Brazil and China sign deal on prevention of infectious diseases
Brazil’s federally funded research foundation Fiocruz has signed a cooperation agreement on science and technology with China’s Center of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Disease (CEEID). The ceremony was held in Beijing on Wednesday (Apr. 12).
“In addition to the cooperation underway in genomics, we also want to give a more technological character to this partnership and develop products for health care. We’re also considering making joint tenders for specific projects and increasing the exchange of researchers between China and Brazil,” Fiocruz President Mario Moreira.
The agreement includes the creation of the Sino-Brazilian Center for Infectious Disease Research and Prevention. Its headquarters will located in Beijing and on the foundation’s campus in Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro.
“For the first time we’re establishing physical centers, to be used by Brazilian and Chinese researchers. We are transforming short events—like visits by researchers—into permanent activities. The idea is to have Chinese scientists here for long: one month, maybe one or two years,” said Carlos Morel, coordinator of the Center for Technological Health Care Development at Fiocruz.
The collaboration focuses on the prevention of infectious diseases and the control of pandemics and epidemics, like that of COVID-19. The nations also agreed to develop public goods to be used internationally, like rapid diagnostic tests, therapies, vaccines, and drugs, as well as projects surrounding tropical medicine.
Special interests
China has special interest in the production of the yellow fever vaccine, which Fiocruz has developed for some time. China’s infrastructure ventures in Africa have expanded and workers from the Asian country have been contracting the disease. For Brazil, on the other hand, it is advantageous to gain access to the production of the active pharmaceutical ingredient used in vaccines such as the COVID-19 inoculation.
According to Fiocruz, talks began before 2019, but were delayed by the pandemic as well as political issues. The foundation considers Brazil’s new administration to be the driving factor behind the new partnership and the further alignment of the interests of both countries.
