Brazil and Portugal want to prepare together for new epidemics

The Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, said this Saturday (22) that Brazil and Portugal will sign an agreement for joint preparation for future epidemics and health emergencies. The minister is part of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s entourage on his state visit to Portugal. “Both Brazil and Portugal share a common vision, which is the resilience of health systems that need to be strengthened to face this type of adversity, which, of course, we do not expect to configure with the severity of the covid-19 pandemic, but also with the capacity for autonomy in the production of vaccines, medicines and other health inputs”, said Nísia. The minister highlighted that the two countries can cooperate to strengthen their universal health systems. “They are two countries with universal, open systems, there is much to share experiences”. According to Nísia, it is also possible to advance in the mobility and exchange of health professionals from both countries. “I commented on the Mais Médicos Program in Brazil and the possibility of learning from the experiences of health promotion in Portugal. There is an analysis of Portugal’s difficulty in retaining health professionals in the country. So, it is also a field in which we can advance a lot”. The portfolio holder also highlighted the signing of the memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and the ministries of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Health, Economy and the Sea of ​​Portugal.

Agência Brasil