Nataly Saldanha earned the title of “top-notch pregnant woman” at the health clinic where she receives prenatal care in Rio de Janeiro. At 39 weeks pregnant, she is expecting Noely to arrive in the coming days and is proud to have attended all her appointments and undergone all the recommended tests, followed her health care providers’ guidance closely, and kept her vaccinations up to date.

“I’ve always made a point of getting vaccinated, and when I started prenatal care, I made sure my vaccination record was up to date. If there’s any disease going around, I’m immune. I’m also very concerned about my baby. I want to make sure she’s 100 percent healthy,” she explains.

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• Brazil’s dengue vaccine remains effective for up to 5 years.

 

This is also the view of marketing analyst Raissa Silva de Oliveira, who is 34 weeks pregnant and expecting her baby, Rafael.

“I’ve always gotten every single vaccine because I believe in science. From the start of my prenatal care, my doctor asked about my vaccination status, wanted to see my record, and advised me on the next vaccines I needed to get,” she says.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Brazil to produce chikungunya vaccine.
• HPV prevalence falls among young Brazilians after vaccination.
• Brazil’s dengue vaccine remains effective for up to 5 years.

 

Unfortunately, not all pregnant women reach delivery as well-protected as Saldanha and Oliveira. Official figures from Brazil’s Ministry of Health reveal disparities in vaccination coverage, along with some concerning figures.

In 2025, only 55 percent of pregnant women were vaccinated against COVID-19, and 63 percent against the flu, based on data from the Southeast, South, Northeast, and Midwest regions. Preliminary data from this year show a slightly better situation for the flu vaccine, with 76 percent coverage, but COVID-19 vaccination remains at 55 percent. The goal for both vaccines is 90 percent coverage of the target population.

The consequences of vaccine hesitancy have been tragic in many cases. Data compiled by the Ministry of Health at the request of Agência Brasil indicate that, from 2023 through early August 2026, at least 286 pregnant women or women who had recently given birth developed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) after being infected with a subtype of the influenza virus. Of these, 25 died, including seven this year.

Over the same period, COVID-19 caused at least 205 severe cases, resulting in 21 deaths. However, during the three main years of the pandemic - 2020, 2021, and 2022 - there were 3,547 cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) confirmed to have been caused by the virus among pregnant women or women who had recently given birth. Nearly a quarter of these women died, totaling 811 deaths.

For Flávia Bravo, director of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm), two factors are key to understanding these figures: complacency in the case of influenza and misinformation when it comes to COVID-19.

“When it comes to the flu, people still wonder, ‘Is this vaccine really that important?’ There’s a tendency to downplay the disease. As for COVID-19, the myth has prevailed that it is an experimental vaccine, rushed into production - which is a lie. It’s an established technology, and we were able to adapt it more quickly for COVID-19 because of global collaboration and significant investment,” she notes.

Vaccination has been instrumental in reducing these rates to their current levels. Brazilian scientists compared records of SARS among pregnant and postpartum women before and after vaccination was introduced for this population and found that the monthly case rate fell to one-third of its previous level. The mortality rate dropped to nearly one-fifth of its previous level.

Even so, COVID-19 and influenza together account for nearly 30 percent of SARS cases among pregnant and postpartum women recorded this year in Brazil. When deaths are analyzed, this proportion rises to more than 50 percent.

Respiratory viruses are the main causes of the syndrome, but it is not always possible to identify which virus caused the condition, meaning these proportions may be even higher. “Pregnant women are among the groups at highest risk for these two diseases, so much so that these two vaccines can be administered at any stage of pregnancy,” Bravo emphasizes.

Vaccination schedule for pregnant women

The Ministry of Health offers four additional vaccines for pregnant women through Brazil’s national public health system, the SUS, in addition to the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines: hepatitis B, dT, dTpa, and VSR. The yellow fever vaccine may also be recommended on an exceptional basis for pregnant women who live in areas with confirmed circulation of the disease during an outbreak, emergency, or high-risk situation, or who are planning to travel to such locations.

