Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Monday (Feb. 9) that there will be no shortage of money for health research during his administration. While advocating multilateralism at an event held by the Butantan Institute, Lula also spoke about the partnership with China for vaccine production in Brazil and said he is not choosing the Asian country over the US.

“We are choosing what’s best for our country. If China agrees to partner with us in vaccine production and will produce the quantity we’re not yet able to produce, why not enter into an agreement with China?” he said.

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In São Paulo, the event marked the start of dengue vaccination for primary care health professionals across Brazil. The vaccine, which is produced entirely in Brazil, was developed by Butantan after more than 15 years of research funded by the federal government and the state government of São Paulo.

“As long as I am able to help, there will be no shortage of money for research, either at Butantan or any other research institute in this country,” he noted.
 

The goal is to protect 1.2 million workers on the front lines of Brazil’s national health care system, the SUS, against dengue fever. The expansion of vaccination to other groups, aged 15 to 59, starting with the oldest, is planned for the second half of this year as Butantan expands its production capacity.

Brazil’s Ministry of Health has been purchasing all available supplies, and it is expected that, based on a strategic partnership between Brazil and China, with the transfer of technology to WuXi Vaccines, production could increase 30-fold.

President Lula also spoke about fake news that attempts to discredit the importance of vaccination and stated that it is necessary to convince society to return to vaccination, “as it was in the past.”

“We have an obligation not to get discouraged, to campaign, to talk in schools, to have teachers talk, pastors and priests talk [in churches], politicians talk, until we convince people that getting vaccinated means avoiding the possibility that, at some point, nature [viruses and bacteria] could disrupt a person’s life,” he argued.

Overweight among Brazilians has jumped 20 percentage points in 18 years. In 2024, 62.6 percent of the population were overweight, compared to 42.6 percent in 2006. Obesity (body mass index equal to or greater than 30 kg/m²) doubled, rising from 11.8 to 25.7 percent of the people.

The data were released this week by the Ministry of Health and come from a phone survey conducted in all state capitals plus the Federal District.

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Physical activity during commuting decreased from 17 percent in 2009 to 11.3 percent in 2024 due to the greater use of ride-hailing apps and public transportation. Moderate leisure-time physical activity of at least 150 minutes per week, however, grew from 30.3 percent in 2009 to 42.3 percent in 2024.

Regular consumption of fruits and vegetables (five days a week or more) remained relatively stable, varying from 33 percent in 2008 to 31.4 percent in 2024. 

The consumption of soft drinks and artificial juices (five days a week or more) dropped from 30.9 percent in 2007 to 16.2 percent in 2024.

Health Minister Alexandre Padilha believes that positive developments such as reduced soft drink consumption and increased physical activity have not been enough to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.

“As Brazil’s population ages, more people are developing chronic diseases. That’s why we need more care and prevention policies,” he pointed out.

Insomnia

For the first time, the survey looked at the Brazilian population's sleep patterns – 20.2 percent of adults in state capitals said they sleep less than six hours a night, and 31.7 percent of adults have at least one symptom of insomnia, with a higher prevalence among women (36.2%) than men (26.2%).

According to Padilha, this data show that sleep has been insufficient and interrupted throughout the night.

“This is concerning because poor sleep quality is directly related to weight gain, obesity, worsening chronic diseases, and mental health issues. These national data are noteworthy, and we will ask primary care teams to inquire about sleep,” he said.

Government initiative

At a ceremony in South Rio, Minister Padilha launched the Viva Mais Brasil (“Live More Brazil”) initiative, a national campaign to promote health, prevent chronic diseases, and improve Brazilians’ quality of life.

According to the ministry, BRL 340 million will be invested in policies to promote physical exercise.

The new strategy articulates and strengthens existing policies of Brazil’s national health care netwtork, the SUS, with measures focused on healthy nutrition, physical activity, comprehensive care, and access to quality information. 

The plan seeks to encourage and support Brazilians to adopt healthy lifestyles, with actions in SUS facilities as well as the private sector, expanding the reach of health promotion policies.

The campaign includes ten commitments to live longer and better:

• more exercise and an active lifestyle;
• healthier eating habits;
• less tobacco and alcohol consumption;
• better health in schools;
• fewer chronic diseases;
• more vaccination throughout Brazil;
• more autonomy and empowerment;
• better digital health services;
• a culture of peace and less violence; and
• more complementary practices.