Associations of mothers and family members affected by congenital Zika virus syndrome: profile and main related discussions

Abstract

In Brazil, the impact of consecutive health emergencies in the last five years, such as the Zika epidemic (2015) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020), acutely affected families of children with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). This article explores epidemic processes that replicate the intersections of disability, care, gender, class and race, and proposes the construction of a profile of civil associations of mothers and families of children with CZS, as well as their mobilizations, especially the União Mães de Anjos (UMA). Based on the literature on the topic, interviews and workshops with mothers of children with CZS linked to associations in different parts of Brazil, it was observed that epidemics produce unequal impacts in relation to age, race, class, gender, location and disability. While the impacts of health emergencies can be ongoing for people living at the intersection of multiple oppressions, we highlight resistance in the form of organizational capacity to navigate access to rights and reconfigure power dynamics.