Gynecologist Giuliane Lajos advises that all these vaccines should be part of the basic checklist for pregnant women, rather than being viewed as an option or an extra precaution. “I even make a joke: ‘fewer pregnancy tests and more vaccinations.’ Because, whether it’s a girl or a boy, what you really want is a healthy baby and to be healthy enough to care for them.”

The specialist from the National Vaccine Expert Committee of the Brazilian Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Associations (Febrasgo) explains that pregnant women need to take extra precautions against various infections because pregnancy naturally makes them more vulnerable to infections and severe illness.

“When you become pregnant, half of the baby’s genetic makeup comes from you and the other half from your partner. In order for the uterus to accept this ‘implant,’ several changes occur in a woman’s immune system. In addition, as the pregnancy progresses, lung capacity decreases and some bodily functions decline. That is why it is so important to ensure you have all available vaccinations. If she is vaccinated, a woman may still get an infection sometimes, but it won’t be severe,” Lajos adds.

The gynecologist warns that, without protection, pregnant women are more likely to experience a range of complications and may even die. “Being admitted to the ICU alone significantly increases levels of substances called prostaglandins, which can damage the placenta, affect the baby’s development, and increase the risk of preterm birth.”

An analysis of data from more than 1.2 million pregnant women worldwide showed that women vaccinated against COVID-19, for example, had a lower risk of preterm birth, stillbirth, and fetal congenital anomalies.

Benefits for babies

In addition, by getting vaccinated, a pregnant woman also protects her baby after birth. Vaccination against influenza and COVID-19 does not begin until 6 months of age. Therefore, newborns rely on antibodies passed from their mother through the placenta to help protect them against these diseases.

“Published clinical trials show that the flu vaccine, for example, can reduce the incidence of illness by about 70 percent during a baby’s first few months. It’s the same with COVID-19. There are studies showing that the level of antibodies in the umbilical cord is higher than in the mother’s blood. In other words, in addition to active transfer, the baby is actually born with more antibodies,” Bravo explains.

The lack of immunization among infants is also a concern. The Ministry of Health’s Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System recorded nearly 4,000 cases of SARS caused by influenza among children under 2 years of age through September 19 this year, including 55 deaths.

Meanwhile, there have been 808 severe cases of COVID-19 in this age group, with 18 deaths. Since 2023 - the year the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the pandemic - at least 9,725 children under 2 years of age have become severely ill with COVID-19, 223 of whom have died.

The mRNA vaccines currently administered to pregnant women and children in Brazil have already demonstrated nearly 100 percent efficacy in preventing deaths from COVID-19. Flu vaccination can reduce the risk of death by up to 75 percent.

According to Giuliane Lajos and Flávia Bravo, vaccinating pregnant women, combined with vaccinating children themselves starting at 6 months of age, is essential to reducing these numbers. The trend in respiratory syncytial virus cases provides an example of the potential impact of high vaccination coverage.

Launched last year, the vaccination program has already reached 1.7 million pregnant women, representing an estimated 86 percent coverage of the target population. Combined with the administration of monoclonal antibodies to premature infants and those with comorbidities, the program is already yielding results.

In the first half of 2026, 6,674 severe cases were reported among infants up to 6 months of age - less than half the 14,061 infections reported during the same period last year.

Pertussis

Brazil’s vaccination history offers other examples of the power of this indirect protection. The administration of the dT vaccine to women, including pregnant women, since the 1960s helped Brazil eliminate neonatal tetanus, a condition in which the infection is acquired by the infant during childbirth and can lead to severe, potentially fatal illness. Diphtheria has also been virtually eliminated in the country, with fewer than 40 confirmed cases reported over the past 10 years.

However, in response to outbreaks of whooping cough among newborns, the SUS began offering the dTpa vaccine to pregnant women in 2014, providing protection against the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, which causes coughing and fever and can lead to breathing difficulties.

