Fiocruz discusses health, environment and social technologies at Amazon Dialogues

Fiocruz actively participated in the Amazon Dialogues, which preceded the Amazon Summit in Belém, capital of the state of Pará, with the co-organization of two events: Health and Environment in the Amazon: integration needed today to act in future scenarios and strengthen the SUS and The Strategic Role of Social Technologies for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Amazon 2030 Agenda. Both meetings, which were attended by other entities and civil society, took place on the 5th of August, at the Hangar Convention Center, in Belém.

Fiocruz actively participated in the Amazon Dialogues, which preceded the Amazon Summit in Belém (photo: Disclosure)

The Amazon Dialogues were organized from August 4th to 6th by representatives of entities, social movements, academia, research centers and government agencies from Brazil and seven other countries. The event was part of the Amazon Summit program (8/8 and 8/9), and its results were presented to the heads of state gathered in Belém.

Health and Environment in the Amazon: integration needed today to act in future scenarios and strengthen the SUS, on Saturday morning, was a result of the seminar of the same name, which took place in May of this year in Porto Velho, Rondônia. In Belém, representing Fiocruz, were present the chief of staff, Zélia Profeta; the coordinator of Fiocruz Rondônia, Jansen Medeiros; and the vice-coordinator of Research of Fiocruz Rondônia, Najla Matos. The action was attended by the State Secretary of Health of Pará, Rômulo Rodovalho Gomes, and representatives of the Special Secretariat for Indigenous Health and the Councils of Municipal Health Secretariats (Cosems) of Pará and Rondônia, among other institutions.

The group presented initiatives that have already been discussed within the Foundation and partner entities in strategic sectors (health, science, technology, innovation, development agencies and social movements) with the aim of implementing an integrated public policy agenda in the Amazon, aligned with the challenges of the SUS in the region. Among the proposals is the Legal Amazon Health Plan (PSAL), which should integrate the set of projects, policies and actions of the Ministry of Health in conjunction with other ministries, agencies, states, municipalities, research institutions and social movements. At the event in Belém, PSAL was presented by professors Paulo de Tarso Oliveira and Regina Feio Barroso, both from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA).

SDG as a target

In the afternoon, it was the turn of the seminar The Strategic Role of Social Technologies to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Amazon 2030 Agenda, co-organized by the Fiocruz Strategy for the 2030 Agenda (EFA 2030). The event brought together institutions and authorities to discuss the value of scientific knowledge and its key role in the search for a sustainable future. Promoted by Fiocruz, the Emílio Goeldi Museum, the Mamirauá Institute, Saúde Alegria and the Federal Rural University of Amazon (UFRA), the event was attended by the mayor of Belém, Edmilson Rodrigues, and the Minister of Development and Social Assistance, Wellington Dias.
The central focus of the discussions was on the importance of scientific knowledge in achieving a sustainable agenda. Mayor Edmilson Rodrigues emphasized the appreciation of scientific knowledge and urged greater investment in technical-scientific production. He highlighted that the search for knowledge is a tool to make the world more humane and contribute to the evolution of society.

The event was also an opportunity to discuss the SDGs, which aim to address the development challenges by promoting sustainable global growth by 2030. Minister Wellington Dias emphasized the need to involve scientists and academic members in the search for solutions to boost the Amazon and Brazil, in line with the principles of the United Nations (UN).

Indigenous health in a book

The Leônidas & Maria Deane Institute (Fiocruz Amazônia) was also present at the Amazon Dialogues with the pre-launch of the book A saúde indígena nas cidades: redes de atenção, cuidado tradicional e intercultural [Indigenous health in cities: care networks, traditional and intercultural care]. The book is the result of the work carried out with indigenous peoples in Brazil, with special attention to those living in urban contexts, based on the experience of the Manaós Project: Indigenous Health in the Urban Context.

During the panel on the Legal Amazon Health Plan, the researcher in Public Health at Fiocruz Amazônia, Rodrigo Tobias, presented the Manaós Project and its impact on indigenous health in urbanized contexts. The event was attended by authorities such as the Special Secretary for Indigenous Health of the Ministry of Health, Vanderson Brito, and the special advisor to the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade Lima, Valcler Rangel, as well as representatives of various academic and research institutions, including Fiocruz Amazônia, Fiocruz Rondônia, Federal University of Pará, State University of Pará, Emilio Goeldi Museum and Evandro Chagas Institute.

Through this joint effort, the event highlighted the crucial role of indigenous health in cities and demonstrated the institutions' commitment to building more inclusive and effective policies for indigenous peoples, aiming to ensure their well-being and quality of life in urban areas.

*With information from the Emílio Goeldi Museum.