Reinforcing democratic ideologies and policies in a Global Era: a history of the Brazilian cooperation effort in Africa to spread internationally primary health care to sickle cell disease, 2006-2010

Juliana Manzoni Cavalcanti (Casa de Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Panel: Bioethics and rare diseases

Abstract: This work aims to critically examine the proposal of a global cooperation to reduce the rising of sickle cell disease (SCD) in low and middle-income countries, and also in countries receiving a large amount of immigrants, especially West European nations. The reduction is based largely in guidance for prevention measures such as termination, preconception screening and genetic counseling. The previous experience of some countries is used as successful examples, but there are no scientific studies on the impact of those control measures. Actually such policies contribute to gradually destabilize the concept of primary health care and gives space to stigmatizing attitudes toward disability. The suggestion of reproductive control is a prevailing pattern of SCD history, but its contemporary dissemination as rule is certainly a consequence of a global expansion of authoritarianism capitalism and reactionary populisms. By analyzing historically the Brazilian cooperation effort (2006-2010) with some Sub-Saharan African countries to alter the wide interpretation named “Education for Prevention”, this work envisioned to reflect upon such global expansion. The narrative about the “global health burden” of SCD challenge global cooperation efforts of care and is an agenda put forward by the escalating of radical right movements worldwide.