In November 2024, BIREME carried out the annual selection of journals for the LILACS database, ensuring the inclusion of scientific publications of high quality and relevance to the health sciences. The Evaluation Committee approved three new journals, reinforcing the continued commitment to technical cooperation in favor of health information in Latin America and the Caribbean. Check out the details.
October is the month internationally dedicated to breast cancer awareness, and BIREME joins the global efforts for prevention and care. In 2024, the discussion was reinforced by updates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which highlight new approaches and strategies for early detection, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
From September 30 to October 4, 2024, at the 61st PAHO Directing Council, BIREME is presenting its products and services at an interactive booth, promoting digital transformation in health information management. Director João Paulo Souza and manager Verônica Abdala highlight strategic partnerships, new initiatives and innovative solutions, while provoking reflections on the capacity of health systems in the Americas to promote scientific knowledge in different health contexts.
Three new countries were elected to the BIREME Advisory Committee during the 61st Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), held from September 30 to October 4, 2024. From 2025 to 2027, representatives nominated by the Ministries of Health of Colombia, Honduras, and Jamaica will participate in the Center’s annual governing meetings and contribute to the formulation of recommendations that will strengthen BIREME’s projects, products, and services, as well as support innovation in its technical cooperation program with countries in the Region.
On a recent mission to India, BIREME Director João Paulo Souza participated in a WHO technical meeting on the use of artificial intelligence to accelerate the integration of Traditional Medicine into national health systems. The progress of the WHO Global Library of Traditional Medicine, developed by BIREME using a Scrum approach, and the creation of a global user community were presented.
BIREME and Brazil’s Ministry of Health have set up a Directing Committee responsible for the technical cooperation projects “Updating the Second Formative Opinion Program” and “Decision Aids”. This committee is responsible for guiding the coordination of the development of these initiatives aimed at supporting decision-making in health. The Technical-Scientific Committee for these projects will also be set up shortly, establishing essential governance bodies for carrying out the activities.
BIREME is adopting a strategy focused on technological innovation, prioritizing agile methodologies and solutions that directly meet the needs of users. Among the innovations under development are the generation of texts by artificial intelligence, automatic document indexing tools, the incorporation of Large Language Models into the VHL and content personalization. The use of these technologies aims to optimize the user experience, improve access to information and increase the efficiency of BIREME’s processes.
At the PAHO Brazil booth, BIREME presented products and services dedicated to supporting the decision-making of managers, researchers, and health workers on issues related to tropical medicine. The 59th MEDTROP Congress, held in São Paulo in September, promoted essential discussions on tropical and neglected diseases, reinforcing the need for an integrated and multisectoral approach, as advocated by the “One Health” concept.
Held virtually on August 29, 2024, the XIII Session of the BIREME Advisory Committee was attended by members representing PAHO and four countries from Latin America and the Caribbean: Brazil, Cuba, Chile, and Trinidad and Tobago. The 2023 results and the developments of the 2024-2025 Biennial Work Plan were acknowledged, with a focus on the implementation of the 2023-2025 Strategy and the incorporation of advanced technologies in health information products and services.
The 10th Session of the BIREME/PAHO/WHO Scientific Committee was held on August 27, 2024. The main objective of this session was to present and discuss BIREME’s work plan for 2024-2025, aligned with the BIREME Strategy 2023-2025 “Towards Information Industry 4.0”. Recommendations highlight priorities for health information, including the incorporation of broad language models and the personalization of products and services.