Author: Lilian Callo

Open science can be defined as a comprehensive concept that encompasses several movements that seek to open up the entire research cycle and was motivated by the need to share resources between disciplines and increase transparency in all its stages. In order to disseminate the fundamentals of open science and encourage the adoption of its practices by journal editors in Brazil and Latin America, BIREME’s Scientific Communication Coordinator recently participated in two virtual events in the area.

With the theme “The importance of working within networks in the health area”, on June 4^th took place the first of a series of six webinars for the Networks that make up the Brazil VHL Network. The initiative is part of the cooperation established between BIREME and the Ministry of Health, through CGDI/SAA/SE/MS, and aims to strengthen the Brazil VHL Network and, particularly, the BiblioSUS Network.

The Self-Learning Course on Scholarly Communication in Health Sciences hosted at the PAHO/WHO Virtual Campus for Public Health was launched in November 2019 with the aim of promoting the publication of research results in Latin American and Caribbean countries. The course attracted great interest; since its launch, more than 9,000 people have signed up and more than 4,000 completed the training, mainly young nursing professionals and physicians.

LILACS is a database coordinated by BIREME that aims at increasing the visibility and democratize access to scientific output of Latin America and Caribbean countries and to fill the information and knowledge gap necessary to respond to local health demands. The process of evaluating journals for indexing follows international principles and standards, being periodically updated methodologically and technologically to meet the evolution of scientific communication worldwide. Find out the latest innovations incorporated into the LILACS database.

The technical cooperation project established between BIREME and the National Council of Health Secretaries for the development of actions related to information and knowledge management in the public health area, was implemented in a period of 12 months, surpassing the expected results and contributing to increase the visibility, access and use of CONASS technical, scientific and dissemination publications in the context of the Virtual Health Library.

BIREME and the General Coordination of Disease Elimination Surveillance of the Department of Diseases in Chronic Conditions and Sexually Transmitted Infections of the Health Surveillance Secretariat of the Ministry of Health of Brazil (CGDE/DCCI/SVS/MS) signed a technical cooperation project to strengthen the Leprosy VHL within the scope of the TC71 Cooperation Term – Malaria, Leprosy and other Diseases in Elimination, which aims at restructuring the technological platform, expand its collaboration network by promoting the use of the best information to support health and decision-making, besides promoting the regular functioning of the VHL and its information sources.

The PAHO/WHO Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health (EIH) uses information and knowledge generated in LA&C and globally to build innovative products and services that aim at supporting evidence-based policies and sound decisions on public health at regional and global level. The series of webinars called ‘EIH Space’ recently brought up the theme ‘Role of EIH in global knowledge management’, which focused on the Global Index Medicus, a WHO initiative supported by BIREME that brings together in a single platform the world literature in biomedicine and public health produced by low- and middle-income countries. Its main objective is to increase the visibility and use of this important set of resources.

Fiocruz celebrates 120 years of foundation on May 25, 2020. Linked to Brazil’s Ministry of Health (MS), it is one of the most outstanding health science and technology institutions in Latin America, internationally recognized for its excellence in Research and Development. BIREME recognizes its longstanding historical relationship of technical cooperation with the Foundation, which has given rise to numerous events, projects and products in information and knowledge management, with several of its institutes.

Evidence Map is an emerging method of knowledge translation that aims to synthesize, identify, describe, and characterize the scientific evidence that exists for a specific topic or health condition. Recently, BIREME adopted and adapted this methodology to systematize and facilitate access to available evidence on the clinical applicability of Integrative and Complementary Health Practices (ICPs), as well as identify gaps in knowledge in this area. Preliminary results point to the usability of certain integrative practices in the treatment of COVID-19, which are already being recommended by the National Health Council.

With the advancement of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distance and isolation, teleworking has become the way to maintain the development of BIREME’s activities, and especially with the support of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that also require Information Technology (IT) infrastructure and continued support and guidance to its employees and users. Several simple ideas can make work less tiring and more enjoyable. Several tools that enable conversations, meetings and even events are being used and improved. In addition, office tools such as text editors and spreadsheets can also be used in the cloud, meaning that no very sophisticated equipment is needed for the user to be able to develop their activities even when they are in a residential environment. You just need an Internet connection.