IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i8p5507-d1123290.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Stepping into the Void: Lessons Learned from Civil Society Organizations during COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro

Author

Listed:
  • Rodrigo Curty Pereira

    (Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada)

  • Susan J. Elliott

    (Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada)

  • Pablo Llaguno Cárdenas

    (International Relations and Political Science, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, NL, Mexico)

Abstract

Brazil experienced some of the highest rates of COVID-19 globally. This was complicated by the fact that 35 million of its citizens have limited access to water, a primary resource necessary to stem the spread of infectious diseases. In many cases, civil society organizations (CSOs) stepped into this void left by responsible authorities. This paper explores how CSOs in Rio de Janeiro helped populations struggling with access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) during the pandemic, and what coping strategies are transferable to similar contexts. In-depth interviews ( n = 15) were conducted with CSO representatives in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that COVID-19 exacerbated pre-existing social inequities among vulnerable populations, undermining their ability to protect their health. CSOs provided emergency relief aid but faced the counterproductive actions of public authorities who promoted a narrative that diminished the risks of COVID-19 and the importance of non-pharmacological interventions. CSOs fought this narrative by promoting sensitization among vulnerable populations and partnering with other stakeholders in networks of solidarity, playing a vital role in the distribution of health-promoting services. These strategies are transferrable to other contexts where state narratives oppose public health understandings, particularly for extremely vulnerable populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Rodrigo Curty Pereira & Susan J. Elliott & Pablo Llaguno Cárdenas, 2023. "Stepping into the Void: Lessons Learned from Civil Society Organizations during COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:8:p:5507-:d:1123290
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/8/5507/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/8/5507/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mitsuaki Hirai & Victor Nyamandi & Charles Siachema & Nesbert Shirihuru & Lovemore Dhoba & Alison Baggen & Trevor Kanyowa & John Mwenda & Lilian Dodzo & Portia Manangazira & Musiwarwo Chirume & Marc O, 2021. "Using the Water and Sanitation for Health Facility Improvement Tool (WASH FIT) in Zimbabwe: A Cross-Sectional Study of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services in 50 COVID-19 Isolation Facilities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-11, May.
    2. Rory Gibb & David W. Redding & Kai Qing Chin & Christl A. Donnelly & Tim M. Blackburn & Tim Newbold & Kate E. Jones, 2020. "Zoonotic host diversity increases in human-dominated ecosystems," Nature, Nature, vol. 584(7821), pages 398-402, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mark G. Edwards, 2021. "The growth paradox, sustainable development, and business strategy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3079-3094, November.
    2. Lin Zhang & Jason Rohr & Ruina Cui & Yusi Xin & Lixia Han & Xiaona Yang & Shimin Gu & Yuanbao Du & Jing Liang & Xuyu Wang & Zhengjun Wu & Qin Hao & Xuan Liu, 2022. "Biological invasions facilitate zoonotic disease emergences," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Samuel Xin Tham Lee & Zachary Amir & Jonathan H. Moore & Kaitlyn M. Gaynor & Matthew Scott Luskin, 2024. "Effects of human disturbances on wildlife behaviour and consequences for predator-prey overlap in Southeast Asia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Stern, Nicholas & Sivropoulos-Valero, Anna Valero, 2021. "Innovation, growth and the transition to net-zero emissions," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 114385, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Nicholas Stern & Anna Valero, 2021. "Innovation, growth and the transition to net-zero emissions," CEP Discussion Papers dp1773, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    6. David Hidalgo-Carvajal & Ruth Carrasco-Gallego & Gustavo Morales-Alonso, 2021. "From Goods to Services and from Linear to Circular: The Role of Servitization’s Challenges and Drivers in the Shifting Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-26, April.
    7. Thomas Gries & Wim Naudé, 2021. "Extreme Events, Entrepreneurial Start-Ups, and Innovation: Theoretical Conjectures," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 329-353, October.
    8. Raina K. Plowright & Aliyu N. Ahmed & Tim Coulson & Thomas W. Crowther & Imran Ejotre & Christina L. Faust & Winifred F. Frick & Peter J. Hudson & Tigga Kingston & P. O. Nameer & M. Teague O’Mara & Al, 2024. "Ecological countermeasures to prevent pathogen spillover and subsequent pandemics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Yinqiu Ji & Christopher C. M. Baker & Viorel D. Popescu & Jiaxin Wang & Chunying Wu & Zhengyang Wang & Yuanheng Li & Lin Wang & Chaolang Hua & Zhongxing Yang & Chunyan Yang & Charles C. Y. Xu & Alex D, 2022. "Measuring protected-area effectiveness using vertebrate distributions from leech iDNA," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    10. Zhiyuan Zhu & Zhikun Mei & Xiyang Xu & Yongzhong Feng & Guangxin Ren, 2022. "Landscape Ecological Risk Assessment Based on Land Use Change in the Yellow River Basin of Shaanxi, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-18, August.
    11. Magdalena Meyer & Dominik W. Melville & Heather J. Baldwin & Kerstin Wilhelm & Evans Ewald Nkrumah & Ebenezer K. Badu & Samuel Kingsley Oppong & Nina Schwensow & Adam Stow & Peter Vallo & Victor M. Co, 2024. "Bat species assemblage predicts coronavirus prevalence," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Cecilia A. Sánchez & Hongying Li & Kendra L. Phelps & Carlos Zambrana-Torrelio & Lin-Fa Wang & Peng Zhou & Zheng-Li Shi & Kevin J. Olival & Peter Daszak, 2022. "A strategy to assess spillover risk of bat SARS-related coronaviruses in Southeast Asia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    13. Cedric C. S. Tan & Jahcub Trew & Thomas P. Peacock & Kai Yi Mok & Charlie Hart & Kelvin Lau & Dongchun Ni & C. David L. Orme & Emma Ransome & William D. Pearse & Christopher M. Coleman & Dalan Bailey , 2023. "Genomic screening of 16 UK native bat species through conservationist networks uncovers coronaviruses with zoonotic potential," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    14. World Bank, 2021. "Banking on Protected Areas," World Bank Publications - Reports 35737, The World Bank Group.
    15. Frauke Ecke & Barbara A. Han & Birger Hörnfeldt & Hussein Khalil & Magnus Magnusson & Navinder J. Singh & Richard S. Ostfeld, 2022. "Population fluctuations and synanthropy explain transmission risk in rodent-borne zoonoses," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    16. Jason Rudall, 2023. "Rights-Based Approaches to Environmental Protection and Pandemic Prevention," Laws, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-14, July.
    17. Subhasish Dey & Jessie Davidson, 2021. "The Determinants of Non-COVID-19 Excess Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-country Panel Study," Studies in Microeconomics, , vol. 9(2), pages 196-226, December.
    18. Joanna Malecka, 2022. "Knowledge Μanagement versus Ιmplementation of Sustainable Development during Covid-19," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3), pages 314-336.
    19. Nicholas Stern & Anna Valero, 2021. "Innovation, growth and the transition to net-zero emissions," POID Working Papers 008, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    20. Kristie L. Ebi & Frances Harris & Giles B. Sioen & Chadia Wannous & Assaf Anyamba & Peng Bi & Melanie Boeckmann & Kathryn Bowen & Guéladio Cissé & Purnamita Dasgupta & Gabriel O. Dida & Alexandros Gas, 2020. "Transdisciplinary Research Priorities for Human and Planetary Health in the Context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-25, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:8:p:5507-:d:1123290. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.