For two days, the city of Asunción, in Paraguay, hosted the 54th Meeting of the Ministers of Health of Mercosur and Associated States. On that occasion, cooperation agreements were signed for greater alignment between foreign trade policy and industrial policy, with a focus on greater preparedness for public health emergencies and the expansion of local and regional production among member countries.

The need to expand mental health care and the impacts of climate change on health were themes present in the speeches of all delegations.

The Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, focused on assistance actions for the population of Rio Grande do Sul, after an emergency caused by heavy rains and consequent floods throughout the state. The Brazilian delegation at the Meeting of Mercosur Health Ministers was represented by the Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Health Economic-Industrial Complex, Carlos Gadelha.

According to Gadelha, the meeting made progress on several fronts, such as, for example, the issue of dengue control and stimulating production and regional technological development of the health industrial complex. “With this, the region will become increasingly prepared to face health emergencies. Together, Mercosur countries will work to reduce inequalities in technological development and health production to guarantee the right to life”, explained the secretary.

In total, seven cooperation agreements were signed:

• Creation of the Intergovernmental Commission to expand regional production capacity for medicines and health technologies (CIECPR);
• Cooperation for access to antivenoms for accidents caused by venomous animals in Mercosur;
• Articulation of the convergent agenda on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexual and reproductive health in Mercosur;
• Project on carrying out transplants in Mercosur countries and associated states for non-resident people;
• Declaration of the meeting of Mercosur health ministers on strengthening actions and developing guidelines for assistance to workers in the health sector of the intergovernmental commission on environmental and worker health (CISAT);
• Declaration of the meeting of Mercosur health ministers on dengue and other arboviruses;
• Declaration of the meeting of Mercosur health ministers on strategic partnerships in health surveillance.

Source: Agência Brasil

Photo: Janary Damacena / Ministry of Health