EDITORIAL: The zika epidemic 10 years later: contributions from Social Sciences and Humanities

Abstract

After almost a decade of the Declaration of Public Health Emergency of National Concern in Brazil, due to changes in the pattern of occurrence of microcephaly (Brazil, 2015), many questions remain open: what are the lessons learned? What is known about the zika virus and its repercussions? How are affected children and their families being supported? What are the social, economic and political implications of the zika epidemic?The epidemic of congenital zika virus syndrome (SCZV) occurred in a context of profound political, economic and social crisis that hit the country, resulting in offensives against social protection systems, worsening living conditions and increased inequalities. Furthermore, Brazil has become a great laboratory for researchers from around the world, bringing immense challenges to international cooperation, the sharing of data and pathogens, and also the ethical limits of scientific research during a health emergency. The lack of knowledge about the syndrome and doubts about the causal factors led to a real race against time and competition between different actors -it was urgent to produce answers, solutions and clarifications.The affected families were intensively demanded by science, mobilizing in a political and supportive way, through meetings in research and care waiting