Brasília, 6/18/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Tomorrow Brazil will participate in a Mercosur meeting of ministers of Health, in Assuncion, Paraguay, for talks on a common medicine policy for the economic block (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), plus associate members, Bolivia and Chile. Also on the table, discussion of integrated action plans to prevent and treat AIDS, an area where Brazil has a world referral program.

The Brazilian Ministry of Health has recently sought to work closer with neighboring countries. A polio vaccination campaign involving 11 bordering countries just took place. In 2002, Brazil donated R$10 million in medicine to 10 Latin American countries, with half going to Argentina.