Isabele Freitas, Luana Teixeira, Nícolas Veras, Thaisa Lima, Mário González and Ricardo Valentim
The research deals with an experience report about the importance of international technical cooperation agreements facing the Syphilis epidemic in Brazil. Due to the constant increase in the number of cases of Syphilis in pregnant women, congenital and acquired, the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MS) decreed in October 2016, a Syphilis epidemic in the country. From then on, the MS adopted a national induction strategy, structured in the field of Syphilis, culminating in a project of the Ministry of Health in partnership with the District and Municipal Health Secretariats, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to combat the Syphilis epidemic. The objective of this article was to analyze the importance of the agreements signed between UFRN and reference institutions in other countries to address public health concerns, with emphasis on the national response to Syphilis and taking into account the objectives of Sustainable Development contained in Agenda 2030, of the United Nations. This analysis was based on UFRN's experience with the bilateral cooperation agreements recently signed within the framework of the ongoing project to combat Syphilis. A descriptive study was carried out based on the documentary analysis of the agreements concluded within the scope of the rapid response project for Syphilis and a review of the qualitative approach literature on international technical cooperation in the area of health, in addition to the authors' perception of the subject. The results obtained to date lead to the conclusion that these partnerships, besides contributing to the interdisciplinary and institutional formation in Brazil, also contribute to the international scientific and academic projection of the country. It is important to highlight UFRN's innovation in the way it has carried out the recent partnerships, since all the work plans elaborated within the context of the bilateral cooperation agreements are focused on producing applied research so that its results function as inducers of public policies in the Health area. The analysis shows that harmonization of interests and mobilization of the capacities of both institutions of an agreement allow for the expansion of the potential impact of programs and projects, as well as enhancing the gains and benefits of the countries involved. Corroborating with this fact, it is clear the importance of promoting the mobility of the academic community as a way to diversify and improve the training of human resources and generation of knowledge. In this context, we believe that this study can contribute to discussions and reflections in the development and strengthening of research in the area of international technical cooperation agreements as a strategy to overcome challenges found in the scope of global health.
Global Health; International Cooperation in Health; Syphilis.