This semester, BIREME/PAHO/WHO is exchanging knowledge and information with the technical areas of the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MoH) on the results achieved by the Centre in coordination with the MoH and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). The technical reports present the status of the products agreed in the Cooperation Terms (CT) 93 and 95, which support BIREME’s Biennial Work Plans.
They cover a series of information and knowledge management projects that have an impact on the entire health information network, including the publication, organization, access and use of scientific and technical information on health, especially in the Americas, aiming to facilitate the use of the most up-to-date evidence available in clinical decision-making and management processes. The reports also highlight the regional scope of the Center’s actions, with activities, products, and services that can be replicated and used at the local, national, and regional levels.
Find below some selected highlights of the main products and services from the current Annual Work Plan that were agreed upon in CT 95. Results agreed under CT 93 are available in Part I of this article. Access here.
Cooperation Agreement No. 95 – Enhancement of the Management of the Executive Secretariat of the Ministry of Health of Brazil
The actions carried out within the framework of CT95 stem from a partnership with the Department of Health Systems and Services (HSS) of PAHO/WHO, the responsible technical area, in coordination with the Ministry of Health of Brazil. Signed in 2016 with an initial validity until 2021, it was extended until the year 2026 through the 8th Adjustment Term (TA). To contribute to the general objective of “mapping, identifying, and analyzing management processes within the Executive Secretariat of the Ministry of Health,” BIREME carries out activities within the framework of Adjustment Terms TA6 and TA9, as described below.
TA6 aims to develop activities for the “Enhancement of the Management of the Executive Secretariat of the Ministry of Health of Brazil” and the “Strengthening of the management and dissemination of the Virtual Health Library (VHL) in Brazil.” BIREME is responsible for the implementation of two macro-activities, which include improvements in the operations of the VHL network, the BiblioSUS network, and the LILACS database, as well as the development of technological innovation products for users, such as Windowns of Knowledge, Evidence Maps, and others.
TA9, on the other hand, includes macro-activities such as “Promoting the improvement and innovation of technical-scientific information tools in the field of the Brazilian health system (SUS)” and “Promoting the enhancement of the management and dissemination of VHLin Brazil.” The results presented in the first-semester report include verification sources that show that technical cooperation actions with the network and technological developments have led to a significant increase in access to the portals of VHL instances and information and communication products and services in health.
In total, BIREME’s contribution to CT93 comprises 16 activities that include specific goals to develop, monitor, execute, and improve the use of health information, among which the following results stand out.
– Bibliographic control and quality of the description of Brazil’s scientific and technical literature in VHL information sources: A robust component that includes indicators of Brazil’s contribution to the databases managed in the FI-Admin system and regional sources; training, courses, and the manual for indexing documents according to the LILACS Methodology, with activities developed in collaboration with the LILACS Indexers Network, and courses available on PAHO’s Virtual Campus of Public Health, Introduction to Scientific Communication and Advanced Scientific Communication, which together reached a total of 7600 enrollments and more than 3700 certificates in the first semester of 2023.
– Support services for VHL users, promoting access and use of technical and scientific information within the health system: In the first semester of 2023, 649 inquiries were conducted through VHL user support channels, addressing general questions about information services and specific questions, such as issues related to research in data sources or the use of DeCS/MeSH descriptors.
– Analysis of Brazilian scientific production in VHL information sources: Quantitative and qualitative analyses of Brazil’s scientific production were carried out through infometrics studies and, indirectly, with the Evidence Maps developed by BIREME.
Other results for the semester include activities related to the operation and management for improvements in the VHL Brazil Network and Instances and in the web portals BiblioSUS Network, VHL Stations Network, and VHL MoH. Finally, results related to the communication and dissemination of products and services are tallied, primarily implemented through the BIREME Bulletin, which published 26 news articles in three languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and English) in the period.
Advancements, recommendations, and lessons learned in the context of CT93 and CT95 will also support the BIREME Work Plan for 2024-2025, which is in an advanced stage of development and is expected to be finally approved by the Executive Management of PAHO/WHO before the end of 2023. Detailed reports of the tasks performed in CT93 and CT95 will be available soon on the “PAHO/WHO Cooperation Terms (CT) with Brazil” page, where all reports are published and maintained.