Brasília - Over the next few days, more than 600 delegates from the areas of health, science, and technology hope to discover options that create greater proximity between scientific research and activities intended to benefit public health in Brazil. The delegates are in Brasília for the 2nd National Conference on Science, Technology, and Innovation in Health, opened officially on Sunday (25) by the Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Gastão Wagner.

The Secretary pointed out that research in the health area must be reflected in outcomes that decrease the limitations of public health in Brazil. The government's plan, according to the Secretary, is to establish an organ linked to the Ministry of Health to administer resources and scientific research activities in this sector. "We are changing science and technology policy in the Ministry this year and in 2005. We need to put together an organization to manage the resources," he underlined.

For his part, the coordinator of the Conference, Reinaldo Guimarães, who represents the Ministry of Science and Technology, said that he hopes the debates in the Conference permit the government to redefine its stance with regard to the production process in the health area, especially the manufacturing of drugs and components by Brazilian industries. "There is a trade deficit of around US$ 3.5 billion in this sector. Moreover, Brazil is unprepared when it comes to the production of a series of absolutely strategic products, such as blood derivatives and insulin, for example. We must arrange means to increase our self-sufficiency in terms of the products produced in this country," he emphasized.

The 2nd National Conference, which runs through Wednesday (27), unites various specialists in the search for solutions that will draw research closer to the reality of public health in Brazil. The 1st Conference was held ten years ago, and, according to the organizers of the meeting, most of the proposals made in 1994 were implemented by the Ministry of Health and other federal government organs.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Gabriela Guerreiro
Translator: David Silberstein
07/27/2004