A severe, deadly second wave of COVID-19 infections is currently sweeping through Brazil, overwhelming the overstretched health system and further complicating efforts to ensure continuity of education, health, and other critical services. On April 30th, Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll surpassed 400,000 deaths, with the month of April the deadliest for the country since the first case was recorded in February 2020. With one of the highest rates of income inequality globally, COVID-19 has had a particularly devastating impact on Brazil, structural inequalities exacerbating the impact of the pandemic on children and their families.
UNICEF was on the ground before the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed last year, and is continuing to lead emergency response efforts focused on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), and support for the continuity of basic services in Brazil’s most vulnerable and underserved communities. Thus far, UNICEF Brazil has provided hygiene and food support to more than 1.8 million people, and reached more than 236 million with accurate and reliable information to support safe practices and transmission prevention. With its key role in the global COVAX initiative to ensure global procurement and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, UNICEF is also supporting vaccination distribution in Brazil, with over 5 million doses delivered thus far.
With your support, UNICEF can continue these lifesaving efforts, providing direct assistance to the health system, delivering critical medical supplies, supporting the safe reopening of schools across the country, and ensuring the continuity of essential services for children and youth.
