Last month Brazil launched a new government campaign designed to combat stubbornly high teenage pregnancy rates in the country. The campaign includes encouraging abstinence among teenagers, a move that has been heavily criticised by health professionals in Brazil.  According to figures provided by the government, Brazil has the highest number of adolescent mothers in all of Latin America. Our South America correspondent Katy Watson now reports from Sao Paulo.

Brazil's Abstinence Campaign - February 2020

Across South America, governments have been closing borders and shutting down public spaces - preparing for a worsening scenario. While there aren’t the number of coronavirus cases that we’ve seen in Europe, they are rising and the fear is that this is deeply unequal region will not be able to cope if the virus spreads. Our South America correspondent Katy Watson is in Brazil’s biggest city, Sao Paulo – home to the highest number of cases in the region so far.

Preparing for coronavirus

As the number of coronavirus cases rise in Brazil, its president is still in denial. Jair Bolsonaro has accused the media of hysteria and has hit out at drastic shutdown measures by state authorities that he says is destroying the country. But there’s concern that this attitude by the leader will only lead to more deaths in Latin America’s biggest economy.

Bolsonaro - denying coronavirus and out on a limb

In Brazil, schools across the country have shut down, businesses have closed and people have been told to stay at home. They’re measures brought in by local governments but President Jair Bolsonaro has made public his disapproval of such drastic action because of the impact on the economy. With no leadership at the top, people at the bottom are taking matters into their own hands – many now jobless and fearful of what’s to come. In some favelas, even criminal gangs have even imposed curfews. In others, residents are joining forces to help each other out.

Brazil's favela residents organise to stop the spread

More than 1,700 people have now died in Brazil from the coronavirus, and over 28,000 have been confirmed to be carrying the virus. It’s the country with the biggest number of cases in the Southern hemisphere. But as the numbers rise, Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro continues to disregard health advice over COVID19 and play down its effects. Experts are warning of massive underreporting in the country with the true impact far greater than the statistics reveal.

Coronavirus: 'Undocumented explosion' spreads around Brazil

The death toll in Brazil is rising ever faster. There are more than 130,000 confirmed cases and over 9,000 deaths. Parts of the country from Rio de Janeiro to the Amazon are seeing their health systems collapse - but Jair Bolsonaro continues to downplay the problem and the response has been chaotic.

Brazil's chaotic response to COVID19

Brazil is now the second worst-hit country in the world in terms of confirmed COVID19 cases. With the situation deteriorating, the governor of the worst-affected state Sao Paulo last week brought forward public holidays in an attempt to stop people going to work – but was heavily criticised by many coastal communities who feared thousands of residents would use the extra days to hit the beach.

Sao Paulo's mega holiday plans

The Brazilian government is being accused of trying to hide the country’s staggering COVID19 death toll, after they stopped publishing the running total of deaths and fatalities. It comes after months of criticism over testing for virus – with experts saying the true figure is far higher.

Brazil's number fudging and testing troubles

Brazil is the world’s largest employer of domestic workers. The majority of them are unregistered so during the pandemic they’ve been laid off and unpaid. It’s brought into sharp focus the challenges many millions of people face in the informal economy and has spurred initiatives to try and help them.

20200607 BRAZIL WATSON DOM WORKERS Mixdown 1

Brazil is now second only to the US in terms of both fatalities and infections – grim milestones that many here both predicted and dreaded. Yet these deaths aren’t serving as a wake-up call – far from it. President Jair Bolsonaro continues to downplay this virus. Meanwhile cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have started opening back up – in the middle of the crisis – and many fear the worst is yet to come.

Brazil COVID19 death toll surpasses UK

I'm the BBC's South America correspondent. Previously posted to Mexico, Washington DC and the Middle East. I started life in Hong Kong and spent stints in Chile and Italy too.

katywatson