Critical analysis of policies and strategies to combat the Zika virus in Brazil

Using the WPR approach

Bibliographic Data

ID24020946
AuthorsLaís Cardozo dos Santos (0000-0002-4234-830X, Universidade Federal de Viçosa), Ariadne Barbosa do Nascimento Einloft (0000-0001-5322-4700, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz), Joana Laurindo da Silva (0000-0002-0295-8154, Universidade Federal de Viçosa), Danielle Cabrini (0000-0002-4653-9672, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo), Rosângela Minardi Mitre Cotta (0000-0001-5331-9734, Universidade Federal de Viçosa), Glauce Dias Da Costa (0000-0002-2630-194X, Universidade Federal de Viçosa)
Year2026
Volume31
Issue7
Publication date2026-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCiência & Saúde Coletiva (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1413-8123 • E-ISSN: 1678-4561
PublisherAssociação Brasileira de Saúde Coletiva (PUBLISHER • BR)
DOI10.1590/1413-81232026317.15982024en
OpenAlexW7172350875
SciELOS1413-81232026000701804
LanguageEN
References cited24

Exploring narratives present in public policies to control the Zika virus becomes fundamental, given the possibility of new epidemic waves and their harmful effects. The objective of this study was to critically analyze the documents guiding the fight against the Zika virus, implemented by the Brazilian government, from 2016 to 2022. This is a qualitative, exploratory, documentary and analytical study, using the What’s The Problem Represented approach (WPR). Three categories emerged from the analysis: (I) Representation of the problem: biomedical and technical narrative in the health-disease process; (II) Solutions, political options and their effects on the operationalization of actions and on the lives of children and mothers and; (III) The silence and neglect of policies in the effectiveness of actions: low integration between information systems and low focus on structural and collective actions, limited access to care technologies of greater complexity and cost for children with congenital syndrome associated with Zika virus infection; limited support network for family groups made up of black women, with low income and little education. The analysis highlights a set of policy options that have contextual and epidemiological relevance, but that make vulnerable populations invisible.

Narrative · Neglect · Operationalization · Politics · Public policy · Set (abstract data type) · Zika virus · Health, Nursing, Elderly Care · Indigenous Health and Education · Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare

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