Fiocruz becomes a member of the Global Health Bioethics Network

Fiocruz, through its graduate program in Bioethics, Applied Ethics and Collective Health, has become a collaborating member of the Global Health Bioethics Network, coordinated by the Oxford University - becoming the first Latin American institution to join the network, whose members include representatives from Asia and Africa. The coordinator of the Foundation's graduate program in Ethics, Sergio Rego, and the coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Center on Public Health Emergencies (Niesp) of the Center for Strategic Studies (CEE/Fiocruz), Gustavo Matta, took part in the network's latest meeting, held between August 19th and 22nd in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, where it was possible to strengthen and prospect new opportunities for partnerships in the global South.

Through the postgraduate program in Bioethics, Applied Ethics and Public Health, Fiocruz became a collaborating member of the Network (photo: Gustavo Matta)

At the meeting, classified as a summer school, there was a presentation by Fiocruz, as well as a Brazilian perspective on the field of bioethics. Among the topics of discussion were preparedness for pandemics and future health crises, diversity of perspectives in the field of bioethics, equity and decoloniality. The aim now is for these discussions to expand and generate results such as new research partnerships, student and researcher exchanges, information sharing, training programs and seminars.

 
"The Global Health Bioethics Network project was aimed at countries in Asia and Africa, where the Oxford University has research centers. We began closing ties in 2019, when we were invited to an event at the university, and we began to discuss possibilities for cooperation", recalls Sergio Rego. "The idea has always been to include a Latin American country in this context. This year marks our entry as the only country in the region and as an opportunity to exchange knowledge and partnerships". 

The Wellcome Trust renewed funding for the network last year. 2023 also saw the invitation to Fiocruz from its coordinator, the director of the Ethox Center and professor of Bioethics at the Oxford University, Michael Parker.
According to Rego, among the topics discussed at the meeting were precisely the ways in which funding can contribute to the network's activities. Additionally, the meeting allowed interaction with different realities: “It was an opportunity to attend and discuss presentations of doctoral and post-doctoral work in bioethics in these regions, bringing contextualized perspectives of local cultures and understanding of the world”, said the researcher, who added that the network aims to foster young researchers' preparation. "We are very interested in getting to know the perspective of other countries and cultures while presenting our own, fostering an effective dialog", he concluded.

Researcher Gustavo Matta, who also took part in the meeting in Malaysia, emphasizes the network's role as a information disseminator on bioethics in various countries, establishing cooperation and partnerships. "Our main interest is to strengthen ties between the countries of the global south and we were able to do this at the event, with countries that we already have partnerships with, such as Mozambique, and expanding to new ones, such as Vietnam", he commented. “This network allows us to tap into an even larger network of researchers who do not necessarily share the same perspectives with us - whether on the impact of health crises, drug production or other issues - but who experience similar problems in terms of global geopolitics”. 

Graduate Program in Bioethics, Applied Ethics and Collective Health

The program is offered by the Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health (Ensp/Fiocruz) in a network formed by the Foundation, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the Fluminense Federal University (UFF), and the State University of Rio de Janeiro (Uerj). 

Global Health Bioethics Network

The Global Health Bioethics Network (GHBN) is a collaboration between the Wellcome Trust Africa and Asia Programs (AAPs) in Kenya, Thailand-Laos, South Africa, Vietnam and Malawi, the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the Ethox Centre at the Oxford University. Other collaborators include the Ethics Lab at the University of Cape Town, the University of Ghana, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in Brazil, and the Wellcome Trust Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research.

16th Brazilian Congress of Bioethics

The 16th Brazilian Congress of Bioethics will be held in Rio de Janeiro between July 28th and 30th next year. The event presents itself as an opportunity in this context, when members of the global network can participate.