The technical cooperation activities between the Brazilian Ministry of Health, through the General Coordination of Documentation and Information of the Secretariat of Administrative Affairs, Executive Secretariat (CGDI/SAA/SE) and PAHO/WHO through BIREME include the elaboration and improvement of products and services of scientific and technical information that aim to contribute to the development of research, education, and health care systems.
Recently, the cooperation between BIREME and CGDI has found an opportunity to include art allied to cultural and educational projects. In November 2022, for example, BIREME supported the realization of the exhibition Nanoarte in the Cultural Center of the Ministry of Health[1]. The exhibition brought together more than 70 works produced from the capture of images of materials on a nanometric scale, in addition to an interactive panel available to visitors. In August 2021, BIREME supported the organization of the exhibition Culture and Health, whose objective was to reveal the relationship between the concepts of culture and health, creating a ludic and immersive environment through reproductions of famous paintings, historical facts, scenic objects, texts about current projects, among other elements.[2]
The Cultural Center of the Ministry of Health celebrated its centennial in 2022 – the historic palace was built in the early twentieth century, in 1922, for the Exhibition of the Centennial of Brazil’s Independence – and to mark this important date, a Cultural Walk through the palace that houses the CCMS was organized. “The idea is to allow the public to interact with historical knowledge in a dynamic way, walking through the places where the main facts of our history happened. It is to realize that the city is something alive, which is renewed all the time[3] – explains historian and activity promoter Marcelo Alexandre do Nascimento. Besides the Cultural Tour, an exhibition of the centennial of the palace remained open to the public until February 3rd.
Last December, the theme “Integrity: cultivate this idea” was the theme of another exhibition[4] at CCMS. The proposal seeks to translate the themes of integrity, inviting the public to reflect on the importance of each person’s commitment to disseminating a culture of ethics, honesty, and honesty. The Cultural Center of the Ministry of Health was responsible for the layout, revision, and technical supervision of the exhibition, and BIREME was in charge of hiring a specialized company to print, install, maintain, assemble, and disassemble the cultural exhibition. The exhibition will be open to the public until the end of March this year.
The Integrity exhibition is related to the 4th Integrity Week, organized by the Ministry of Health between December 8 and 13, 2022. The action is linked to the International Day Against Corruption, established in a United Nations (UN) Convention and celebrated every year on December 9. The date aims to strengthen international cooperation to broaden the prevention and fight against corruption worldwide.
Actions of this nature by CGDI/SAA/SE/MS supported by BIREME are an indication that it is important to broaden the focus of technical cooperation activities beyond products and services of scientific and technical information in health, including cultural and artistic exhibitions that have as their target audience the whole society.
[1] BIREME supports ‘Nanoarte’ exhibition at the Ministry of Health’s Cultural Center. BIREME Bulletin n° 73. Available from: https://boletin.bireme.org/pt/2022/11/03/bireme-apoia-exposicao-nanoarte-no-centro-cultural-do-ministerio-da-saude/
[2] BIREME supports ‘Cultura e Saúde’ exhibition of Brazil’s Ministry of Health. BIREME Bulletin n° 59. Available from: https://boletin.bireme.org/en/2021/08/31/bireme-supports-cultura-e-saude-exhibition-of-brazils-ministry-of-health/
[3] Passeio cultural comemora os 100 anos do palacete do Centro Cultural do Ministério da Saúde. Centro Cultural do Ministério da Saúde. Notícias. 25/11/2022. Available from: http://www.ccms.saude.gov.br/noticias/passeio-cultural-comemora-os-100-anos-do-palacete-do-centro-cultural-do-ministerio-da-saude
[4] Exposição destaca o engajamento como fator essencial para a disseminação da integridade. Centro Cultural do Ministério da Saúde. Notícias. 15/12/2022. Available from: http://www.ccms.saude.gov.br/noticias/exposicao-destaca-o-engajamento-como-fator-essencial-para-disseminacao-da-integridade