Professionals from Fiotec, Ensp, Fiocruz and CDC gathered last Thursday and Friday (September 28th and 29th) in a seminar celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Cooperation Agreement between the institutions. The event was held in Fiocruz Brasília and discussed the past, present and future of the projects of prevention and combat against HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and many other aggravations, such as malaria, zika, chikungunya, dengue, and most recently, Covid-19.
The administrative director of Fiocruz, Marcelo Amaral, was part of the table which officially opened the Seminar, on September 28th. He proudly stressed that the institution has been acting for so many years on a work of cooperation that directly contributes to the development of public policies that are so important to the Brazilian citizen’s quality of life. “That reaffirms our commitment in valuing and strengthening the Integrated Health System (SUS). In the upcoming years, we expect to participate in a much more successful partnership for all actors involved that mainly contributes to the service we provide the population”.
The first day of the event was dedicated to homages and to valuing the work from the last two decades. The participants watched a video with details on the formulation of the Cooperation Agreement, in the early 2000’s, and went through the main implemented programs and projects, in a trajectory as told by those who made it happen. Professionals who were honored with commemorative plaques, acknowledging their work and dedication for so many years. The Seminar opening day schedule also had the lecture Global Issues, Global Solutions, led by Hank Tomlinson, representative of CDC.
20 Years of Cooperation: past, present and future
Friday (9/29) started with an important conversation on the Brazilian Response to the HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis Epidemics. Opening the discussion, Alexandre Grangeiro, from USP, mentioned the importance of strategies along with the target audiences to potentialize the health service offered. To him, new technologies, presented as innovation must not be exclusionary, distant from the reality of a large part of the population receiving the service. “Those technologies must dialogue with people’s daily life, they must be used by them naturally,” he defended.
Following that, Tatianna Alencar, from the Ministry of Health Department of HIV/Aids, remembered the steps for the implementation of Oral PrEP in SUS, between 2026 and 2018. The analyst was sorry for the resistance that was faced by some state governments to implementing the method in the public health network. Tatianna reinforced the importance that trailers and buses for quick HIV testing had on making Prophylaxis more popular. “All statistics of A Hora é Agora boosted the implementation of PrEP”. Nowadays, at least 770 public health units have PrEP available in Brazil.
Before her lunch, there would still be time to discuss the use of Information Systems and Strengthening for quick responses to the population. Ana Roberta Pascom and Artur Kalichman, also from the HIV/Aids Department of the Ministry of Health, outlined a record of the tools developed and used by the Federal Government. According to them, the monitoring systems produce extremely important data to plan strategies regarding prevention and care, not only to treat diseases. To Artur, using those tools strengthens each of the aspects incorporated by the SUS (promoting health services; prevention; diagnosis; bonding; treatment; retention; adhesion; cure or cases avoided; deaths) and allow more equity in the access to date on population health, directly supplying for state and municipal administration in the country.
Emergencies in Public Health: cooperation and strengthening for quick responses
The closing table for the CoAg 20 Anos was a great celebration of the partnership between the institutions involved in the Agreement. Jonas Brant (UnB) and Daniela Buosi (Ministério das Cidades) traced a long timeline to remember the episode that started the cooperation with the CDC, in 1997. Daniela remembered the conception and development of the first qualifications and training of the personnel who would integrate the Cooperation’s technical corps in Brazil. Contents that are now internationally offered, making a difference in the service of the population of Brazil and of partner countries.
Long-term partner
Fiotec has been acting as the responsible for the administrative and financial management of the Cooperation Agreement for many years. The institution is and has been directly connected to the actions implemented by the project A Hora é Agora (The Time Is Now), for example, contributing to the expansion of the program through more and more Brazilian cities.
For that reason, in addition to the participation of its administrative director, Marcelo Amaral, the institution was represented by professionals from different sectors in CoAg 20 Anos, thus symbolizing the importance of each person’s work in the mission of strengthening the Integrated Health System (SUS).
