José Gomes Temporão
Encyclopedia
José Gomes Temporão is a Brazil
ian public health
physician
and politician
from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party. He took office as Brazil
ian Minister of Health on March 16, 2007, during the second term of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
's administration.
of Merufe, in the town of Monção
, on the north of Portugal
, on October 20, 1951. His parents, Sara Gomes and José Temporão, emigrated to Brazil when he was just one month old, settling in Rio de Janeiro
. his father is the owner of Mosteiro, one of the most well-reputed bars in downtown Rio.
Temporão graduated on the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Medical School
on 1977. He became a researcher in tropical diseases on that same university and became a master in public health
on the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation
. He later also got a PhD
in Social Medicine on the Rio de Janeiro State University.
From March 1991 to April 1992, he was Sub-Secretary of Heath for the State of Rio de Janeiro, appointed by the late Leonel Brizola
.
should be treated by the government as a matter of public health. This caused outrage from more conservative sectors of the Brazilian society, such as the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops, and his own mother, described by him as a very devout Catholic. During Pope Benedict XVI
's visit to Brazil, he ceased to give statements about the issue, at the request of his mother.
. The first was a yellow fever
outbreak near Pirenópolis
, inward Goiás
, and the other was a dengue outbreak in Rio de Janeiro. During the dengue endemic, he was criticized by César Maia
, then Mayor of Rio. Temporão said that an outbreak in which several people died is not the most suitable moment for mutual exchange of accusations. In 2001, he was appointed by Maia as Sub-Secretary of Health for the City of Rio; he was in office for five months, leaving because of political dissonance.
on the Sistema Único de Saúde
(SUS), Brazil's public health system. Previously, Judge Ellen Gracie Northfleet
from the Supreme Court deemed that financing sex-change operations was not a responsibility of the State.
Despite the achievements, on September 22, 2008 the Ministry confirmed its controversial position
that homosexuals and bisexuals can not be blood donors.
for people with HIV who have developed multidrug resistance to common treatments. This is the 18th drug incorporated by Brazil's HIV treatment program.
. Unlike other ministers from the party, Temporão was designated to the office by Lula himself.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party. He took office as Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Minister of Health on March 16, 2007, during the second term of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
's administration.
Biography
José Gomes Temporão was born in the freguesiaFreguesia
Freguesia is the Portuguese term for a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal and some of its former colonies, and a former secondary local administrative unit in Macau, roughly equivalent to an administrative parish. A freguesia is a subdivision of a concelho, the Portuguese synonym term...
of Merufe, in the town of Monção
Monção
Monção is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 211.3 km² and a total population of 19,738 inhabitants .The municipality is composed of 33 freguesias , and is located in the district of Viana do Castelo....
, on the north of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, on October 20, 1951. His parents, Sara Gomes and José Temporão, emigrated to Brazil when he was just one month old, settling in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. his father is the owner of Mosteiro, one of the most well-reputed bars in downtown Rio.
Temporão graduated on the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Medical School
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
on 1977. He became a researcher in tropical diseases on that same university and became a master in public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
on the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation is a scientific institution for research and development in biomedical sciences located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it is considered one of the world's main public health research institutions. It was founded by Dr...
. He later also got a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Social Medicine on the Rio de Janeiro State University.
From March 1991 to April 1992, he was Sub-Secretary of Heath for the State of Rio de Janeiro, appointed by the late Leonel Brizola
Leonel Brizola
Leonel de Moura Brizola was a Brazilian politician. Launched in politics by Getúlio Vargas, Brizola was the only politician to serve as governor of two different states in the whole history of Brazil. In 1959 he was elected governor of Rio Grande do Sul, and in 1982 and 1990 he was elected...
.
Abortion
Temporão, as well as President Lula, defends that abortionAbortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
should be treated by the government as a matter of public health. This caused outrage from more conservative sectors of the Brazilian society, such as the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops, and his own mother, described by him as a very devout Catholic. During Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
's visit to Brazil, he ceased to give statements about the issue, at the request of his mother.
Dengue and yellow fever
One of the first challenges of Temporão as Health Minister was two endemic crisis in early 2008 widely explored by the mass mediaMass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
. The first was a yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
outbreak near Pirenópolis
Pirenópolis
Pirenópolis is a town located in the Brazilian state of Goiás. It is well known for its waterfalls and colonial architecture, and a popular festival involving mounted horses called Festa do Divino Espírito Santo which takes place 45 days after Easter....
, inward Goiás
Goiás
Goiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The name Goiás comes from the name of an indigenous community...
, and the other was a dengue outbreak in Rio de Janeiro. During the dengue endemic, he was criticized by César Maia
Cesar Maia
César Epitácio Maia is a Brazilian politician, notable for having been elected three times for mayor of Rio de Janeiro.A native of Rio, born in 1945, Maia was forced to leave Brazil in exile during the 1960s on account of his affiliation with the Brazilian Communist Party...
, then Mayor of Rio. Temporão said that an outbreak in which several people died is not the most suitable moment for mutual exchange of accusations. In 2001, he was appointed by Maia as Sub-Secretary of Health for the City of Rio; he was in office for five months, leaving because of political dissonance.
LGBT community
During Temporão's term, there were some significant achievements regarding the LGBT community. First, he launched a national awareness campaign about the risk of HIV infection among the members of the LGBT community. Then, he enacted an ordinance allowing doctors and nurses to refer to transgendered people by their social name. During the 1st National LGBT Conference, he announced that he would enact an ordinance allowing sex reassignment surgeriesSex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
on the Sistema Único de Saúde
Sistema Único de Saúde
The Sistema Único de Saúde is Brazil's publicly-funded health care system. SUS was created after the Brazilian Constitution of 1988, which assured that health care is a "right of all and an obligation of the State" . Prior to that, only people who contributed with the social security were able to...
(SUS), Brazil's public health system. Previously, Judge Ellen Gracie Northfleet
Ellen Gracie Northfleet
Ellen Gracie Northfleet is a Brazilian judge of American descent. She is the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Brazil and the Court's first female president....
from the Supreme Court deemed that financing sex-change operations was not a responsibility of the State.
Despite the achievements, on September 22, 2008 the Ministry confirmed its controversial position
MSM blood donor controversy
The Men who have sex with men blood donor controversy is a dispute over prohibitions on donations of blood or tissue for transplantation. MSM is a classification of men who engage in sex with other men, regardless of whether they identify themselves as homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual...
that homosexuals and bisexuals can not be blood donors.
HIV/AIDS
On October 10, 2008, it was announced that SUS would be authorized, starting in 2009, to distribute Raltegravir, an antiretroviral drugAntiretroviral drug
Antiretroviral drugs are medications for the treatment of infection by retroviruses, primarily HIV. When several such drugs, typically three or four, are taken in combination, the approach is known as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, or HAART...
for people with HIV who have developed multidrug resistance to common treatments. This is the 18th drug incorporated by Brazil's HIV treatment program.
Friction with his party
After declaring that the National Health Foundation is corrupt, Temporão came into conflict with members of his own party in the Congress. The president of the foundation is Danilo Forte, which is affiliated with Henrique Eduardo Alves, leader of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party in the Lower House. Despite pressures from the Congress, President Lula denied that Temporão or any other ministers would be dismissed before the 2010 electionsBrazilian general election, 2010
The first round of the Brazilian general election of 2010 was held on Sunday, October 3, 2010. The Presidency of the Republic, all 513 Chamber of Deputies seats and 54 out of 81 Federal Senate seats were contested in this election, along with governorships and state legislatures of all 26 states...
. Unlike other ministers from the party, Temporão was designated to the office by Lula himself.