Brazil – COVID-19 emergency in Brazil and India: MAGIS’ commitment
The number of COVID-19 infections officially registered worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic has exceeded 150 million, with over 3 million deaths according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. While in some countries, with vaccinations proceeding at a rapid pace and thanks to prevention and containment measures implemented by institutions, the situation seems to be under control, in others it is now a humanitarian, social and economic catastrophe. Among these, Brazil and India in particular.
Brazil is going through one of its most dramatic moments in recent weeks, with an impressive number of new infections and deaths linked to COVID-19. The total death toll of over 400,000 makes the South American country the second most affected country in the world, just after the United States and before India. And the situation is unfortunately destined to get worse.
Thanks to the support of the MAGIS Foundation, the Jesuit and lay communities working with them in the states of Bahia, Maranhão and Parà have organized themselves and are helping the neediest families by distributing food, personal hygiene products and disinfectants, with information/awareness-raising campaigns to combat the spread of contagion.
They also take care of the emotional, human and spiritual sphere with direct visits or through social media. Educational pathways have been reformulated through distance learning and by supporting Internet costs for children who would otherwise have been excluded.
On the other side of the world, India is also experiencing one of the most serious health emergencies ever faced: the latest official data on the number of contagions (about 400,000 per day) and deaths are distressing and supposedly do not reflect the real situation.
The situation is dramatic, especially in Delhi and in large cities, but this second wave has also affected rural areas, which remained unscathed in the first wave. The health system is collapsing, there is a lack of oxygen, hospital beds and life-saving medicines, while infections are increasing, even among young people. Many die on stretchers outside hospitals waiting for oxygen, people die waiting to "breathe". We have all seen the scenes of hospitals with two people per bed. There is even a lack of space in crematoria and cemeteries and people are cremated in the streets.
Among the poor in slums and tribal areas, people get sick and die in silence, without dignity. Jesuit communities in India have also been hit hard: many fathers have died and others are positive or in hospital.
These two international contexts show, moreover, how the pandemic can be quickly aggravated by the minimization of the dangers by the political and ruling classes, through superficial communications, often for political purposes, as the famous Indian writer Arundhati Roy recently denounced. This situation calls for considering the right to health for all and the care of creation at the centre of national and international policies.
Although the situation is really very difficult, MAGIS Foundation takes on this commitment and works tirelessly to support local communities and respond to this emergency, especially in favour of those living in marginalized contexts.
Right now India and Brazil need our help!
It's a commitment that affects all of us, because you can't save yourself in this pandemic!
Thank you for your help.
Source: MAGIS
Related Posts:
The Jaboticaba Agricultural Family School in Brazil reuses water for sustainable food production in a semi-arid region. Since 1993, it has combined agroecology with wastewater treatment to enhance food security and educate students. The project promotes environmental sustainability and aims to influence public policies in line with Pope Francis’s call for integral ecology.
Stan Swamy Day in Viragalur was a moving tribute to a man who devoted his life to justice and the upliftment of the marginalized.
His journey was marked by a profound sense of detachment, as he left behind his nationality, culture, security, history, and companions to embrace a completely foreign environment.
Jesuit Network with Migrants Central America and North America (RJM CANA) shared the first four months of the year report (January – April 2024): "They have been months of a lot of work to face the challenges in the migration context characterized by an increase in the migratory flow in vulnerable conditions throughout the region, however, also These have been months in which the fruits of networking have been confirmed".
From April 5 to 7, the Jesuit Radio Network in the Dominican Republic met at the facilities of the Loyola Polytechnic Institute (IPL) in San Cristóbal. During the meeting, the construction of a shared itinerary that seeks to focus on collaboration and contextualized radio communication marked by the Apostolic Preferences approved by the Society of Jesus for the coming years was highlighted.
The Cartagena Declaration, adopted in 1984, emerged in response to the growing displacement crises in Latin America. Its importance lies in its expanded approach to defining a refugee, recognising the causes of displacement beyond armed conflict events. Despite progress in these 40 years, implementation challenges of the recognition criteria and the commitments made in the adopted plans persist.
