São Paulo, October 28, 2026 (BIREME/PAHO/WHO) – On October 26 and 27, BIREME held a series of institutional meetings in São Paulo, bringing together representatives of the Ministry of Health, information science specialists, and coordinators of the VHL Network from 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Brazil, to discuss progress, challenges, and prospects for technical cooperation aimed at expanding access to and use of health information.
The program included the annual sessions of BIREME's Advisory Committee and Scientific Committee, the establishment of the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) – a new governance body dedicated to strengthening technical cooperation with Brazil – and the 8th Regional Coordination Meeting of the Virtual Health Library (VHL).
The meetings also included the participation of Sebastián García Saisó, Director of the Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health (EIH) at PAHO/WHO, and were coordinated by BIREME's leadership team, comprising João Paulo Souza, Director of the Center; Silvia de Valentin, PAHO Administrator and Manager of Administration and Planning (APP); Verônica Abdala, Manager of Information Products and Services (PSI); Marcos Mori, Coordinator of Digital Solutions and Emerging Technologies (DEV); and Márcia Barreto, Coordinator of IT Infrastructure (ITI), with the support of their technical teams.
During the meetings, participants assessed the results of technical cooperation, shared experiences, and discussed strategic priorities for 2026–2031, emphasizing digital transformation, artificial intelligence, strengthening the VHL Network, and expanding access to scientific information and evidence to support health decision-making.
Verônica Abdala emphasized that the VHL “plays a strategic role for the Region, serving as an integrated regional ecosystem for health information and cooperation, helping to increase the visibility of countries' scientific output, while also responding to health priorities and strengthening national health systems.”
The outcomes of the 8th Regional Coordination Meeting of the VHL will help guide the next stage of development of the Virtual Health Library and the activities of its network of cooperating institutions. Meanwhile, the Governance Sessions will result in recommendations to PAHO/WHO leadership aimed at strengthening BIREME institutionally and improving the results of its technical cooperation.
Further details will be published in the next issue of the BIREME Bulletin. Subscribe to receive it.
Photos by Larissa Rocha for BIREME/PAHO/WHO.