The infant vaccination schedule includes vaccination against whooping cough, but the first dose is administered at 2 months of age, and the primary series is not completed until 6 months of age. This means newborns rely on maternal antibodies for protection against the disease and to reduce the risk of severe illness if they become infected.

According to the Ministry of Health, dTpa vaccination coverage among pregnant women rose from 34 percent in 2016 to 94 percent in 2025. Preliminary data for this year indicate a coverage rate of 88 percent. In addition, vaccination rates among infants have remained close to 90 percent since 2023.

As a result, the number of pertussis cases in Brazil has been declining, but cases remain significant, underscoring the importance of protecting infants in particular. In 2024, there were 7,747 confirmed cases, falling to 2,744 in 2025 and 401 as of September 10 this year.

About 20 percent of those infected during this period were under 1 year old, but this proportion rises to more than 90 percent when deaths from the disease are considered. Of the 11 deaths recorded in 2026, nine were infants under 1 year old, eight of whom were under 6 months of age.

Health care professionals

The two experts interviewed by Agência Brasil also emphasize that all vaccines administered during pregnancy have been properly tested and pose no risk to pregnant women or their babies. “The COVID-19 vaccine, which faces the most resistance, has become the most studied vaccine in the world. And there is no proven risk of fetal malformations, autism, or death - nothing,” emphasizes gynecologist Giuliane Lajos.

Flávia Bravo, director of SBIm, urges health care professionals to be more emphatic in debunking these falsehoods and providing patients with accurate guidance.

“Vaccination, in fact, isn’t a topic most doctors are very familiar with. Many of them end up relying on the same sources as the general public and don’t do what they Should - which is to seek out reliable sources of information, review clinical trials, and examine surveillance data,” she adds.

Family physician Catarina Jatobá de Souza, who treats Nataly Saldanha at the Ricardo Lucarelli Family Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, explains that the vaccination card is checked during the very first appointment and that, whenever a dose is needed, the pregnant woman is immediately directed to the vaccination room next door.

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• Brazil to produce chikungunya vaccine.
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• Brazil’s dengue vaccine remains effective for up to 5 years.

 

“This is very convenient because the pregnant woman can take advantage of her appointment to do both things, and we know that if the vaccination is scheduled for another day, it might fall through. That’s why we also try to schedule appointments for the day the pregnant woman is due to get vaccinated,” she explains.

Other professionals are also involved in ensuring that pregnant women keep their vaccination cards up to date. “Community health workers make monthly home visits during pregnancy, and they also remind patients to bring their vaccination cards to their appointments and let us know if any pregnant woman is not up to date on her vaccinations,” the doctor explains.

Raissa Silva de Oliveira, who also receives prenatal care through the public health system but at a different facility, almost got a scolding from her health worker. “They called me from the clinic to remind me about the RSV vaccination because I hadn’t gone there to get it, but I had gotten it at the vaccination center in the mall. The woman didn’t just take my word for it; she asked me to send a photo of my vaccination card so she could verify it.”

Even social gatherings, such as meetings for expectant mothers and parents, and recreational activities such as belly-painting events have become opportunities to raise awareness. “We take the opportunity to talk about the importance of vaccines with the whole family,” Catarina Jatobá adds.

The doctor argues that these spaces are also important for pregnant women to talk to other women who have already received the vaccines and are doing well. “I always say that I’ve never seen a single serious case caused by a vaccine, unlike the diseases themselves. But this way, they can see for themselves that there’s no risk,” she emphasizes.

Nataly Saldanha, a model pregnant patient, is an example of how this approach can make a difference. “When I had my first daughter, I didn’t have access to any of this. It’s great to be able to talk to other mothers. There are so many new things today, including new vaccines, such as those for COVID-19 and bronchiolitis. I’m rediscovering it all over again.”

