Nearly ten years after the Zika epidemic that struck Brazil between 2015 and 2016, the aftermath of the disease continues to shape the lives of hundreds of families—especially the nearly 2,000 children born with microcephaly and other disabilities associated with congenital Zika syndrome.
Today, over 1,500 of these children have reached the age of 9 or 10, many of them living with severe physical and cognitive impairments. While a few have shown some improvement, most have experienced a progressive decline in their health. Around 300 have died, often from preventable complications. The brain damage caused by the virus is irreversible, but experts insist that timely, specialized care could have significantly improved their quality of life.
The mothers—many of them single, low-income, and from Brazil’s northeastern region, the hardest-hit area—have been the primary caregivers. Without formal support networks or consistent government assistance, many were forced to abandon their studies or jobs, surviving on the minimum wage provided through the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) program.
Despite these hardships, these women have built strong mutual support networks, such as the Association of Angel Families of the State of Alagoas (Afaeal), where they share experiences, learn medical caregiving techniques, and support each other through emotional and legal challenges.
Experts and advocates argue that the state failed both in preventing the outbreak and in responding adequately to its consequences. Many scientific questions remain unanswered: Why was the Northeast the epicenter? What role did maternal malnutrition or potential environmental toxins play in the severity of cases? Does lasting immunity to Zika exist?
As international attention has faded, these mothers continue their daily fight—confronting abandonment, stigma, and poverty—with one unshakable conviction: their children deserve to live with dignity.
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