IOC President Thomas Bach said Friday that no countries intend to pull out of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro over concerns of Zika [Xinhua]Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Saturday vowed her country would host a successful Olympic Games this year despite the outbreak of the Zika virus. Rousseff has enlisted the support of the World Health Organisation.
“We are aware of one thing. There will be Olympic Games and we are focused on that goal,” said Rousseff during a speech in Rio de Janeiro, where the state is waging war against the virus.
“Zika will not compromise the organization of the Games. Certain cities, like Rio de Janeiro, will be given priority (in the fight against the disease),” she added.
The WHO said risk of contracting the Zika virus is minimal in August.
“Brazil will not stand down from hosting the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. The risk of contracting the Zika virus is minimal in August, the height of winter in the region and a time of year when mosquitoes are least active,” WHO said on Saturday, citing remarks made by member states at a private briefing last week.
The Brazilian government is battling concerns that health and travel advisories could impact the number of tourists coming to Brazil to participate in the February 5 Carnival or the Rio Summer Olympics in August.
Host city Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are the most popular destinations for foreign tourists.
According to the World Bank, Brazil earns over $7 billion in tourism revenues.
Rousseff on Saturday urged Brazilians to do more to fight the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which transmits dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus.
“We are working with the University of Texas and the U.S. government to guarantee that research results in a vaccine as quickly as possible,” she noted.
Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro has announced a new partnership with scientists at the University of Texas that could lead to laboratory development of a vaccine within a year.
Castro on Thursday said the two institutions —— Brazil’s Evandro Chagas Institute and the University of Texas —— will work to speed up initial research, and a vaccine might be ready for a two—year test in 12 months.
“We know it will take time but we are optimistic that we can develop the vaccine in a shorter time,” said Castro.
The Brazilian government will invest $2 million in the project while the amount to be invested by the US side is yet to be disclosed.
On Saturday, Rousseff, ccompanied by Rio mayor Eduardo Paes and local health authorities, visited houses in the suburb of Santa Cruz and urged the population to take active precaution measures to fight the mosquito.
“This is not easy and will take a long time. It is not possible to wait for the vaccine. We must fight the mosquito as it carries the virus. It is the vector. This is why we must stop the mosquito from breeding and being born,” she said.
Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,300 suspected cases of microcephaly.
WHO has declared a global public health emergency over the possible connection between Zika and microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small heads in newborn babies.
With international health advisories warning pregnant women not to travel to Brazil and other Latin American countries, there are concerns that the outbreak of the Zika disease in the Americas could affect the tourism sector and be yet another blow to President Dilma Rousseff’s efforts to revive her country’s beleaguered economy.
Brazil is in the worst recessionary period in 85 years as inflation skyrockets, unemployment increases, and the reais currency continues to devalue against the dollar.
TBP and Agencies
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