Carlos Eduardo Cordeiro

Brazilian community health pioneer building resilient urban healthcare networks in favelas

Carlos Eduardo Cordeiro is a Brazilian physician and founder of Saúde Popular, an NGO transforming healthcare access in Rio de Janeiro's favelas. Starting in 2018, Cordeiro developed the 'Health Agents' program, training community members as frontline health workers. By 2023, this model had been replicated in 80+ favelas, reaching 250,000 residents and reducing infant mortality rates by 40% in participating communities.

Cordeiro's work became critical during the pandemic, when his teams distributed over 1 million masks and administered 70,000+ vaccine doses in hard-to-reach areas. His innovative use of community health maps helped identify and isolate outbreaks 3-5 days faster than official systems. The project's success led to Brazil's Ministry of Health adopting its protocols in 2022.

In 2023, Cordeiro launched the Health Corridor, a network connecting favela clinics with public hospitals through telemedicine. His approach emphasizes cultural competence - 85% of health agents are favela residents who speak local dialects. Recognized as Gates Foundation Health Equity Leader, Cordeiro's model is now being tested in informal settlements across Latin America. His TED talk "How Favelas Are Building Better Healthcare" has become a blueprint for community-centered health systems.