Prefeitura de São Paulo

Dr. Zilda Arns Neumann, pediatrician, public health worker, founder and director of the Pastoral da Crianca and the Pastoral do Idoso, organs for social action of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil.

Born in Forquilinha (SC), mother of five and grandmother of 11. She chose medicine as a mission and followed the path of public health. Dr. Arns practiced medicine daily as a pediatrician in the Cezar Pernetta Children’s Hospital, in Curitiba (PR) and, subsequently as director of Women and Children’s Health of the Paraná state Health Secretariat. She acquired teorethical foundations through studies in Sao Paulo University (USP) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

For her social work, Dr Zilda Arns was awarded several honors such as the Woodrow Wilson Prize, awarded by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation in 2007 and the Opus Prize, awarded in 2006 by the Opus Prize Foundation for her innovative public health programme that offers aid to thousands of poor families.