Fernando de Noronha – a volcanic archipelago about 350km off Brazil’s northeast coast – is famous for its undeveloped beaches, and also for scuba diving and snorkeling. However, the childbirth has been “banned” on this island. No, the Brazilian government didn’t impose any ban on childbirth. Actually, the island lacks proper infrastructure. So, the local government doesn’t authorise births.
The unwritten rule was broken on May 18, 2018 as a baby was born on this island after 12 years. Fernando de Noronha has a population estimated at 2,930 (in 2015) and the nearest town of Natal that is 370km away from the island. Although the island has some health centres, they don’t have any maternity ward due to poor infrastructure. As a result, the pregnant women have no other option, but to get admission in a hospital 370km away to give birth. This has been going on for 12 years.

On May 18, a 22-year-old lady gave birth to a baby girl on this island. Later, she told the press that she was unaware of her pregnancy. The lady said that she didn’t even visit the local health centre in the past 10 months.
“On Friday night, I had pains and when I went to the bathroom, I saw something coming down between my legs. That’s when the child’s father came and picked it up. It was a baby, a girl. I was dumbstruck,” stressed the lady, who wished to remain anonymous.

The local residents were overwhelmed with the news. They celebrated the birth by helping the 22-year-old mother and her family by providing clothes to the baby girl. “For us, it is a joy to have a Noronha born on the island, finally after so much time. We are mobilising to help the family,” insisted local resident Dora Costa.
Meanwhile, a pregnant businesswoman – Gloria Wei – has expressed serious concern over the lack of health facilities on the island, saying: “If we do not leave our homes out of our own free will, a healthcare team knocks on our door and invites us to leave the island.” She also said that the local hospital had shut down its maternity ward in 2004 as it was unable the bear the cost of 40 births per year.

Cacimba do Padre Beach in Fernando de Noronha

To sensitise the Brazilian government about the problem faced by the locals, Brazilian Director Alan Schvarsberg made a documentary – titled ‘Ninguém Nasce No Paraíso’ or ‘No One Born in Paradise’ – in 2015. In his film, the director narrated pain of some mothers, who had to make the journey and give birth away from their homes. “In my opinion, this is a very perverse form of extermination of the local people. The gestation is becoming very traumatic. As such, little by little, fewer women will want to get pregnant,” said Schvarsberg.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das