On Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (Brasília time, UTC-3), BIREME/PAHO/WHO will hold the session “From Collections to Society: The Many Pathways of the COVID-19 Pandemic Digital Memorial,” the seventh webinar in the “BIREME 2026: New Releases and Updates” series.
The session will present the main results of the first phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic Digital Memorial, developed through cooperation among Brazil’s Ministry of Health, BIREME/PAHO/WHO, and the Center for Digital Humanities at the State University of Campinas (CHD/Unicamp). Launched in April 2026, the portal brings together digital collections, scientific and technical output, and integrated infrastructure for preserving, organizing, searching, and providing public access to memories of the pandemic in Brazil.
The webinar will address how the Memorial operates, the methodology adopted to incorporate and preserve new collections, and the contribution of the traveling exhibitions to bringing this documentary heritage closer to society. It will also discuss strategies for expanding the project across the Region and broadening dialogue on the preservation of digital memories of the pandemic in Latin America.
The session will conclude with a presentation of the project’s next activities, including the expansion and diversification of its collections, improvements to the user experience, and the strengthening of partnerships and regional cooperation.
Target audience
Professionals and institutions interested in digital preservation, social memory, public health, and health information and knowledge management, including:
• Managers and technical staff from ministries of health and partner institutions;
• Professionals working in archives, libraries, museums, documentation centers, and memory institutions;
• Coordinators and focal points of the VHL and LILACS Networks;
• Researchers, faculty members, and students;
• Professionals working in communication, culture, heritage, and digital humanities;
• Others interested in preserving the memories of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to participate
• Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
• Time: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Brasília time, UTC-3 – check the corresponding time in your country)
• Format: online via Zoom
• Language: Portuguese
• Registration: free, with advance registration at https://bit.ly/bireme-2026-webinar-07
Agenda
• Institutional opening
BIREME/PAHO/WHO
• The COVID-19 Pandemic Digital Memorial and the results of Phase I
Juliana Sousa
BIREME/PAHO/WHO
• Digital humanities, curation, and preservation of the collections
Ian Marino
Center for Digital Humanities at Unicamp
• Artistic concept and physical aspects of the traveling exhibition “The Infinite Memory of the Pandemic”
Gustavo Godoy
Estúdio Bijari
• The educational dimension of the traveling exhibition and engagement with society
Ellen Nicolau
Ministry of Health
• Participation of the Ministry of Health Cultural Center
Representative of the Ministry of Health Cultural Center (CCMS/MS)
• Audience questions and answers
• Closing remarks: next steps, Phase II, and regional cooperation
João Paulo Souza
Director of BIREME/PAHO/WHO
Program subject to change.
Background
The “BIREME 2026: New Releases and Updates” series features monthly sessions dedicated to presenting and demonstrating products, services, innovations, and technical cooperation results developed with partners and health information networks.
The sessions bring together BIREME specialists and external guests to discuss strategic initiatives, promote the exchange of experiences, and encourage the use of innovative technologies and methodologies for the benefit of health systems in the Region of the Americas.
Materials and recording
Following the session, the recording will be made available on BIREME’s official playlist on PAHO TV, on YouTube, and indexed in the VHL Repository.
Join us, follow the program, and add the session to your calendar. Registration is free at: https://bit.ly/bireme-2026-webinar-07.