An unpredictable disease – that is how Dr. Enilde Borges Costa, a dermatologist with the Brazilian Society of Dermatology (SBD), defines alopecia areata. During the month dedicated to this disease – which affects about two percent of the world’s population, according to SBD – Agência Brasil shares stories of patients living with hair loss.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease characterized by the body’s attack on the hair follicle, causing episodes of hair loss that can occur at any stage of life. It often occurs in cycles – hair growth in the affected area is followed by a new episode of hair loss.

“The body itself, due to various circumstances, attacks the hair follicle and prevents a healthy strand that can remain in place from forming,” Dr. Costa said.

According to the doctor, the condition can manifest in three ways:

• hair loss in small areas of the scalp;
• alopecia areata totalis, when hair falls out across the entire scalp;
• alopecia areata universalis, when a person loses all body hair.

The diagnosis is made in the doctor’s office itself, through a clinical examination of the hairless areas. According to the dermatologist, there is currently no laboratory or imaging test that can aid in the diagnosis.

Since the condition does not cause any lesions, scars, or wounds on the scalp, the only noticeable sign is the absence of hair in a given area. Dr. Costa explains that pulling on a small strand of hair and noticing that it comes out easily is sometimes a simple test that helps the dermatologist confirm the diagnosis, as is observing the absence of hair in the beard, eyelashes, and eyebrows.

Emotional issues

Closely linked to emotional issues, alopecia has a genetic component. Some say that the condition can be triggered by an infection, for example, which affects the immune system, or by another autoimmune disease.

“Generally speaking, it is not a psychosomatic disorder. But it can be cyclical, occurring in episodes. And these episodes can be triggered by various things, including an intense stressful situation. But there are other triggering factors,” she went on to say.

The dermatologist warns that focusing solely on emotional factors as a cause often leads to feelings of guilt in the patient, who begins to feel responsible for the flare-ups.

Book editor Beatriz Santos, who has lived with alopecia since 2008 and runs the @debemcomaalopecia Instagram account, says that the first doctors she saw insisted that her hair loss was related to something emotional. She had recently turned 15, was finishing high school, and was told her hair loss was likely due to excessive anxiety about her college entrance exams.

“The first thing they’d ask me when I walked into the office was, ‘So what happened?’ And I couldn’t think of anything. It was funny and uncomfortable,” she recalls. “If [stress] were the cause, we’d leave the stressful environment and our hair would grow back. But that’s not how it works.”

Treatment

Beatriz first noticed her hair loss at a beauty salon, where she went to have her hair styled for a cousin’s wedding. With her curly, voluminous hair, she had not noticed an eight-centimeter-wide patch of baldness near the nape of her neck. From that point on, she says she went through an ordeal trying to find a doctor who understood her condition.

She recalls undergoing several treatments with oral corticosteroids and injections directly into the scalp. The corticosteroid used was not the most appropriate and caused side effects. In addition, the injections were painful.

At Dr. Costa’s office, a more appropriate corticosteroid was prescribed, along with ointments and creams, and her hair began to grow back in some areas.

After a year of this new treatment, however, Beatriz underwent a bone density test, which is required for treatments involving this type of medication. The test revealed that the young woman, who was only 17 at the time, had osteopenia, a condition characterized by gradual bone loss.

“I went to see a rheumatologist, and he really scared me. He told me to think it over carefully, because if I kept taking corticosteroids, I’d be in a wheelchair by the time I was 45. I remember leaving there in tears; I spent about three days thinking it over and decided I was going to stop treatment,” she recounted.

The dermatologist says that corticosteroids can be administered in various ways, either by injection or orally. However, if used for a long time, they can result in side effects, such as loss of bone density, which is why patients undergo frequent lab tests.

In 2012, four years after the first episode, Beatriz lost all her hair, including hair from other parts of her body. Since then, she has been living with alopecia areata universalis.

She has adapted to living with the condition over the years. She learned to use makeup to draw her eyebrows, for example. She has also worn a wig, but it did not suit her. These days, the book editor does nothing to hide or disguise her hair loss. And, with the help of psychological therapy, she is at peace with her condition.

