Friends, colleagues and former students praise Frederico Simões Barbosa

Notícia publicada em:

  • 5 de Setembro de 2016

Tributes to the scientist Frederico Simões Barbosa, performed within the celebration of the 66 years of Fiocruz Pernambuco, were closed on the afternoon of last Friday (September 2nd), with the panel “Public Health”. To speak of the relationship of Frederico – that is the way he liked to be called – with this field of Science, researcher of the Sérgio Arouca National School of Public Health (Ensp/Fiocruz) Carlos Coimbra; former President of the Brazilian Association of Public Health (Abrasco) José Carvalheiro, researcher at Fiocruz Brasilia José Paranaguá; Professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) Heloísa Mendonça and the Vice President of Education, Information and Communication (VPEIC) at Fiocruz, Nísia Trindade, were invited. 

Read more about the celebration here and here.

Heloísa Mendonça, from the Federal University of Pernambuco, emphasized that the thinking and acting of Frederico can be analyzed both under the framework of the development of social medicine and public health. He was a master in politics, in addition to intellectual committed to social causes. Heloísa also inquired what would Frederico think about the constraints that have been imposed to the Unified Health System (SUS) and said she believed he would be “very apprehensive”. “On one hand by the destruction of the dream of thousands of Brazilians who believed in the advancement of a social protection system. On the other hand, he would be very sympathetic to all workers in the public health who understand Brazil is living in violent breach in the constitutional process”, she explained.

Centenário ParaguanáFor José Paranaguá (picture), from Fiocruz Brasilia, it is impossible to dissociate the persona of Frederico Simões Barbosa, separating the educator, parasitologist, the sanitary engineer and scientist. “Frederico was a quantum being, in the sense it was baptized by physicists at the beginning of the last century. They claimed that nature behaves depending on the circumstances: sometimes particle or sometimes wave. Frederico behaved as a parasitologist or educator or sanitarian or researcher depending on what he had to do. “Paranaguá worked on the Assisting-teacher project coordinated by Barbosa in Planaltina (DF), when he was a professor at the University of Brasilia. The proposal of the project was to deploy a health education work compatible with the needs of the population.

Centenário NísiaVice President of Education, Information and Communication (VPEIC) at Fiocruz, Nísia Trindade (picture) said she was surprised with the works of Friedrich, who have strong political and social content. She defined him as a man of “strong courage and moral behaviour” and highlighted as innovative the pernambucano researcher action to involve the community in the control of schistosomiasis. Frederico conducted a field study in Pontezinha (PE), considered a pioneer study, emphasizing basic sanitation actions and community development for control of the disease transmitted by snails. In this job also he has suspended the use of molluscicides, which he believed to be ineffective in combating the disease and to be toxic to humans.

José Carvalheiro, former President of Abrasco, spoke of the time of Frederico at the institution which he helped to create and was the first President. Carlos Coimbra pointed out aspects of the researcher who was the first Director of Fiocruz PE and the his influence in his life.

Source: Fiocruz Pernambuco.