Representatives of the French Development Agency (AFD) visited Fiotec last Thursday (May 12th) to get to know and understand the actuation model of the institution in the support it provides to Fiocruz. The meeting was part of conversations and negotiations so that the French public bank can finance projects developed by the Foundation. In the company of adjunt director of the agency for Latin America, Lamine Sow, and of the AFD’s Project Manager in Brazil, Elisa Alves, Fiotec’s Executive Officer, Hayne Felipe, also received representatives of Fiocruz itself.

Felipe gave a brief presentation on Fiotec’s constitution and actions, explaining how the institution works in the administrative, financial and logistic management of different projects developed by Fiocruz. The director described, step by step, how these projects are followed by Fiotec teams, from the moment the proposals get to the institution until their goals and objectives are fully achieved, which then leads to their conclusion. The management dynamic of the resources destined to the projects, with values segregated in a transparent fashion and balances available for researchers to consult, drew the attention of AFD representatives. “Fiotec would be a new profile of partner in Brazil regarding statute of actuation and nature. It would represent a new challenge for us”, said Alves.

The AFD Project Manager began her presentation showing a little of the regions where the Agency works, financing projects that focus mainly on health, guarantee of rights, and environmental conservation. In Brazil alone the bank has already made available 2.9 billion euros in financing.

Mentioning the Pasteur Institute in São Paulo, Alves talked about the historical link between Brazil and France when it comes to health. “For us, what Fiocruz represents for France is very important, just like what France has represented for Brazilian health. In this relationship betwee Fiocruz and Fiotec we see a great alternative to get closer to the local population”, she celebrated.

New meetings between representatives of Fiocruz and the AFD are expected, also with the possibility of a Foundation committee visiting the headquarters of the agency in Paris.