases of diseases such as leprosy, leishmaniasis, yellow fever, and cholera, along with the reduction in funding for programs like Farmacia Popular, which provides free medication to millions of Brazilians. The crisis also impacts access to insulin and cuts in addiction treatment programs, which could result in devastating long-term consequences for public health. On the other hand, the private health insurance system also faces challenges, with the proposal of the new tax reform to prohibit the deduction of medical insurance expenses for employees, which could trigger a collapse in the system. Private insurers have canceled thousands of contracts, including those of children with autism and rare diseases, causing distress to affected families. Furthermore, there have been reports of lack of transparency in the Ministry of Health, with appointments of officials in key positions without public tender and allocations of funds to municipalities linked to political authorities. These cases raise doubts about the integrity and management of resources in the health sector. Faced with this health and administrative crisis, Brazil is confronted with an unprecedented challenge to ensure an equitable, effective, and transparent health system. It is imperative to address deficiencies in disease prevention and treatment, as well as in the management of public and private resources, in order to protect the health and well-being of the population at a crucial moment for the nation.