Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
15-18 April 2008.

Global Forum for Health Research

The conference was called together for the purpose of exploring regional strategies and action plans for strengthening national health research systems in Latin America.

During the opening ceremony on the evening of 15 April, Pat 19.30 h, officials from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, and the PAHO/WHO Representative in Brazil, Ing. Diego Victoria, delivered words of welcome.

The idea of organizing the event came about during an advisory meeting that was held in Antigua, Guatemala, in August 2006 and attended by government officials from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Nicaragua, as well as by the regional representative of the UNICEF/PNUD/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR).

Following the meeting in Antigua, a petition was signed to organize a Latin American meeting to discuss national systems of innovation and research for health in the Region. Subsequently, small preparatory meetings were held, and funds were collected. Six entities were chosen to make up the executive committee: the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), including the regional representative of the TDR; the Ministry of Health of Brazil; the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED); the Global Forum for Health Research; the Coordinating Commission of the National Institutes of Health of Mexico (INSALUD Mexico), and Nicaragua's NicaSalud Network Federation.

The general purpose of the conference was to strengthen health research as a way to improve equity and promote social and economic development in Latin America.

Specific objectives were to:

• bring officials from Latin American countries together in order to discuss progress and challenges in health research and the development of national health research systems;
• strengthen ties between health research, the science and technology sector, and the innovation sector;
• define strategies and actions for future cooperation within Latin America;
• promote the establishment of alliances that will make it possible to better address inequities in health and to attain social development through research;
• spark the interest of external research sponsors in supporting this process.

Discussions during the conference centered around the structure of national health research systems, the role of innovation in health research, the financing of health research, and ways to promote regional collaboration for strengthening health research systems in Latin American countries.

Approximately 150 participants from all countries of Latin America as well as some selected global partners attended the conference in Rio de Janeiro. Participants included policy-makers, high-level officials from the ministries of health, the ministries of science and technology, and other ministries involved in research for health. Also present were representatives of research institutions and of professional societies and other civil society organizations, funding agencies, international development agencies and other international organizations for the promotion of health research, and research networks working within the Region. The conference was conducted in Spanish with simultaneous interpretation into English and Portuguese.

PAHO Director's agenda in Brazil

During her visit to Brazil, Dr. Mirta Roses signed a protocol of intention between PAHO and the municipal council of the city of Duque de Caxias (Rio de Janeiro), where the Veterinary Public Health Unit PANAFTOSA, Foot-and-mouth Disease Center, is located. The protocol included providing technical support and cooperation for implementation of the Faces, Voices, and Places initiative within the city of Duque de Caxias in an effort to further the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. It also included collaboration initiatives for addressing health determinants linked primarily to health care, control of zoonotic and endemic diseases, food safety, nutrition, and local environmental management through municipality and district networks and healthy communities.

On 13 April, Dr. Mirta Rosas accompanied Dr. Luis Sambo, Regional Director of WHO's Regional Office for Africa since 2004, on a visit to PANAFTOSA. According to Dr. Sambo, who is a native of Angola, the visit reflects a long-standing joint effort on the part of both organizations and was an important opportunity to discuss health information systems and basic health data.

2o. Congresso da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP) sobre DST-AIDS

Congresso sobre Aids reúne representantes dos países de língua portuguesa no Rio

Os resultados de pesquisas de Angola, Cabo Verde, Guiné-Bissau, Moçambique, Portugal, São Tomé e Príncipe, Timor Leste e Brasil foram apresentados no 2º Congresso da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP) sobre DST/Aids, promovido pela Fiocruz.

O evento, que foi celebrado de 14 a 17 de abril no Rio de Janeiro, discutiu aspectos clínicos, epidemiológicos e sociais, bem como estratégias de prevenção e desenvolvimento de vacinas e técnicas de diagnóstico no campo das DST e da Aids. Medicamentos anti-retrovirais, resistência a drogas e doenças que costumam atingir pessoas vivendo com DST/Aids, como tuberculose, malária e hepatites, também foram debatidas.

A abertura do evento teve palestras da Diretora do Programa Nacional de DST/Aids do Ministério da Saúde, Mariângela Simão, e do Diretor do escritório regional para África da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), Luís Gomes Sambo. Os temas analisado estiveram relacionados com as experiências brasileira e africana no controle e prevenção das DST/Aids. A mesa foi coordenada pela Diretora da Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (Opas), Mirta Roses Periago.

More Information:
First Latin American Conference on Research and Innovation for Health
2008 Global Ministerial Forum on Research for Health. Bamako, Mali, 17-19 November 2008.

See also:
PAHO working to improve public health, equity, and health systems at the 42nd Session of the Advisory Committee on Health Research (ACHR). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 13-15 April 2008.