Bill Gates praises Brazil’s public health system: ‘Other countries can learn and copy’

Bill GatesThe Microsoft founder posted a text on Tuesday, the 12th, in which he praised Brazil’s public health system and even stated that the rest of the world could learn from the country.

“In almost three decades, Brazil has reduced its maternal mortality rate by almost 60%, reduced its infant mortality rate among children under five by 75% – far exceeding global trends – and increased life expectancy by nearly a decade. None of these achievements were accidental. “Rather, they are the result of long-term investments that Brazil has made in its primary health system, which other countries can learn from and emulate,” he wrote in the article. Life saving lessons from Brazil.

In the text, the billionaire highlights that he has been a “big fan of Brazil for some time” and recalls the first time he visited the country, in 1995, when Microsoft was still developing its operations here to launch home banking services.

“Some of my favorite family trips were to the Amazon, whose river, basin and rainforest are often mentioned during conversations about climate change. But it was only after I started working in public health that I began to appreciate how impressive my country’s record was in this area – And how much the rest of the world can learn from him.

The creator of Windows highlights the Single Health System (SUS), created by the 1988 Federal Constitution that guarantees full, universal and free access to all residents of the country. “In the decade that followed, deaths from non-communicable diseases rose and due to maternal, neonatal and nutritional causes, these rates began to decline and life expectancy increased. As primary health services increased, even hospitalizations decreased.

Bill Gates’ praise extends primarily to the community health agent program, which are professionals who work particularly in remote areas. The businessman notes that more than 286 thousand agents serve nearly two-thirds of the population – about 160 million people, providing guidance on health and hygiene, supporting preventive care and accompanying medical appointments.

“They serve as a gateway to the world’s largest free and universal public healthcare system, and their impact has been transformative. They are credited with further reducing infant mortality and bringing vaccination coverage to near-universal levels,” says Gates.

The billionaire also praised the Bolsa Familia program and its role in reducing poverty in the country, saying: “I was able to learn about these initiatives through the partnership between the Gates Foundation and the Brazilian Ministry of Health – which focused on combating malaria, improving vaccine production, and leveraging local intellectual capacity to address Global health issues, and documenting the impact of health and social programs through data science. I was really impressed.

Without forgetting the financial crises that led to cuts in healthcare spending, the billionaire highlights that “Brazil’s healthcare system does not need to be perfect to serve as evidence of what happens when a country strategically invests in caring for the most vulnerable groups: The returns are often far-reaching and life-changing.