AMERICA/BRAZIL - The Bishops: "Do not create panic, together we will be able to defeat the disease"

Friday, 5 February 2016 area crisis   episcopal conferences   collaboration   natural catastrophe  

Brasilia (Agenzia Fides) - "With great collective effort, involving all sectors of society, we will be able to defeat these diseases that affect, without distinction, the entire Brazilian population": reads the message of the Pastoral Council of the National Episcopal Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), published by the Presidency yesterday, February 4. In the message, sent to Fides, the CNBB invites the whole Church in Brazil to continue and intensify the fight against the mosquito aedes aegyti, which transmits dengue, the zika virus and chikungunya.
Although a probable connection with cases of microcephaly has been confirmed, the CNBB warns that this disease "should not lead to panic".
It also stresses that such a situation "does not justify support for abortion in cases of microcephaly, as, unfortunately, some groups propose and are organizing themselves to bringing the matter to the Federal Supreme Court".
The World Health Organization launched a global alarm about the spread of zika (see Fides 29/01/2016 virus). Brazil is the country that has so far the largest number of cases. The government has mobilized the army and, according to the latest news, the Ministry of Health announced that 404 cases of children born with microcephaly have been recorded. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 05/02/2016)


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