Interministerial initiative promises to expand access to medical services for fisherwomen, riverside dwellers and coastal and maritime populations in different regions of the country
The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture launched, this Tuesday, December 2nd, the More Health for Water Women strategy. The action aims to strengthen care and expand access to health services for artisanal fisherwomen, riverside and coastal and maritime populations.
The announcement was made in Itapissuma, on the north coast of Pernambuco, and was attended by First Lady Janja Lula da Silva, the Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, and the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, André de Paula.
The creation of the strategy meets a historical demand for trained teams and adequate structure to work in territories where access to healthcare is limited. The request was taken to the first lady in August 2025, during a visit to Colônia Z10.
“This has been a fifty-year struggle for water women, and today we are rescuing this commitment thanks to our sensitivity and ability to transform people’s lives,” declared Janja during the event.
Minister Alexandre Padilha highlighted the need for teams prepared to meet different realities across the country. According to him, the needs of a health center in the capital of Pernambuco are not the same as those in municipalities like Itapissuma. “We need to have doctors, nurses and community agents trained to take care of the reality of women who work in the water,” he stated.
With the launch, the government signals that it intends to adapt structures and human resources to the specificities of these communities, reinforcing its commitment to policies aimed at historically vulnerable populations.
