Brazil's Health Ministry honors 12 pioneers on National Health Day

On 5 May, Brazil’s Ministry of Health held a ceremony in Brasília’s Gallery of Health Honor to recognize twelve historic figures in the country’s health system. Minister Alexandre Padilha presented the awards, highlighting the contributions of singer‑nurse Dona Ivone Lara, nursing pioneer Anna Nery and psychiatrist Nise da Silveira, among others, and noting the effort to increase female representation among the honorees.

The event, part of the National Health Day celebrations, reaffirmed the importance of the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) and called for continued public‑health investment, vaccination campaigns and universal access to essential services. Attendees included family members of the honorees and health‑sector professionals who praised the legacy of the celebrated personalities.