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Global Health Econ Sustain International scientific cooperation in public health

horizontal perspective – the project evidenced robust An example of the articulation between the COVID-19
effectiveness, distribution, and utilization of the available pandemic and the syphilis epidemic was the development
resources. Moreover, the project has also encouraged of the Salus Platform. The platform had to address both
foreign researchers’ mobility to Brazil, stimulating diseases, even though it was initially designed for syphilis.
their interest and boosting research results. This is the Adopting a new technology like Salus during the pandemic
case for research internships, the organization of joint would have been almost impossible if it did not aid COVID-
international events, or requests for new projects between 19 monitoring – and that was an important lesson (Brito
Brazilian and foreign universities. et al., 2023; Fernández-Portillo et al., 2020; Lee et al., 2020).
The “Syphilis No!” Project developed international After the pandemic, the model the project implemented
cooperations that spontaneously and synergistically for the cooperations presented a new tendency of growth in
created an international research network. In the specific actions compared to the pre-pandemic period. In this vein,
case of syphilis, this represents the sustainability of an the sustainability of cooperation activities was described
international cooperation network that invites Brazil to as a pillar of international cooperation in health. For the
resume its leading role in the global health governance interviewees, this dimension represents the continuity of
agenda (Ventura et al., 2020). This will formally strengthen the benefits generated by the project after its end, even after
a network between institutions and researchers that can the conclusion of a cooperation agreement.
be replicated for other global health issues and needs –
something extremely valuable in the post-pandemic world The interviews showed that financial planning was
and in a global and interdependent world. fundamental to achieving good results and implementing
the cooperation measures in a way that went far beyond
Establishing an international cooperation network what was originally planned. The allocated funds not
requires long-term joint activities by the participating only strengthened the sustainability of cooperation but
institutions. A project such as “Syphilis No!” enabled also synergized other sub-projects and helped drive
this level of academic investment and consolidated the public health policy, demonstrating the effectiveness
architecture of a mechanism that can be applied to other and efficiency of the project’s investments. A close look
research projects with converging objectives in the fields of at the relationship between the amounts invested and
innovation and health. Likewise, the forward-looking work the indicators – especially those in Table 4 – clearly
of LAIS/UFRN will become an instrument of international demonstrates how solid the results are and their impact on
engagement not only with syphilis but also with any other the national and global health agenda.
epidemic or medical demands that need to be addressed at
an academic-scientific level. The OER developed for the AVASUS are case in point.
In the context of the syphilis epidemic, changes in the SUS
Even in the face of a public health crisis such as workflows ignited actions under the national policy on
the COVID-19 pandemic, the project’s international syphilis control. Such initiatives were associated with the offer
cooperation missions were not suspended, indicating of educational resources on the topic of STIs on AVASUS. The
the pro-science nature of the movement. It withstood increase in syphilis testing was one of the changes observed
the tensions caused by the prevailing, most anti-science (Caitano et al., 2022; J. L. R. S. Valentim et al., 2023).
political attitudes at the time, whose tendency would
jeopardize the future of the implementation of the 2030 Process improvement was also observed. During the
Agenda in Brazil (Fernández-Portillo et al., 2020; Ventura development of the project, processes were redesigned and
et al., 2020). Moreover, the syphilis epidemic in Brazil has improved through research, learning, and the experience
not been halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. gained (Ferreira et al., 2023). These factors have contributed
to improved and transparent analysis of activities and have
Remarkably, such a complex movement was overcome
by the project’s high commitment, adaptation, resilience, promoted the discussion about the system and interaction
in international cooperation in health care. The results
and responsiveness, which sought to act symbiotically with
the public health crisis triggered by COVID-19. Many of show that the technical-scientific cooperation established
in the “Syphilis No!” Project can be regarded as an initiative
the project’s actions had to be incorporated into the within the framework of cooperation practices.
COVID-19 agenda in an articulated and negotiated way to
ensure their consistency with the theme. This was necessary When also considering cooperation measures with
because the pandemic was an agenda of great importance foreign higher education institutions and international
and priority. If these articulations and negotiations had not organizations, the project’s initiatives are valuable in
taken place, all the actions developed in relation to syphilis achieving the SDGs of the UN’s 2030 Agenda (UN &
could have been lost. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2015). These

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 12 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.3037