The Brazilian government announced on Wednesday (Dec. 10) that 70.8 percent of the BRL 1.3 trillion allocated to the New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) for 2023 to 2026 has already been spent. BRL 944.8 billion has been invested through August of this year in various projects and equipment throughout the country.

At a ceremony at the Planalto presidential palace, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that many people thought it was “humanly impossible” to complete this volume of investment. He urged mayors and governors to move forward with the projects and said that it is the role of the state to mobilize resources for initiatives that reach the periphery and the poorest.

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“Now, this last part is passing the investment ball to mayors and governors, and we hope that our bureaucracy, which will make the investment, will not take too long,” he said, noting that the selection of the projects that received funds was made together with federal entities.

With an estimated BRL 1.7 trillion in public and private investments, the New PAC was launched in August 2023 by President Lula. Of the total amount, BRL 1.3 trillion is expected to be invested by 2026, with the remainder to be disbursed after that date.

Gambling and betting, particularly online gambling - which is becoming increasingly widespread through so-called “bets” - have been harming the finances and health of many Brazilians. In response, the Ministries of Health and Finance have launched initiatives aimed at preventing gambling addiction, addressing the physical, mental, and financial well-being of users.

Some of these tools are provided for in a technical cooperation agreement signed on Wednesday (Dec. 3) by the Ministers of Health, Alexandre Padilha, and Finance, Fernando Haddad. One of the tools to be implemented is a self-exclusion platform that, starting December 10, will allow bettors who wish to overcome their addiction to request a block from betting sites, as well as make their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) unavailable for new registrations or for receiving betting advertisements.

A recent study found that betting causes economic and social losses in the country, estimated at BRL 38.8 billion annually.

The agreement also establishes, among other prevention and care measures, the Brazil Health and Electronic Betting Observatory. It will serve as a permanent channel for data exchange between ministries, enabling integrated support so that users can seek help from Brazil’s public healthcare network, the SUS.

“Based on the data we have, we will identify patterns such as addiction or compulsion in individuals. The records will help us determine their location, so our teams can reach out and offer support, serving as a friendly shoulder or a helping hand,” explained Alexandre Padilha.

Tools

In addition to the self-exclusion platform, a series of guidelines on how to seek help through the public health system will also be made available, including information on SUS service points via the Meu SUS Digital app and the SUS Ombudsman.

The Ministry of Health has also launched the Care Line for People with Gambling-Related Problems, which provides clinical guidance and both in-person and online support to reduce barriers to mental health care.

According to the Ministry of Health, starting in February 2026, the public health system will offer mental health telecare services focused on gambling and betting, in partnership with Sírio-Libanês Hospital.

Initially, there will be 450 online consultations per month, with the ministry potentially increasing this number depending on demand.

“This assistance will operate in an integrated manner as part of the SUS network, and, whenever necessary, patients will be referred for in-person care,” the ministry stated.

Regulation

During the event, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad noted that, although betting was authorized in 2018, little was done to regulate the activity during former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration.

“It was necessary to define taxation, advertising and marketing rules, responsible gaming parameters, and the role of each ministry in combating abusive practices, preventing money laundering, and supporting people in need of public health care. None of this was done between 2019 and 2022,” the minister said.

He added that, under current rules, no Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) of a child or of a beneficiary of income transfer programs, such as the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) or Bolsa Família, can be used to register on gaming sites.

Disorders

According to Marcelo Kimati, director of the Department of Mental Health, Alcohol, and Other Drugs at the Ministry of Health, data already released by the SUS indicate an increase in the number of people seeking treatment for gambling-related disorders.

According to him, in 2023, the SUS provided 2,262 consultations to people with this type of addiction or compulsion. In 2024, the number rose to 3,490. “From January to June 2025, we had already recorded 1,951 consultations,” the director noted.

During the signing ceremony of the agreement between the Ministries of Health and Finance, Kimati said that, with the data already available, it is possible to draw a profile of people who experience this type of problem.

“He is male; between 18 and 35 years old; black; experiences stress and disruption in daily life; is separated, retired, or unemployed; and is isolated or has a fragile support network,” the director explained, highlighting that, in summary, this profile is directly associated with populations living in situations of vulnerability.

Brazil’s Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, announced this Wednesday (Nov. 26) that the country’s national drug regulator Anvisa has approved the registration of the dengue vaccine (Butantan-DV), produced by the Butantan Institute.

This is the world’s first single-dose dengue vaccine, and it is expected to be offered free of charge through the Brazilian public health network, the SUS, in 2026.

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The Butantan Institute notes that 1 million units of the dengue vaccine are ready for distribution and estimates having more than 30 million doses available by mid-2026.

“Today is a day of joy - a victory for the vaccine, a victory for science, a victory for the cooperation between the Brazilian SUS and its public institutions spread throughout the country, including the Butantan Institute,” said Padilha.

The approved indication covers people aged 12 to 59. This range may be expanded in the future, depending on new studies to be submitted by the manufacturer.

Dengue worldwide

The vaccine could benefit not only Brazilians but also populations in other countries, according to Renato Kfouri, vice-president of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm).

He warns that the disease is rapidly expanding worldwide, especially in tropical countries.

“Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in areas at risk for the disease.”

The disease vector, the mosquito, expands as temperatures rise. Climate change and shifting rainfall patterns favor its proliferation.

“Dengue and other arboviruses are expanding diseases, and vaccines are essential for controlling them, especially in tropical countries,” the doctor emphasizes.

Butantan-DV

The vaccine, called Butantan-DV, was developed through a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the Chinese company WuXi Vaccines.

The new vaccine uses live attenuated virus technology, which is safe and already applied in other immunizations used in Brazil and worldwide, such as the MMR, yellow fever, polio, and some influenza vaccines.

According to the technical evaluation by Anvisa, Butantan-DV showed an overall efficacy of 74.7 percent against symptomatic dengue in the population aged 12 to 59 years. This means that in 74 percent of cases the disease was prevented thanks to the vaccine.

It also demonstrated 89 percent protection against severe forms and those with warning signs, as published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.