The National Institute of Public Health of Guinea-Bissau (Inasa) wants to expand the bilateral cooperation agreement it already has with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), signed in 2015. The first negotiations for new forms of cooperation with the Brazilian foundation were discussed in a trip that the president of Inasa, Dionísio Cumbá, made to Brazil in early May.
“We want to find solutions that fit our ability and the Guinea-Bissau needs,” explains Production VP and Innovation in Health at Fiocruz, Marco Krieger. According to him, there is a commitment to the Brazilian foundation to expand cooperation with the African country.
“The health area is the one that feels the most when the country lives in a difficult context”.
Among the needs discussed during the visit are the necessary infrastructure for the establishment of the National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP) and the training of professionals. Other African countries, such as Mozambique, already have similar agreements. Another cooperation already initiated and that must advance is the creation of a Milk Bank in the country.
“The health area is the one that most feels when the country lives in a difficult context,” says Cumbá. “Child starving is something that shocks a lot. So this area of maternal and child health is a priority for us.” Fiocruz has long experience in this area, being an international reference in the development of milk banks.
According to Augusto Paulo Silva, coordinator of the International Relations Center on Health Fiocruz for Africa and CPLP, this is another step of cooperation between Fiocruz and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries. He believes that the Inasa laboratory is a pioneering project for Guinea-Bissau and that it has the potential to become a model in the history of Brazil-Africa cooperation.
Health as strategy for development
Guinea-Bissau has a history of political instability since its independence and its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is one of the lowest in the world.
With information from the Fiocruz News Agency