COVID-19 pandemic uneven Geographies: a South-North dialogue between Brazil and the UK

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic, analyzed from the spatial distribution of cases and deaths, scope of vaccination, efficiency of non-pharmacological sanitary measures and effectiveness of socioeconomic protection actions by the States, did not affect the world in a homogeneous way, configuring rather a uneven geography. Between Brazil and UK, and global South and North, governments, scientific research institutes and civil society have responded to the health emergency in multiple, complementary and contradictory ways. Despite the set of actions developed to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, whether within the scope of State actions or supported by the resilience of public health systems and sociospatial movements, Brazil and the United Kingdom occupy the upper-intermediate range in the index of accumulated relative deaths, well above the world average. Our working hypothesis suggests that the precariousness of health responses resides in neoliberal governance in public health. Taking into account their specific vulnerabilities, inscribed in regional, class, racial and gender inequalities, Brazil and the United Kingdom went through the COVID-19 pandemic, aggravating food insecurity and without providing adequate protection to their populations. In this sense, we propose to carry out a bibliographical and documental research that includes data, epidemiological bulletins, health protocols and knowledge on health self-protection produced by within the main research institutions and socio-spatial movements in the United Kingdom. (AU)