“What I think happened to me – and what I think happens to most people who manage to cope well – is that life expands in other directions. So alopecia isn’t the main thing; it isn’t the center of attention. You don’t spend the day thinking about it; you’re not constantly worried about whether people are staring. How do you do that? By pursuing other interests – reading books, going to the movies, talking with people – and creating a richer, more fulfilling life in other areas.”

Emotional support

To help welcome patients who initially try to hide their condition, Dr. Costa created the Alopecia Areata Support Group (AAGAP in the original Portuguese acronym), which meets once a month in São Paulo and maintains an active space for listening and exchanging information via WhatsApp.

Beatriz used to attend the group with her parents and has a special fondness for it. So does Juliana Fernandes, who attended the second meeting 23 years ago and now helps welcome patients and manage the group.

Juliana, who is 45 and works in real estate, had her first episode of alopecia when she was 10. Her mother noticed the patch of baldness while combing her hair. She began seeing a dermatologist, and with treatment, her hair started growing back. This continued until she was 17, when the medications stopped working.

When she got her first job, which came with health insurance, she was advised to seek a second opinion. And at that doctor’s office, she was told that her hair might never grow back.

“From the very beginning, in my mind and in my mother’s mind, it was a one-time thing – a flaw that goes away once you take the medicine. No one ever explained to us that it was an autoimmune disease, a genetic condition, or any of the specifics. We didn’t have the internet to ‘google it’ and find out what it was.”

Even after gaining a better understanding of the condition, Juliana says she spent her entire paycheck on medications that did not work. Since wigs and scarves were not her style, she decided to face the situation without hiding her condition. With the help of a support group and a therapist, she learned to cope with and accept her own difference.

“I went through four years of continuous, weekly therapy. And that helped me a lot – it brought me back to life. I like to joke that my mom gave birth to me once, and my therapist gave birth to me a second time. I realized I’d never had self-esteem, even when I had hair. I’ve learned to cope with and accept my difference. I look in the mirror and see myself as normal. I’ve spent more than half my life without hair – it’s natural.”

Embracing difference

Juliana says that new patients join the support group practically every day. Family members also seek out the network, especially mothers – such as Regina Ramos, a psychologist and mother of a teenage boy who experienced his first episode of hair loss at age eight. His condition soon progressed to alopecia totalis, and by the end of that first episode, he was completely bald. Since then, no treatment has been effective.

The family follows research on the condition but weighs the side effects, especially since he is still a young man. So far, their choice has been to prioritize his health and address the emotional impacts of hair loss.

“The best treatment – and perhaps the one most feasible for us – was to really work on his self-esteem and self-image, because that’s something I’m familiar with and know we can achieve. I hoped to be able to help him in that regard,” she said.

Helping her son become stronger is also the goal of Paloma Monteiro da Lava, mother of five-year-old Levi. Like Regina’s son, Levi had an episode that soon progressed to alopecia areata universalis.

The hair loss began after an episode of high fever that lasted two days. He was diagnosed in May 2025, and Levi is now on his third course of treatment, under the close supervision of a dermatologist. So far, he has not experienced any side effects, and the family has decided that if the medication affects the little boy’s health, the treatment will be suspended.

Paloma says her son has always coped with the condition better than she has, especially given his age. She therefore decided to become his spokesperson, talking about alopecia and raising awareness on social media and in her community, which is located in Paraná state, in South Brazil. At the same time, she works to build her son’s self-esteem and emotional resilience.

“I’ve realized over time that people with alopecia tend to hide themselves away. I don’t want him to do that, so I try to encourage him to accept himself just the way he is and teach him he can do everything everyone else does – just in a slightly adapted way.”

Among the adjustments to his routine, Paloma says that Levi always carries a cap in his backpack, along with sunglasses and a cloth diaper, to keep sweat from getting into his eyes. In everyday life, children his own age do not treat Levi any differently. Among older kids, however, she notices some resistance.

