Zilda Arns Neumann, 75, pediatrician and sanitarian, was the founder and coordinator of Pastoral Care for Children, founder and national coordinator of the Pastoral Care for the Elderly (Pastoral da Pessoa Idosa), both of which are social action organizations of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB).

She was a honorary representative of the CNBB, of the National Health Council and a member of the Council for Social and Economic Development (CDES). Born in the city of Forquilhinha (in the state of Santa Catarina), she lived in Curitiba (capital of the state of Paraná), had five sons and ten grandsons. She chose medicine as her mission and dedicated herself to public healthcare.

In 1980 she was invited to coordinate the Sabin vaccination campaign, for fighting the first polio epidemics, which started in the municipality of União da Vitória (Paraná), and devised her own method, which was later adopted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. In 1983, by request of the CNBB, she established the Pastoral Care for Children alongside Geraldo Majela Agnello, the Cardinal Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia (capital of the state of Bahia), then the Archbishop of Londrina (Paraná). It was then that she developed the community-oriented methodology of multiplying knowledge and solidarity among poorer families.

She used to say that providing education to mothers, by means of qualified community leaders, was the best way to fight most of the easily preventable diseases and to protect children from becoming criminals. The Pastoral Care for Children provides assistance to over 1.9 million pregnant women and children under 6 years of age, and 1.4 million impoverished families in 4,063 municipalities in Brazil. There are over 260,000 volunteer workers. The organization's working method was replicated in several countries.

For her social work, Zilda Arns was decorated several times. In 2006 she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize alongside women from around the world selected by the 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize project, created by a Swiss association.

Written by Gilberto Costa

Wednesday, 13 January 2010 14:40

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