Mapping Injustice: Understanding Racial and Sociodemographic Disparities in COVID-19 Vulnerability in Brazil
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazil had the third-highest number of cases and second-highest death toll in the world. I will unveil geographical inequalities in access to COVID-19 testing, healthcare, and vaccination, while shedding light on sociodemographic and racial determinants underlying these disparities. This research leverages public health and sociodemographic data from Brazil’s Ministry of Health, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, seroprevalence surveys, and mobile phone providers. Geospatial analysis and spatial epidemiology are employed to unveil relationships between human behaviour, socio-economic conditions, and built environment factors, seeking to identify key determinants that contribute to differential risk across space. These findings can help inform evidence-based policy interventions and targeted public health strategies, fostering a more equitable distribution of resources and services in Brazil’s management COVID-19.