“That’s why I like to say on my social media that we, as parents, need to talk to our children about how there are people who are different – with different skin colors and different hair.”

That does not mean there are no challenges. Paloma says that the loneliness that comes with the diagnosis affects her too, and she asks herself: “I need to prepare my son for everything, but who prepares me?”

“Just this week, I’ve been talking to the school principal to make sure we don’t have a ‘crazy hair day.’ We had a bad experience last year – he cried a lot because his hair wasn’t like his female friends.’ It was a sensitive and sad time for us,” said Paloma, adding that the principal granted her request and other activities will be organized for the children.

From this whole experience, a campaign dubbed “There’s more to me than how I look” campaign was launched. On social media, Paloma shares information about the condition and organizes discussions and meetups to combat misinformation.

Through her online work, she has met other families and connected with other children who have alopecia – a way for her son to see himself reflected in others. The campaign is primarily for him.

“I have to help him be strong, make him understand that [not having hair] is a condition, and that just because he doesn’t have hair doesn’t mean he can’t do what others do,” she added.

Rights

Since 2022, Bill 801/2022 has been under consideration in the Brazilian lower house. It amends the Statute on Persons with Disabilities to include alopecia areata. The bill has been reviewed by the Committee on the Defense of Persons with Disabilities and is currently awaiting discussion in the lower house Health Committee.

The piece of legislation highlights the importance of providing legal protection for people, particularly given the emotional and psychological impacts of hair loss. Inclusion in the list of physical disabilities would bring benefits and rights, expanding the promotion of public policies for these people.

Despite this, Beatriz Santos and Juliana Fernandes oppose the passage of the law. They argue that alopecia does not prevent them from living a normal life.

“It’s an autoimmune disease. Is it a disability? I don’t see it that way. I can do everything. I go on dates, I hang out, I travel, and I work. For me, disability exists in society, not in us,” Juliana argued.

Beatriz says she was bothered by the proposal. “I don’t agree with the bill, even conceptually. Alopecia is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. It doesn’t cause pain; it doesn’t cause any physical symptoms. The only thing it changes is your appearance. But it doesn’t affect how your organs function, for example. Nothing,” she noted.

She also questions whether other autoimmune diseases would follow the same line of reasoning and points out the difficulty in establishing parameters for what might be a consequence of alopecia but not necessarily caused by it.

Psychologist Regina Ramos, on the other hand, advocates for expanding public healthcare policies. In São Paulo, for example, she cites a municipal law passed in 2025 that established a protocol for treating patients diagnosed with alopecia areata.

Among the bill’s guidelines are medical exams and referrals for free psychological counseling.

“The right to treatment and specialized care is wonderful. Medication is extremely expensive. So I think it’s essential that people have access to it,” she pointed out.

Paloma, Levi’s mother, believes the bill can raise awareness and bring more visibility to the condition. Furthermore, she believes the proposal can safeguard her son’s rights, especially in adulthood. “Down the road, a young man with alopecia universalis might not be able to get a job because of his appearance,” she argued.

The prevalence of obesity among adults in Brazil more than tripled from 1990 to 2023. The study is part of the Global Burden of Disease series and shows that, among adults aged 25 and older, the prevalence rose from 7.8 to 27.7 percent over the course of three decades.

According to the study, published this month on the Lancet website, Brazil had the highest increase among the 17 Latin American countries surveyed.

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When all cases of excess weight – including being overweight and obesity – are combined, the prevalence rose from 40.3 percent in 1990 to 66.8 percent in 2023. In other words, two out of three Brazilians were above the normal weight for their height.

Along with Colombia, Brazil was the nation with the highest growth in the proportion of the population that was overweight (69%) in Latin America – a region that saw an average surge of 47 percent during that time span.

