Policies of waiting, the meanings of reparation and care, and public health emergencies.

This theoretical essay examines the concept of "waiting" through the lens of the Anthropology of the State. The waiting imposed by the State is intertwined with the repercussions of historical debts, denying or imposing barriers to the rights of people affected by epidemics and pandemics. These periods of waiting have the unexpected effect of fostering associative networks and struggles for rights, which challenge state control in the creation of margins. We draw from a collection of memories built through oral sources with people living with or affected by polio, HIV/AIDS, Zika, and COVID-19, who are also rights activists. This collection comprises interviews, conversations at public events, and content shared on digital networks. The notion of care as reparation and a right, the debate over specialized care and primary care, the model of healthcare provision, and the margins of responsibility constructed by a politics of waiting are analyzed throughout the essay.