​​USAID/Brazil Presents our new Global Health Specialist

November / December, 2023 - With 21 years of experience in public health, Janaina Sallas is the new Global Health Specialist at USAID/Brazil. In addition to sharing her knowledge and experience, Janaina will strengthen health activities in partnership with local organizations in the Amazon region.

Sallas will work in technical cooperation with Brazil on the one health agenda with states, municipalities and the federal government to strengthen preparedness, detection and response to emerging infectious diseases.

Janaina loves animals and nature. She graduated in biology with a dream of seeing quality health services offered to each individual. She dedicated herself to strengthening the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS), working at the Ministry of Health for a few years.

She lives in the capital, where she earned her master's and doctorate at the University of Brasília (UnB). She worked for 13 years in the area of detection, surveillance and response to health incidents and emergencies, including outbreaks of influenza, Zika, Covid-19, monkeypox, and others.

She participated in the preparation, execution, monitoring and evaluation of national and international cooperation projects and served as a professor in the Department of Public Health at the Department of Health Sciences at UnB.

Janaina is a mother and loves to dedicate her time to her family.  She was born on Iemanjá’s - a celebrated orixá in African-based religions and Our Lady of Sailors Saint Day. Her name is an homage to celebrate life and honors both saints’ connection to the sea.