Overweight and obesity are calculated based on a body mass index (BMI) that takes into account the relationship between weight and height. Overweight is the category just above normal weight – that is, when the BMI is between 25.00 and 29.99. Obesity, on the other hand, is the category above overweight, when the BMI is 30.00 or higher.

Breaking habits

Deborah Carvalho Malta, a researcher at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) who helped conduct the study, says that this increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity reflects changes in habits, such as diet and physical activity.

She notes that, in recent decades, Brazil has been undergoing a nutritional transition with two contrasting outcomes – a reduction in malnutrition and a decline in food quality.

“There have been improvements in actual living conditions – access to food, and school meal programs, along with many important social protection policies, including the Bolsa Família [cash transfer] program, as well as a real increase in the minimum wage. As a result, malnutrition is increasingly becoming a residual problem,” Malta stated.

On the other hand, there has also been a decline in the quality of food consumed by the population as a whole.

“We’ve seen healthy foods being replaced by unhealthy ones, like ultra-processed foods. That’s because they’re cheaper, the industry markets them heavily, and they’re palatable foods with high levels of fat, sugar, and sodium – but with a taste that both children and adults enjoy. And they’re easy to prepare – you just open the package,” she pointed out.

She adds that studies have shown a decline in the consumption of beans, a legume considered an important source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Policies should be implemented to encourage healthy eating, such as increasing taxes on ultra-processed products (like soft drinks) and reducing taxes on healthy foods, such as meat, fruits, vegetables, greens, rice, and beans, she argues. “This will make a big difference on the tables of Brazilians, especially those with lower incomes.”

According to Malta, it is also important to encourage breastfeeding until the age of two and ensure that healthy foods are provided in school meals.

Sedentary lifestyle

Another phenomenon highlighted by the expert is the increase in sedentary behavior among Brazilians, who exercise less and are more exposed to cell phone, computer, and TV screens.

“This combination – dieting and physical activities – is a major factor in the rise in excess weight. And it’s a Western phenomenon, where people’s diets worsen and they become more sedentary.”

She argues it is important to address excess weight by providing healthy food and encouraging physical activities, starting in childhood.

“It’s much harder to reverse obesity that develops during childhood. So, [an obese] child also has a much higher risk not only of becoming obese as an adult but also of developing chronic noncommunicable diseases. That’s why it’s vital for us to pay special attention to childhood obesity,” she warned.

Deborah Carvalho Malta, a pediatrician with a Ph.D. in public health, points out that being overweight is linked to the development of various chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular, kidney, and musculoskeletal conditions, as well as various types of cancer, not to mention the psychological impact on a person’s self-esteem.

The number of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) increased fivefold in Brazil from 2012 to 2025. The incidence of these diseases – such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – rose from 30 to 158 cases per 100,000 people during that time span.

The data come from a study presented at the 74th Brazilian Congress of Coloproctology, which runs through this Saturday (Sep. 26) in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina.

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The study was conducted by two members of the Brazilian Society of Coloproctology (SBCP): Abel Quaresma, from the University of Western Santa Catarina (Unoesc), and Paulo Kotze, from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR).

They collaborated with researchers from the University of Calgary, in Canada, the University of São Paulo (USP), the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), and others.

Based on records from Brazil’s national public health care network, the SUS, the scientists also found that the number of new cases diagnosed per year increased from 9.35 to 12.34 during the period.

The illness

Inflammatory bowel diseases are autoimmune disorders that lead to a chronic inflammatory process.

Both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are multifactorial, meaning there is not just one cause, but several, Abel Quaresma noted.

Previous research has identified a genetic component. However, not all patients affected by these diseases have the genetic variations that studies associate with the development of IBD.

Environmental factors, therefore, are also linked to the development of these conditions.

“We don’t know the causal factor yet. We know they are multifactorial diseases. There’s genetics, pollution, and dietary habits. Our diet has changed a lot in recent years.”

The expert points out that ultra-processed foods contain numerous additives that may contribute to these inflammatory diseases.

