Brazil readies SUS health system for 2026 El Niño impacts

The Ministry of Health organised regional meetings in Brasília from July 7‑9, bringing together state and municipal health officials from the Central‑West and North regions, including representatives from Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. The gatherings, attended by agencies such as INMET, Fiocruz, the Pan‑American Health Organization, Civil Defense and others, aimed to develop a national plan for the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) to respond to the extreme weather expected from the 2026 El Niño, covering heatwaves, droughts, floods, indigenous health, risk communication and continuity of care. The agenda included a practical workshop using the THIRA (Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment) methodology to map vulnerable populations and define response strategies.

Deputy Gilson Daniel (Pode‑ES) criticised the chronic lack of investment in disaster prevention and advocated for Constitutional Amendment Bill 44/23, which would earmark 5 % of parliamentary amendment funds for mitigation projects. The proposal has passed the Chamber of Deputies and is moving to the Senate, and the deputy also calls for a permanent congressional committee on climate‑related disasters.

At a round‑table hosted by the Institute of Climate and Society, agricultural experts highlighted the need for economic risk planning for crops such as soy, corn, coffee and orange, noting that past El Niño events caused up to 10 % losses in national production. They urged the expansion of rural insurance coverage, including parametric products, and pointed out that more than 90 % of Brazilian municipalities still lack adequate risk maps or contingency plans for droughts and floods.