Brazil now has 557 swine flu deaths, making it the country with the highest number of fatalities in the world from the disease, according to figures announced by the health ministry on Wednesday.
The toll puts it ahead of the latest count from the United States, which as of August 20 had 522 swine flu deaths, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Brazil's health ministry said in a statement the government was freeing up $US1 billion ($A1.21 billion) to buy 73 million doses of a new vaccine being developed against swine flu, as well as Tamiflu stocks, hospital equipment and diagnostic gear.
It added that the infection rate appeared to be diminishing in the country, which is about to exit the southern hemisphere winter at the end of this month.
The ministry stressed that, as a ratio of its population of 190 million, Brazil's mortality rate from the virus ranked 7th in the world.
Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Australia and Paraguay all had higher rates on that basis, it said, referring to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Australia's death toll from swine flu has reached 138, but Health Minister Nicola Roxon this week said the pandemic had not yet passed its peak.
The Americas is the worst-hit region in the world in terms of swine flu deaths, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the global count given by the World Health Organisation.
After Brazil, the United States and Argentina have suffered the most deaths.
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