A renowned South American scientist is urging the international community to start challenging the Brazilian government over its failure to contain Covid-19.

Brazil makes up 10 per cent of total deaths, and unlike America and Britain, the death toll continues to track up.

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro is continuing to call Covid a little flu, and in the last few days told his country to stop whining about it.

And while vaccines are being rolled out in other countries, the process is slow going in the high-density country. 

Correspondent Sam Cowie told Tim Dower that Bolsonaro's rhetoric has not changed in the last year.

"It's unclear what the intention is. It's elections next year and many analysts believe Bolsonaro is trying to fire up his base."

He says that Bolsonaro is betting on people having more economic concerns than health concerns.

Asides from Chile, Cowie says much of South America isn't ding much better. 

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