“Twenty years ago, you’d buy a loaf of bread at the bakery, and four or five days later, it would go moldy. Nowadays, you buy a loaf of bread, and it stays fresh for three months.”

Preservatives, colorants, and thickeners – substances that make food cheaper, increase its volume, enhance its color and smell, and extend its shelf life – are what trigger these diseases, he went on to say.

The specialists expect the incidence of new cases to reach 22.7 per 100,000 citizens by 2035.

If this is confirmed, the projection is that, by 2035, the number of people with these diseases could reach 264 per 100,000 inhabitants – that is, 67 percent more than observed in 2025.

“These are diseases that were considered rare until around 2015. And they’re having a surge worldwide, including in Brazil. We project that, starting in 2040, they’ll become a public health problem, just like high blood pressure and diabetes.”

He also points out that these diseases have no cure, and treatment aims to control the inflammatory process and symptoms. The cost of these medications can reach BRL 500,000 per patient every year.

“Patients are often diagnosed at a young age and will need ongoing care for decades.”

According to a survey conducted by the A.C.Camargo Cancer Center and Nexus Pesquisa e Inteligência de Dados, 60 percent of Brazilians rate their own health as excellent or good, even though 63 percent are overweight and 42 percent do not engage in physical activity - two of the main risk factors for cancer.

The survey, titled The Health of Brazilians, Lifestyle Habits, and the Use of Technology in Medical Diagnostics, also shows that 26 percent of respondents are obese, according to World Health Organization criteria.

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• Brazil: Four in ten cancer deaths preventable.

Among those who report engaging in physical activity, the frequency is low, averaging 2.4 days per week. According to Victor Piana, a pathologist and CEO of the A.C.Camargo Cancer Center, regular exercise reduces the risk of cancers such as colorectal and breast cancer, helps with weight management, and improves the body’s response during and after cancer treatment.

“Excess weight is now recognized by science as a risk factor for more than ten types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers. In other words, six out of ten Brazilians unknowingly have one of the main risk factors for the disease,” he explains. “Those who don’t exercise are giving up one of the cheapest and most accessible prevention tools available,” the doctor added.

Diet

Diets rich in vegetables and fiber are associated with a lower risk of bowel cancer, while ultra-processed foods and processed meats are associated with higher risks. The survey shows that 66 percent of respondents consume fresh foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, eggs, and meat, six days or more per week, while sugary drinks, ultra-processed foods, sweets, and fried foods are consumed about twice a week.

Among those who are unable to maintain a healthy diet, 29 percent cite the high cost of fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables, while 21 percent identify a lack of time and fatigue from their daily routine. Those earning up to one minimum wage (40%) face even greater difficulty maintaining a healthy diet, while this figure drops to 10 percent among those earning more than five minimum wages, for whom lack of time is the main obstacle (39%).

Alcohol

As for alcohol consumption, 58 percent of Brazilians say they do not drink, while 30 percent consume alcohol one to two days a week, and 5 percent drink five to seven days a week.

Classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a carcinogen, alcohol is associated with the development of tumors in the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, intestines, and breast. When combined with smoking, the risks are even greater.

According to the pathologist, those who consume the most alcohol have the highest proportion of respondents who rate their own health as excellent or good. This perception reaches 64 percent among those who drink five to seven days a week, compared with 58 percent among those who do not drink.

“This paradox illustrates the danger of a false perception of health. The socializing and relaxation associated with frequent alcohol consumption lead people to confuse feeling good with being healthy,” the study states.

According to Piana, the study shows that the greatest risk for Brazilians lies not in how they feel, but in what they fail to notice - such as being overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and consuming alcohol - which are risk factors that can quietly become part of daily life.

“The good news is that all of these factors are modifiable. Taking care of your habits today is the most effective way to reduce the chances of a cancer diagnosis tomorrow,” he says.

Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with 2,015 citizens aged 16 and older across Brazil’s 27 states.