Zilda Arns’ name is included in the Book of Heroes and Heroines of the Homeland

The name of pediatrician and sanitarian Zilda Arns Neumann was included in the Book of Heroes and Heroines of the Fatherland, which is in the Pantheon of the Fatherland and Freedom, in Brasília. The law was sanctioned by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and published this Monday (24) in the Official Gazette. Born on August 25, 1934, in Forquilhinha (SC), Zilda Arns worked to combat child malnutrition and to value the importance of volunteer work. Nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize and honored in Brazil and abroad, she was one of the founders of Pastoral da Criança. Zilda worked with communities and trained volunteers to teach mothers of children in vulnerable situations to use homemade serum, which combats diarrhea and dehydration. With the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the actions reached 72% of the national territory. Another decisive role played by Zilda Arns in combating infant mortality was reversing sudden death syndrome. In 2009, a campaign led by Pastoral da Criança reinforced to parents the need to put the baby to sleep on its back, as scientific evidence indicated that the position would be safer. In 2004, Zilda founded Pastoral da Pessoa Idosa and trained community leaders to help seniors control vaccines, avoid accidents at home and identify possible physical and emotional illnesses. The project currently serves more than 100,000 seniors in 579 municipalities across the country. Zilda Arns was on a peacekeeping mission in Haiti on January 12, 2010 when she died, aged 75, in the capital Port-au-Prince. After a strong earthquake, the Brazilian ended up being hit by debris when the roof of a church where she was giving a lecture collapsed.

Agência Brasil