Fiocruz and CAS hold a preparatory conference for the meeting between Lula and Xi Jinping

Fiocruz and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) discussed last wednesday (15) how to improve and strengthen the bilateral health agenda between the institutions during President Lula's State visit to China. The conference took place at the Academy's Institute of Microbiology, with which Fiocruz has been strengthening its relations since 2017.

The conference took place at the Academy's Institute of Microbiology

The two organizations will proceed with the Memorandum of Understanding that they signed in 2018 and sign a new Memorandum to align projects and initiatives already underway in the field of prevention and control of infectious diseases. With the new agreement, the organizations will relaunch, in a new format, the Infectious Disease Research and Prevention Center (IDRPC). The center will align basic research and development of products, such as vaccines and therapies. Despite the emphasis on high-tech products, the center will also facilitate dialogue in the traditional medicine of the countries.

The reaffirmation of the bilateral health agenda takes place at a time when the need for cooperation in health was put on emphasis by the Pandemic. Even during this major health crisis, which paralyzed several international meetings, Fiocruz and CAS maintained and deepened the agenda of their scientific dialogue. In the past, for example, it was held a series of four webinars on infectious diseases. New therapies based on mRNA, genomic surveillance, vaccine development, among others, were discussed.

Participating in the meeting were Jiang Yiqi and Song Yangzhu, from the International Cooperation Office, Shi Yi and Gao Siwei, from the Institute of Microbiology, and André Lobato, from the Center for International Relations in Health.