57th MEDTROP: satellite events will be a great opportunity to exchange knowledge and partnerships

In addition to the satellite events, an intense scientific program was prepared, with 14 pre-conference courses, 50 mini-conferences, 72 round tables, 30 conferences, 109 speaker slots for oral presentations and 1314 poster presentations and a post-conference course

As in previous editions, the 57th Congress of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine (MEDTROP) has traditional and important satellite events: Annual Applied Research Meeting in Chagas disease and Leishmaniasis (ChagasLeish 2022), 9th National Workshop of the Brazilian Network of Research in Tuberculosis REDE-TB, 9th Workshop in Genetics and Molecular Biology of Insects Vectors of Tropical Diseases (Entomol9), 7th Brazilian Social Forum to Confront Infectious and Neglected Diseases and 2nd Covid-19 Forum. Participation in satellite events expands public engagement and enables group integration. In addition, it is an opportunity for the exchange of experiences and expertise between the participants, who discuss possible partnerships in other fields and in collaborative projects. Once again, MEDTROP is able to bring together researchers from Brazil and abroad, not only for its scientific program, but also for the interest in satellite events.

The president of REDE-TB, Dr. Ethel Maciel, explains that the purpose of the Workshop is to expand the discussions between researchers, students and professionals involved in activities related to HIV/AIDS TB, in the knowledge and insights of what is latest in the scientific community in the various fields to face tuberculosis. “The goal is to contribute with expertise and scientific tools so that, alongside with health managers, we can produce epidemiological evidence that reinforces the review and/or recommendation to incorporate new products or new care practices in the field of TB,” she adds. Also according to her, the Workshop, throughout its editions has corroborated with the various scenarios of TB research, such as, incarcerated populations, primary, secondary and tertiary care (hospitals), strengthening care for migrants in Brazil, people with TB/HIV co-infection, multidrug-resistant TB, Indigenous populations, among others.

Conceived and led by Dr. Sinval Pinto Brandão Filho, former president of SBMT and former director of the Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM/Fiocruz), in partnership with IAM colleagues and researchers from other institutions in Brazil, the Entomol aims to disseminate advances in research on insect vectors, achieved by reference groups in Brazil and abroad, and promote high-level scientific discussions on tropical diseases with an impact on public health. This forum addresses genetics, molecular biology and control of insect vectors and focuses on research on insects involved in diseases such as filariasis, arboviruses, malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis and Chagas disease. Dr. Brandão Filho, explains that despite the remarkable expansion of this field in Brazil, the number of researchers properly trained to conduct these tasks is still limited, reflecting in the need for training and qualification of human resources in the areas that permeate the so-called Molecular Entomology. For him, the execution of Entomol contributes to the process of professional improvement of the research groups active in this area of knowledge in Brazil.

With a history going back more than 30 years, ChagasLeish has become a reference in the Brazilian calendar by bringing together researchers, teachers and students from different areas of knowledge. It represents a traditional event, created in 1984 by a pioneering group of Brazilian Tropical Medicine, which was previously called the Meeting of Applied Research on Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis and seeks to respond to the demands of the Unified Health System (SUS), from the control programs of these two anthropozoonoses, that is, diseases that circulate between people and animals. The meetings involve health managers, governmental and non-governmental organizations and researchers in the areas of Tropical Medicine. One of the great innovations taken by the Chagas Leish Meeting since 2018 is the inclusion of people outside the scientific technical environment, especially those affected by these diseases. The coordinator of ChagasLeish, Dr. Ana Yecê Pinto stresses the important roles of academy and workbench researchers, of workers from the Epidemiological Surveillance and Primary Care of the Health Secretariats of the States and Municipalities and of all levels of the Ministry of Health, who are once again victorious in their function of spreading and inspiring the good science and the SUS philosophy of universality in the care and control of the diseases that mostly affect the neglected populations.

Bringing together leaders of various organizations and social movements in favor of the rights of people and communities affected by Chagas disease, leprosy, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, viral hepatitis, lymphatic filariasis and tuberculosis, the Neglected Diseases Forum establishes a space of representation to face these diseases, gathering efforts and collective experiences of those who experience the reality of being invisible by public policies and investments in research and health development. In its 7th edition, the event was held between November 12 and 13 at the Jean Chicre Bittar Auditorium of Campus II (CCBS) of the State University of Pará, and welcomed the virtual and in-person participation of people motivated to support the cause in Brazil and worldwide. The Neglected Diseases Forum was created in 2016, with broad articulation of various organizations and social movements. Over the years, it has acted as a space for empowerment, articulation and visibility focused on the fight for the rights of people and communities affected and/or living with infectious and neglected diseases. The National Director of NHR Brazil, Dr. Alexandre Menezes, points out that the discussions of the Forum, as well as in past editions, led to the elaboration of the 2022 Forum Letter, bringing together demands and revindications of the participants. The Charter compiled requests and aspirations of affected people, leaders, movements, organizations and researchers represented in the Forum.

Divided into four main scientific axes (surveillance, PREPARATION and RESPONSE, control and prevention mechanisms, clinical management and combating disinformation), the 2nd Covid-19 Forum will present discussions to contribute to the mitigation of pandemic effects and the disease, whether in symptoms caused by the infection or the impact generated in the health system and in the populations quality of life. In addition, the event held major conferences with updates on the main scientific advances for the understanding of Covid-19. According to the coordinators of this 2nd edition, Dr. André Siqueira and Dr. Rodrigo Stabeli, only qualified discussions under the light of science can transform subsidies and solutions into in public policies to combat SARS-Cov-2 infection and all its consequences and diseases that may resemble. Also according to them, the Forum is another contribution that the BSTM promotes to understand the disease and its control mechanisms for a better quality of life of the Brazilian population and to strengthen the SUS.