Health Ministry unveils creation of memorial for COVID‑19 victims

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the COVID-19 situation in the world as a pandemic. Four years later, on Monday (Mar. 11), the Brazilian Ministry of Health announced the creation of a memorial to the victims of the disease that killed 710 thousand Brazilians. The chosen location, Health Minister Nísia Trindade said, is the ministry’s Cultural Center in Rio de Janeiro.

“When we talk about a memorial and a memory policy—because that’s what we’re proposing—we’re not confining the COVID-19 pandemic to the past. Like all reflections on memory, we’re aware of the present political component of memory actions. At the same time we remember that, despite having overcome the health emergency, we have not overcome COVID-19 as a public health problem.”

During the opening of the Seminar for the Design and Creation of the COVID-19 Pandemic Memorial, the minister recalled that the WHO is currently discussing the creation of an instrument for dealing with emergencies and pandemics that will not allow scenarios like the one recorded in June 2021 to be repeated.

During this period, the COVID-19 vaccine had already been registered and was widely marketed, but only 10 percent of countries had access to it. “Not because of denialism, as we experienced in Brazil, but because of inequality in the distribution and production of vaccines and other supplies.”

“At the same time, strengthening [Brazil’s national health care network] SUS has to be part of this learning process, because only a powerful and resilient health system can cope with possible and future pandemics that the whole world is discussing,” she argued.

“When we talk about the memorial, we talk about the important relationship between memory and history. We don’t limit ourselves to the past, but we also think about what kind of project we want for health, for Brazil, for democracy, and for the world.”

Scars

For Rosângela Dornelles, a representative of the National Network of COVID Victims and Family Organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic has left its mark of deep suffering on the Brazilian population. “In Brazil, it has been aggravated by the state’s lack of responsibility in coordinating measures to combat it, by the dismantling of public services, and by the denialism in the fight against it.” She also cited the “naturalization” of an increasing number of deaths from the disease.

“We must remember the bravery of our public health care workers, who faced this disease with their lives. Even before COVID-19 and even more so now in the post-pandemic period, the defense of SUS requires that we consider re-dimensioning in order to provide effective responses to current and future demands guided by an expanded concept of health care,” said the family doctor, citing challenges such as restrictions in care during the pandemic, as well as social inequalities and the climate crisis.

“The WHO reminds us: despite the emergency situation having passed, we’re still living with a virus that mutates and can continue to cause illness and death. The pandemic has left its mark of deep suffering on Brazilians. A dramatic process experienced by the majority of families. This requires us to promote the defense of human dignity and life. We must hold public and private managers accountable—whether they are negligent or omissive—and recompose social protection and rights policies in an articulated manner, with boldness and expanded expectations.”