The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA celebrated 20 years of partnership with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in Brazil and the Brazilian Ministry of Health.
In these two decades, over 37 million dollars have been invested in programs in Brazil to combat diseases. More than half of these funds have been directed towards combating HIV/AIDS and come from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). PEPFAR activities focus on expanding access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care interventions for HIV, including improvements in surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation. Over the past 20 years, PEPFAR has contributed to the introduction of innovations in the Brazilian public health system, such as HIV self-testing, Tele-PrEP, automated self-test dispensers, and fast-track circuits for advanced disease.
The cooperation agreement between the CDC and Fiocruz, renewed every five years, includes actions aimed not only at HIV but also at other emerging diseases, depending on the pandemic or epidemic situation. Over 20 years of partnership, it has been possible to develop initiatives to combat the Zika virus, tuberculosis, malaria, and more recently, Covid-19.
According to the Minister-Counselor of the U.S. Embassy, Colleen A. Hoey, “this extraordinary partnership goes beyond conventional cooperation; it signifies a deep commitment to improving health outcomes and protecting our populations from the far-reaching threats of infectious diseases.”
Source: U.S. Embassy