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Global Health Econ Sustain International scientific cooperation in public health

contributions are based on the indicators (Brasil, 2018) for global, intercultural, and interdependent world. In this
monitoring and evaluating the 17 SDGs and their respective context, it was noted that the international technical and
169 targets developed by the Institute for Applied Economic scientific cooperation activities within the project were
Research (IPEA). When analyzing the performance of wide-ranging, as they covered all the modalities offered
cooperation measures, it becomes noticeable that such by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of
contributions mainly focus on SDG 3 (Brasil, 2019) and Foreign Affairs. The project has helped to publicize the
SDG 17 (Brasil, 2020) and lie in the context of human, syphilis agenda in the areas of health, education, science,
scientific, and technological development at a global level. and technology while also shedding light on the syphilis
Regarding SDG 3 (Brasil, 2018; 2019), which aims epidemic in countries that did not have this issue on their
to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, public health agendas.
cooperation activities contribute specifically to targets 3.3, The introduction of a performance measurement
3.7, and 3.b. These targets address urgent public health system in the form presented in this study allows evaluation
issues, including combating STI epidemics, promoting and comparison of international scientific cooperation
access to sexual health services and supplies, and promoting in the field of public health, including other established
health technologies and innovations. international partnerships. It also enables the identification

While SDG 17 (Brasil, 2018; 2020) focuses on strengthening of weaknesses and strengths and the proposal of targeted
implementation mechanisms and reinvigorating global efforts to improve specific areas.
partnerships for sustainable development, international This action research shows that the partnerships
cooperation measures play a prominent role, especially created through international scientific cooperation,
in targets 17.16 and 17.17. These are inextricably linked to focused on the development of research and products,
strengthening partnerships for knowledge sharing and SDG contribute to the promotion of public health policy
achievement, promoting effective partnerships in the public, while allowing the exchange of knowledge, techniques,
public-private, private, and civil society sectors. experiences, and technologies that are essential for the
international cooperation of Brazilian higher education
5. Conclusion institutions. This could be investigated in future studies
International scientific cooperation activities require that analyze the architecture of international cooperation
performance measurement systems that deliver results developed by LAIS/UFRN, its practice, and its role in the
to make partnerships more efficient and effective. In the internationalization processes of the Federal University
health sector, it has proved necessary to build specific of Rio Grande do Norte. This contribution will have
benchmarking using cause-effect relationships, as used implications for studies in the area of international
in already consolidated models such as the balanced relations in health and education.
scorecard method. The reason for this is indeed that
international scientific cooperation in public health care Acknowledgments
has a different purpose and has peculiarities that contrast We kindly thank the Laboratory for Technological
with the objectives of the cooperative environment in Innovation in Health (LAIS) at the Federal University of
which most performance measurement systems have Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) and Brazil’s Ministry of
been developed. Thus, the perspectives and performance Health for supporting this study.
indicators should point to the results and products
expected from international scientific cooperation in Funding
public health. The Brazilian Ministry of Health funded the present
This action research demonstrated the establishment study through the “Syphilis No!” Project, executed by the
and strengthening of a broad and diverse network of Laboratory for Technological Innovation in Health (LAIS)
international scientific cooperation under the umbrella at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN).
of the “Syphilis No!” Project, reinforcing the crucial role
of this type of public health intervention in responding Conflict of interest
quickly and effectively to epidemics and promoting The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
sustainable development.
International cooperation is an essential and Author contributions
fundamental strategy for strengthening countries’ Conceptualization: Thaisa Gois F. M. S. Lima, Karilany D.
health systems and addressing health challenges in a Coutinho, Manoel H. Romão, Rodrigo P. de Campos,

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 13 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.3037