• Violence against women is a public health issue • Communication and health are key areas of debate • Front-of-package labeling offers benefits • Plus: collective sexual assaults, research at Fiocruz, antidepressants in water, and the anti-vaccine movement •
A leading voice in the field of health communication in Brazil, Inesita Araújo, recently discussed the main challenges in the area and how her career helps her face them. The researcher, who works at the Institute of Scientific and Technological Communication in Health (Icict/Fiocruz), criticized how health sectors attempt to communicate: “We don’t know how to create debate, we know how to offer orders.”
Araújo believes communication needs to be rethought. She advocates for something beyond a mechanical transfer of information, but rather a network with ongoing dialogue, constantly producing and circulating ways of viewing and practicing health. She further emphasizes that communication is central to the production of knowledge and meaning about the world and life, even though institutions haven’t fully recognized its importance. “People act in the world based on the meanings they attribute to what they see, hear, and receive. And communication produces those meanings. In fact, that is the great power of communication: to make people see, believe, and act,” she explained.
The Impact of Violence on Women and Children
A study published in The Lancet, analyzing data collected between 1990 and 2023 from 204 countries and territories, investigated how domestic or sexual violence can harm a victim’s health in the short and long term. The consequences can be both physical, and psychological. Injuries, abortion, HIV infection, anxiety, depression, self-harm, drug dependence, and even death are some of the profound effects of violence on women and children. This research highlights the far-reaching health consequences of gender-based violence, a critical public health concern.
During the period analyzed, the mortality rate in Brazil due to partner aggression remained stable at 3.2 cases per 100,000 women, while globally it fell from 7.6 per 100,000 to 4.8 per 100,000. Experts reinforce that addressing this issue requires an integrated approach, planning not only for safety measures but also for health, education, employment, housing, and social assistance.
Front-of-Package Food Labeling in the Americas
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched a new publication analyzing the adoption of front-of-package nutritional warning label systems in eight countries across the Americas. The report compares these systems to scientific evidence and the organization’s recommendations.
The publication points to the importance of adopting these systems in addressing diseases related to poor nutrition, which are on the rise globally. Non-communicable chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and some types of cancer, are now the leading cause of death in the region and are closely linked to diet, through the high consumption of ultra-processed and processed products with high levels of sugars, fats, and sodium.
***
• 15 Collective Sexual Assaults Per Day
Data from the Notifiable Disease Information System (Sinan) indicates that from 2022 to 2025, 22,800 cases of collective sexual assault were recorded in Brazil, or more than 15 cases per day. The increase in cases of violence against women shows that these incidents are not isolated. More information is available.
• Environmental Justice and Health
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva delivered a keynote address at the Fiocruz Brasília School of Government on the current challenges in environmental justice and health. The discussion addressed the inequalities that exacerbate the climate crisis: “Those most affected are those who contributed the least to the problem.” Learn more.
• Pharmaceutical Pollution
USP research has successfully eliminated residues of the antidepressant fluoxetine in water treatment. The new method could be an advance in combating toxicity and reducing contamination of organisms living in the water. Learn about the project.
• Doctors and Anti-Vaccine Parents
Amid a wave of distrust and misinformation regarding health, U.S. Pediatricians are facing difficulties in promoting immunization for their patients. Organizations are offering courses to try to restore parents’ confidence. Understand the situation.
Outras Palavras is made by many hands. If you value our work, become our supporter and strengthen critical journalism: apoia.se/outraspalavras
