Contested Epidemics: Policy Response in Brazil and the U.S. and what the BRICS Can Learn

Abstract

No country responds to epidemics in the same way. What makes some countries to be more successful than others in coping with epidemics? It is this question which Contested epidemics usually imply political views, proposals and conflicting interests between leaders, bureaucrats and civil society, and governments usually do not quickly react before their emergence. When they are associated with behaviors such as AIDS, syphilis and alcoholism or have an incidence over poor and marginalized groups, moral beliefs often guide the perceptions of decision makers and other stakeholders on their potentiality to become a threat to society.Walking away from analyses that suggest that mature democracies with stable democratic institutions and with health systems with more financial and technological resources respond in a better way to epidemics, Gómez (2015) argues that not all the responses depend on the type of political regime or on the resources invested in health.Non-democratic or less developed countries, with more limited resources and infrastructure, often respond to epidemics in a way as effective as -or more effective than-richer countries.

The Pitfalls of Ascribing Moral Agency to Corporations: Public Obligation and Political and Social Contexts in the Commercial Determinants of Health

“…Decades later, one can see the importance of a president's personal experiences, interests, and policy incentives during the Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. Although President Bush's personal health experiences motivated him to pursue a healthy lifestyle and support physical fitness and good health, the Obamas’ personal experiences with their children's weight challenges also generated similar motivations 28 . Indeed, First Lady Michelle Obama's concern about her daughter's weight and wellness in part motivated her to prioritize the creation of the national “Let's Move” initiative, a federal campaign that worked with local communities to address and reduce childhood obesity.…”