Brazil has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the largest country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV – known as vertical transmission – as a public health problem. The nation’s Health Minister Alexandre Padilha made the announcement on CanalGov Friday (Dec. 15).

According to Minister Padilha, the board of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), together with representatives from the WHO, will visit Brazil this week to officially present the certification to the Brazilian government.

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“This means that Brazil has managed to eliminate it thanks to [Brazil’s national health care network], the SUS, rapid testing at basic health care units, prenatal testing, and HIV-positive pregnant women taking medication through the SUS,” Minister Padilha stated.

He recalled that, a few decades ago, Brazil had philanthropic initiatives to maintain shelters for orphans with HIV who had lost their parents to AIDS.

“They took in babies who were born with HIV and whose parents had died. Fortunately, we no longer have that in our country, nor do we have HIV transmission from pregnant women to their babies,” he pointed out.

Brazil submitted a dossier to the world organization in July with data from the SUS in Brazil, he went on to note.

Gambling and betting, particularly online gambling - which is becoming increasingly widespread through so-called “bets” - have been harming the finances and health of many Brazilians. In response, the Ministries of Health and Finance have launched initiatives aimed at preventing gambling addiction, addressing the physical, mental, and financial well-being of users.

Some of these tools are provided for in a technical cooperation agreement signed on Wednesday (Dec. 3) by the Ministers of Health, Alexandre Padilha, and Finance, Fernando Haddad. One of the tools to be implemented is a self-exclusion platform that, starting December 10, will allow bettors who wish to overcome their addiction to request a block from betting sites, as well as make their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) unavailable for new registrations or for receiving betting advertisements.

A recent study found that betting causes economic and social losses in the country, estimated at BRL 38.8 billion annually.

The agreement also establishes, among other prevention and care measures, the Brazil Health and Electronic Betting Observatory. It will serve as a permanent channel for data exchange between ministries, enabling integrated support so that users can seek help from Brazil’s public healthcare network, the SUS.

“Based on the data we have, we will identify patterns such as addiction or compulsion in individuals. The records will help us determine their location, so our teams can reach out and offer support, serving as a friendly shoulder or a helping hand,” explained Alexandre Padilha.

Tools

In addition to the self-exclusion platform, a series of guidelines on how to seek help through the public health system will also be made available, including information on SUS service points via the Meu SUS Digital app and the SUS Ombudsman.

The Ministry of Health has also launched the Care Line for People with Gambling-Related Problems, which provides clinical guidance and both in-person and online support to reduce barriers to mental health care.

According to the Ministry of Health, starting in February 2026, the public health system will offer mental health telecare services focused on gambling and betting, in partnership with Sírio-Libanês Hospital.

Initially, there will be 450 online consultations per month, with the ministry potentially increasing this number depending on demand.

“This assistance will operate in an integrated manner as part of the SUS network, and, whenever necessary, patients will be referred for in-person care,” the ministry stated.

Regulation

During the event, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad noted that, although betting was authorized in 2018, little was done to regulate the activity during former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration.

“It was necessary to define taxation, advertising and marketing rules, responsible gaming parameters, and the role of each ministry in combating abusive practices, preventing money laundering, and supporting people in need of public health care. None of this was done between 2019 and 2022,” the minister said.

He added that, under current rules, no Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) of a child or of a beneficiary of income transfer programs, such as the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) or Bolsa Família, can be used to register on gaming sites.

Disorders

According to Marcelo Kimati, director of the Department of Mental Health, Alcohol, and Other Drugs at the Ministry of Health, data already released by the SUS indicate an increase in the number of people seeking treatment for gambling-related disorders.

According to him, in 2023, the SUS provided 2,262 consultations to people with this type of addiction or compulsion. In 2024, the number rose to 3,490. “From January to June 2025, we had already recorded 1,951 consultations,” the director noted.

During the signing ceremony of the agreement between the Ministries of Health and Finance, Kimati said that, with the data already available, it is possible to draw a profile of people who experience this type of problem.

“He is male; between 18 and 35 years old; black; experiences stress and disruption in daily life; is separated, retired, or unemployed; and is isolated or has a fragile support network,” the director explained, highlighting that, in summary, this profile is directly associated with populations living in situations of vulnerability.

Brazil’s drug authority Anvisa has authorized the research foundation Fiocruz to begin clinical trials in humans with GB221, an advanced gene therapy product for the treatment of type-1 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA1), the most severe form of the disease.

Quickly approved by Anvisa under priority review, the study positions Brazil at the forefront of the field in Latin America. 

The GB221 therapy was developed by the US company Gemma Biotherapeutics, Inc. In addition to participating in the clinical development of the therapy, Fiocruz signed a technology transfer agreement with the company, paving the way for the unprecedented Brazilian production of a gene therapy.

The foundation’s strategy for advanced therapies aims to ensure that the country has the scientific and technological foundations to offer products to the Brazilian public health care network, the SUS.

With this initiative, the Brazilian Ministry of Health is increasing national support for research and development of gene therapies, one of the most innovative frontiers in precision public health care, with a focus on the SUS.

The project led by Fiocruz has received investments of BRL 122 million from the Ministry of Health. The strategy also has financial support from the Brazilian Innovation Agency (Finep), which has invested BRL 50 million in infrastructure for the production of advanced therapies.

Type-1 SMA

Considered rare and manifesting in the first months of life, type-1 SMA is caused by a mutation in the SMN1 gene, which is responsible for producing a protein essential for the functioning of motor neurons. 

The absence of this protein causes progressive muscle weakness and can compromise the survival of children in the first years of life.