As the second winter of the pandemic rolls in, the COVID-19 situation in Brazil is again deeply concerning, with national and international experts warning of a third devastating wave. The response remains fragmented and decentralised and the central authorities continue to disregard science—and the importance of masks and social distancing—in their health messaging.

Nurses and midwives are the backbone of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) multidisciplinary teams. They also fulfill diverse and critical roles in health promotion, patient education and community care. 

Throughout 2020, MSF is celebrating the efforts of nurses and midwives and highlighting their daily contributions in and alongside MSF projects.

Brazil’s COVID-19 pandemic has spread to its most vulnerable communities—residents of slums, the homeless, and indigenous and minority groups—causing the death toll to skyrocket in a country where leadership still debates the very existence of the virus.

As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, many people are unable to shelter in relative safety. With increased infection rates among homeless populations in Brazil, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are adapting activities to provide aid to the most vulnerable.