USAID Launches Health Program in Brazil during Zoonosis Management Webinar
July, 2024 – USAID hosted the webinar Zoonotic Diseases: Integrating National Strategies and Practical Knowledge on July-10. The event included the official launch of USAID’s Health Program in Brazil. It was a valuable opportunity for healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and all those interested in zoonotic diseases to get up to date on best practices, and to discuss new perspectives on how to address the challenges related to infections transmissible from animals to humans, including leptospirosis, rabies, and yellow fever.
The webinar was held in partnership with the Brazilian Health Ministry and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to mark World Zoonosis Day, celebrated on July 6. It brought together 11 participants, and up to 190 people watched it online.
The main points discussed by the panelists included current monitoring and surveillance strategies for zoonotic diseases in Brazil and the challenges in implementing One Health, a collaborative and crosscutting approach that recognizes the interdependence between human, animal, and environmental health, and promotes cooperation among these three areas. In this regard, participants addressed the need to strengthen public healthcare infrastructure, train professionals, and improve communication between different sectors.
Furthermore, success stories in zoonosis management were presented, demonstrating how the integration of animal, human, and environmental healthcare policies may lead to positive results. Participants also discussed the future of public healthcare in Brazil, especially the importance of continuing to invest in research, technology, and public policies.
“This year, the United States and Brazil are celebrating 200 years of diplomatic relations. Our cooperation plays a critical role in promoting public awareness about the importance of fighting zoonoses, developing integrated policies, protecting public health, and investing in research and new technologies to care for human, animal, and environmental health. In addition to celebrating this date, we have officially launched the USAID Health Program in Brazil, an effort dedicated to strengthening surveillance capacity, promoting the prevention and control of zoonoses, and implementing integrated One Health strategies,” said Mark Carrato, USAID director for Brazil.
Zoonotic diseases are a significant public health concern globally due to their ability to emerge and spread rapidly, causing outbreaks and pandemics. “Most emerging infectious diseases in humans—around 60%—are transmitted by animals, in particular through wild fauna and flora. Over time, these threats are becoming more prevalent and more severe, and have significant long-term consequences. [...] We are adopting an integrated One Health approach to address these threats,” summarized Miguel Aragon, coordinator of Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases at PAHO/WHO in Brazil.
Janaina Sallas, coordinator of USAID's Global Health Program in Brazil, moderated the event. She believes that creating such spaces for dialogue and experience sharing is extremely relevant. “This year, USAID has started resuming actions in the healthcare sector in Brazil, with the aim of supporting local and national capacities in the implementation of One Health. Our goal is to be prepared to prevent, mitigate, and respond effectively to the occurrence of outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics. Through established partnerships, we seek to support initiatives that may develop capabilities together with local authorities and communities, including Indigenous populations.”
Importance of the date – World Zoonosis Day is an internationally recognized date. This is not only due to the success of the work of French scientist Louis Pasteur, who, in 1885, administered the first vaccine against rabies, but also because it marks the first efforts to understand and prevent zoonotic diseases. The expansion of unsafe agricultural practices, unsanitary conditions for small, medium, and large animals, deforestation, disorderly occupation, climate change, and other factors increase the risks of emerging infectious diseases.
“In Brazil, we have more than 36 zoonoses under surveillance. For some of them, we have made important progress, such as in human rabies mediated by dogs: indeed, Brazil expects to obtain its eradication certification next year. We continue working to strengthen our capabilities for both surveillance, diagnosis, and control of these diseases, prioritizing an intersectoral and interdisciplinary approach,” said Edilson Ferreira de Lima Júnior, from the Health and Environmental Surveillance Secretariat at the Ministry of Health.
Other participants included Adriana Lucena, general coordinator for Indigenous Health Surveillance at the Secretariat for Indigenous Health of the Ministry of Health; Tânia Fonseca, general coordinator for Surveillance and Reference Laboratories at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ); Silvia Neri Godoy, environmental analyst at the National Center for Research and Conservation of Wild Birds at the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), under the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change; Marcelo Mota, director of the Department of Animal Health of the Secretariat of Agricultural Defense at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock; Ricardo Moratelli, coordinator for the One Health Translational Research Program at FIOCRUZ; Felipe Rocha, adviser on Zoonoses and Veterinary Public Health at the Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health Center (PANAFTOSA); and Alex Rosewell, coordinator for Emergencies, Evidence, and Intelligence in Health (PAHO/WHO).