‘Scientists need to be more involved in politics’

Brazilian scientists often stay away from politics but they should be more involved, especially during pandemics, the microbiologist and president of the Question of Science Institute Natalia Pasternak has said.

“I’m a scientist but I’m also a citizen and I see what the current government is doing to my country, especially because the federal government ignores science and ignores the scientific community and it doesn’t look to science for advice as it should during a sanitary crisis, a health crisis,” she said.

President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticised for minimising the risk posed by the coronavirus, calling it “a little cold” at the start of the pandemic.

The country has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the world with more than 3.7m cases according to Johns Hopkins University.

Watch the full interview on Friday 28 August 2020 on BBC World or watch again on BBC iPlayer (UK only)