 For more videos on people's struggles, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. Hello and welcome back to Around the World in 8 Minutes, where we at People's Dispatch bring you stories of struggle and resistance from across the globe of people who, despite all odds, continue fighting for change and dignified life for all. For our first story, we take you to Peru, where healthcare workers have embarked on an indefinite strike. Since March of last year, healthcare workers across the world have been on the front lines of labor struggles to demand basic conditions to ensure their safety and survival, as they sacrifice their lives to treat and cure the millions of people who have been infected with COVID-19. Despite the universal recognition of their essential labor, in many cases, healthcare workers have been denied their demands of good quality PPE, access to frequent testing, hazard pay, and in some cases, even the issuance of accumulated back pay. Peru is fifth in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of the number of confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19. As of today, there have been over 1 million confirmed cases and over 30,800 deaths due to the disease. Despite the gravity of the crisis, healthcare workers have denounced that the national government is not doing enough to support the public health sector and properly equip workers to confront the pandemic. On January 13th, healthcare workers from the Peruvian Medical Federation and 10 other health workers unions began an indefinite strike to raise their demands, which include a greater budget for the sector in 2021, payout of bonuses and overtime pay, which has been delayed since October, PPE of good quality, regular rapid testing for all workers, no dismissal of contract workers, and other demands to improve the conditions for these essential workers. Golo Fredo Tadavera, the president of the Peruvian Medical Federation, has emphasized that an expanded healthcare budget is key in order to address the lack of ventilators, ICU beds, oxygen cylinders, and other medical supplies which will bolster the capacity of the public health system to treat patients. In the capital Lima on Wednesday, January 13th, hundreds of doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers held a massive demonstration in front of the health ministry to draw attention to their legitimate claims and to demand their immediate compliance. The health workers have vowed to continue their strike until the Peruvian government abides by their demands. For our next story, we take you to India where farmers remain on the highways determined to make the national government comply with their demands for the withdrawal of three controversial farm laws. Farmers movements in the country have rejected the recent intervention by the Supreme Court in India on the protests that have been raging in the country since late November. On Tuesday, January 12th, India Supreme Court ordered a stay on the implementation of the three controversial laws, until further orders. The court also created a four-member committee to come up with a mechanism to resolve the impasse between Narendra Modi-led central government and the protesting farmers. However, for the farmers that have been braving adverse conditions and freezing temperatures on the highways for the last several weeks, the move by the Supreme Court merely postpones the necessary decision the government must take. They have highlighted that the three farm laws, which would likely see a drastic decrease in the prices farmers get for their produce, an increase of the role of corporates and agriculture, were hastily passed by the central government and not the court. The Samyukta Kisanmurtha, a coalition of over 40 farmers groups, released a statement declaring that movement leaders will refuse to participate in the newly formed committee's deliberations. Farmers have been clear from day one that their central demand is the definitive withdrawal of these laws and they will continue on the highways and even take their protests to the capital New Delhi if the government still refuses to hear them. For our last story, we bring you a segment from Brasil de Fato on the future of the Covid vaccine in Brazil. After the publication of the preliminary results of the third phase of the Chinese coronavirus vaccine in Brazil, the health ministry announced that vaccinations using the product will occur simultaneously throughout the country. According to the ministry, 100 million doses will be purchased and incorporated into the national COVID-19 vaccination plan. Specialists seem optimistic with the results demonstrated so far. The data shows that the vaccine will decrease the number of deaths as it has shown to be 100% effective against serious cases of COVID-19. Even those who have been vaccinated may still develop milder forms of the disease. We know that it is rare to have a vaccine that is 100% effective. This goes for all vaccines and is no different with the coronavirus one. Another emergency approval request was filed for the British-made AstraZeneca vaccine. The health ministry has already agreed to buying 200 million doses. According to infectious disease experts, it's important to have as many doses of effective vaccines as available as possible. All COVID-19 vaccines are given in two separate shots. No healthcare authorities will allow for single doses. No studies with single doses have been undertaken. Only with two. What may come to happen is what is being tried in Europe, where they will space out the application for the two doses in the hopes that the new vaccine that will reach the entire population are developed. However, here in Brazil, it will certainly have to be two doses. Despite the government's inefficacy in combating the pandemic, Raquel believes that Brazil is one of the country's best equipped to handle a mass immunization campaign. From the standpoint of operational capacities, I have no doubt that we will do a good job. Of course, this vaccine requires some adaptations. We need to expand the number of vaccination posts and extend vaccination hours. All because this time around, we cannot risk having large gatherings. Until that time, it's necessary to keep up with protective measures. Around three months from now, we will begin to see the effects of the vaccine or contagion levels. Probably until April, we will still have high levels of infection and the population cannot forget to continue using preventive measures. Otherwise, we will continue seeing the disease spreading. Thanks for staying with us and keep watching People's Dispatch.