Check out the 50 most important news at Fiocruz

Notícia publicada em:

  • 5 de Janeiro de 2016

Banner_Retrospectiva 2015

2015 was a busy year for the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and the Brazilian public health. Following next, the ten subjects that were highlights of the year, selected from hundreds of news of Fiocruz throughout the Brazil. Below, you can see the most important news, from January to December, the Fiocruz News Agency.

In January, the National Institute of Women’s Health, Child and Adolescent Fernandes Figueira (IFF/Fiocruz) presented the development of a new test for cystic fibrosis, genetic disorder that affects 1.5 thousand people in Brazil. In Fiocruz Minas, researchers have created  a mobile application  that will help to identify specimens of triatomideum-vectors for Chagas disease. Other action in the area of technology in health was the launch of a real-time monitoring system to help in the fight against dengue fever in Rio de Janeiro, in a partnership of Fiocruz with the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV).

In February, Fiocruz News Agency also highlighted the adoption of the so-called PEC innovation , which updates the treatment of science, technology and innovation. In the context of international relations, the Institute of Technology in Pharmaceuticals (Farmanguinhos/Fiocruz) sent a total of  160,050 antimalarial artesunate + mefloquine pills (ASMQ) to Venezuela . In Rio de Janeiro, as for the autochthonous cases confirmed, experts clarified the population  about cases of malaria in the mountainous region. Researchers at Fiocruz watch the occurrence of the disease in regions of the Atlantic forest since 1993.

In March, the Carlos Chagas Institute (ICC/Fiocruz Paraná) reported the insulation chikungunya fever causing arboviruses in human samples, which opened the possibility of the development of diagnostic kits for the disease. Another piece of good news was the postural support to assist in sitting position of children with neuromotor dysfunction , developed by Fernandes Figueira Institute (IFF/Fiocruz). Another highlight was the Portal  of Journals launch , which brings together all scientific publications of Fiocruz in the same environment.

In April, Fiocruz attended the Dossier Abrasco on pesticides in health launch . The publication is a co-edition of the Joaquim Venâncio Polytechnical School of Health (EPSJV/Fiocruz) and the Popular Expression Publisher. In the same period, researchers at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz) presented a groundbreaking study of vaccine against leishmaniasis . In Pernambuco, experts have improved mosquito traps to combat dengue . The disease also has been the subject of research at Fiocruz Amazonas, which developed a method of  using the own dengue vector in combating disease , extending the coverage to the breeding of the insect in urban areas.

In May, an unprecedented research conducted by Fiocruz, on the initiative of the Federal Council of Nursing Care (Cofen), traced Brazil´s profile of nursing , covering a universe of 1.6 million professionals. A new preventive medicine against HIV/Aids  was tested by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases Evandro Chagas (INI/Fiocruz), in a survey that is being held simultaneously in South Africa, Brazil, USA and Malawi. The Institute of Scientific and Technological Information and Communication in Health (Icict/Fiocruz) started the Third National Survey on Drug Use , which also will include rural and border areas.

In June, Fiocruz held Unitaid´s Executive Board Meeting , an international organization that works to find new methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria. Still in the context of international relations in health, Fiocruz, USP and Pasteur Institute closed scientific partnership to work together in Brazil. In the Amazon, Fiocruz announced the discovery of a new virus that affects children and can cause encephalitis and lead to death. Still in June, Fiocruz had its work crowned with the conquest of the José Reis Award of Scientific and Technological Disclosure , in the category “Institution or means of communication”.

July would be marked by the beginning of the strike of Fiocruz workers , as part of the movement that claimed the valuation of public server, salary and career enhancements. Earlier this month, the Fernandes Figueira Institute (IFF/Fiocruz) opened a playground for children and adolescents. The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation was honered at the 67th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC) , considered the biggest scientific event of Latin America. Another highlight of July was the internacional seminar on marijuana , produced by Fiocruz in collaboration with the School of Magistracy of Rio de Janeiro (Emerj).

In August, as a strike activity, workers at Fiocruz promoted the  vaccination party at the event Fiocruz for You 2015 . About of 1600 children were vaccinated against polio in Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, at the 22nd Edition of the event. The month ended with the participation of the French philosopher Pierre Levy in the seminar Education, Health and Society of the Future , sponsored by Fiocruz. The Auditorium was packed to hear Pierre Levy talk about Education and communication: challenges to a culture of responsabitity in collaboration in networks.

In September, the Institute of Technology in Immunobiologicals (Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz), Merck and Bionovis signed a transfer agreement of betainterferone technology 1st underskin . Another important news was the announcement that the Health Channel becomes public in 2016 , with the institution of the Public System of Digital tv. In Bahia, a new international study led by Fiocruz concluded that the global burden of  leptospirosis is much larger than estimated. With a view to next year’s Games, Fiocruz also participated in the training for the Olympic Games 2016 , in the area of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense (QBRN).

In October, the Butterfly garden reopened its doors in Manguinhos , offering an interactive space, adorned with plants and inhabited by curious species of butterflies on the American continent. The Director of Fiocruz Bahia was awarded by Unesco for his work in the areas of leishmaniasis and malaria. In the same period, the ABC/Fiocruz/Ministry of Health II Forum of international cooperation in Human milk banks have set new guidelines for the global network of human milk banks . The Urban Climate Change Research Network – UCCRN launched its new center for Latin America, hosted by Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz) . More great news was the enabling the Fernandes Figueira Institute (IFF/Fiocruz) as the primeiro first Reference Center of Attention to People with Rare Diseases in the State of  Rio de Janeiro . In Paraná, Carlos Chagas Institute (ICC/ Fiocruz Paraná) inaugurated the reform and expansion of its facilities , located in the Technological Park of Health (Tecpar), in Curitiba.

In November, two public health emergencies have stirred the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. On the 12th, the National Infectious Diseases Institute Evandro Chagas (INI/Fiocruz), in Rio de Janeiro, received a case of suspected Ebola . After all the international protocol to identify the disease, experts at Fiocruz ruled out the suspition of the virus . Another problem that surprised the medical community was the identification of zike virus in two cases of microcephaly . The increase in the reporting of cases of microcephaly, mostly in the Northeast, caused the Ministry of Health to decree a Public Health Emergency of National Importance. Good news in the fight against Aedes aegypti, which transmits chikungunya, zika and dengue fever, was the launch of the DengueTech biological insecticide , which marked the opening of the seminar on Health surveillance of viral diseases. The month ended with the release of the Infamy Female Dictionary , which deals with the reception and diagnosis of women in situations of violence.

December was marked by the increase in the number of cases of microcephaly and other unpublished complications caused by zika virus. To tackle the problem, the federal Government announced the National Plan to Confront Microcephaly , in partnership with States and municipalities. But there were also good news. Brazil received the certificate of elimination of rubella and of congenital rubella syndrome of the World Health Organization (WHO). December was also the month the 15th National Health Conference , held in Brasilia, which had the theme Public health care quality to take good care of people. Before the legislative recess, the Senate approved the new Science, Technology and Innovation Code , which took the key contribution of Fiocruz since the beginning of the processing of the bill, in 2011.

Source: Agência Fiocruz de Notícias (Fiocruz News Agency).