INCOBRA - Increasing International Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation between Brazil and the European Union

The first workshop of the Brazil-EU STI-Net bilateral collaboration was held at the Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade da Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo on the 24th and 25th May. Funded by INCOBRA, STI-Net is a new collaborative professional network between networks and partner organisations in Europe and Brazil, focusing on anti-microbial resistance (AMR) in sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The network’s overall aim is to form an alliance between existing networks and additional partner organisations in EU and Brazil that will exchange expertise, support delivery of national surveillance programmes, share innovations in healthcare pathways and scientific research focused on STIs and AMR, and provide a foundation for establishing a global surveillance network. See the full list of partners here.

The workshop was a great opportunity to establish common goals and share knowledge on topics such as digital innovations in STI service provision and public health surveillance, and whole genome sequencing in STI management and surveillance. Discussions were lively and fruitful, and we managed to agree priorities for inclusion in applications for research and development funding in the coming year. A second workshop will be held in London to begin writing the funding application. The second workshop will be held at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine from the 30th July to the 1st August.