Author: Lilian Callo

In February 2023, Carla Saenz (PAHO/WHO Regional Advisor on Bioethics) visited BIREME and met with the Director of the Center, João Paulo Souza, to discuss collaboration opportunities in three main topics: (1) Development of a research project on “How to communicate the notion of risk to the lay population?”; (2) Mapping health knowledge gaps project; and (3) Health implementation research. These themes are part of a new BIREME Cooperation Strategy 2023-2025, under development, considering the successful mutual cooperation in the context of the ProEthos platform (HSS/PAHO/WHO).

The Course on Access and Use of Scientific Information in Health was published in 2017 in its first version, having certified more than 20 thousand participants by 2022. BIREME has just revised and launched a new version in Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French, directed to professionals, researchers, managers, and students who search for information and scientific evidence in the main sources of information in the Virtual Health Library and aims to develop technical skills to carry out efficiently a search for scientific and technical information.

Due to the dynamics of knowledge production, the revision of thematic categories of the DeCS thesaurus is a continuous need in the context of terminological updating. The category Homeopathy was launched in the 1990 edition of DeCS, in collaboration with experts from the Associação Paulista de Homeopatia. The last revision of the category Homeopathy was more than 10 years ago. For this reason, since October 2022, BIREME has been making technical adjustments to these descriptors, supported by experts.

In coordination with PAHO/WHO Brazil, BIREME was present in activities and events in Brasilia, D.F., aiming to strengthen its technical cooperation program and institutionality in Brazil. We highlight the meetings of Director João Paulo Souza at the Ministry of Health and PAHO Brazil, and the participation of Administrator Silvia de Valentin in a workshop on Prevention and Response to Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment promoted by the Ethics area of the Organization.

World Cancer Day 2023, celebrated on February 4th, advocates “Close the care gaps” and the call to unite our voices and take action. PAHO/WHO joins this campaign to call everyone, collectively and individually, to commit to strengthen actions aimed to improve access to quality care, including screening, early detection, treatment, and palliative care. BIREME, in its mission to provide access to scientific and technical health information, makes cancer information available in the Virtual Health Library Cancer Prevention and Control and through other search tools.

Dr Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr was sworn in as PAHO/WHO Director on January 31 at the Organization of American States headquarters in Washington, D.C., USA. In the presence of authorities from Brazil and the region, Dr Barbosa takes office with a commitment to work to address the historic inequalities among and within countries, and to ensure recovery from the covid-19 pandemic. To this end, his mandate will be based on five strategic pillars.

The foundations of the Open Science Recommendation agreed upon at the 41^st United Nations General Conference in November 2021 include (1) making scientific knowledge open, accessible, and reusable for all; (2) increasing scientific collaboration and information sharing for the benefit of science and society; and (3) opening the process of scientific knowledge creation, evaluation, and communication to society beyond the scientific community. These themes constitute the central framework of a new scholarly communication course recently launched by BIREME.

The indigenous peoples of the Yanomami territory are experiencing a humanitarian crisis due to lack of assistance and difficulties in access to health care, which led the Ministry of Health of Brazil, through the Ordinance GM/MS n° 28 of January 20, 2023, to declare a Public Health Emergency of National Importance in the Yanomami Territory. In solidarity with this emergency, BIREME joins the mobilization actions and develops a Showcase of Knowledge in the VHL to facilitate access to scientific evidence and relevant technical information for professionals who work in the confrontation of the emergency.

The technical cooperation activities between the Ministry of Health of Brazil, through the 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 the 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.

Representatives of BIREME participated in the I Curso Internacional de Bibliotecas Médicas y Promoción Científica, which occurred virtually in January 11-13. The course, promoted by the Unidad de Desarrollo de Investigación, Tecnologías y Docencia del Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño de San Borja of the Ministry of Health of Peru, aimed to develop skills and competencies in management of medical libraries.