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Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz
ISSN: 1678-8060 EISSN: 1678-8060
Vol. 97, Num. s1, 2002, pp. 3-4
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Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de
Janeiro, Vol. 97(Suppl. I) October 2002, pp. 3-4
Foreword
8th International Symposium
on Schistosomiasis - Recife (Brazil), 2-5 December, 2001
Eridan M Coutinho
Symposium Chaulady
Code Number: oc02176
Opening Address
For the second time, the city of
Recife, located in the Northeast of Brazil - a very rich area in potential and
natural beauties, but paradoxally poor because of its social inequalities -
scientists came from all over the world to take part on the 8th International
Symposium on Schistosomiasis. It is also at this moment, that celebrations which
started last year to commemorate 100 years of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fundação
Oswaldo Cruz, and 50 years of its Technical Scientific Unity in Recife, the
Aggeu Magalhães Research Center, are officially closed.
This meeting is being held at an
extremely difficult moment in mankind's history. Some months ago we left behind,
as Prof. Cristovam Buarque said, an insane century, "in which the world,
while searching for technical efficiency, killed justice, and by having concentrated
itself on science, killed ethics. A century in which man, by using his intelligence,
was able to manipulate nature within the limitations of his scientific curiosity,
but was not able to use his same intelligence to transform the world into a
better and more beautiful one, for the benefit of mankind". The poor countries
inherited from the XXth Century the frustrations of their humanitarian dreams,
the ones he had wished to incorporate to marginalized population citizenship,
for it has been impossible to rescue civil rights and build peace based on justice
and solidarity among people.
The progressive breakdown of emergent
nations' competitive power, the fruit of an indiscriminate globalization, has
been leading to tragic results, in which the poor countries, in order to supply
the chronic deficits in their commercial balances and promote their internal
development, get into an international debt, which, in turn, has been deepening
the ditch of worldly inequality and, therefore, fomenting social crises.
Ideological, religious, political,
social and economic contrasts, accumulated throughout centuries, have been feeding,
all over the world, the development of terroristic actions, the fruit of fanaticism,
hatred and radicalism of disparaging and revolting consciences.
The episodes lived through by American
people on that tragic 11 of September 2001, in which thousands of innocent lives
were cowardly destroyed, without any doubt they represented, as British Prime
Minister Tony Blair asserted, an aggression to civilized world conscience. But,
at the same time, what happened there and its present unfolding, represent an
uneven reflection on past actions and have been scattering seeds of expectations
and hopes as to the need of a new international economic order and the arrival
of a new age for all.
It is within this disturbing worldly
scenery, with reflections also on Brazil, that the Fundação Oswaldo
Cruz promotes, for the eighth time, through the Aggeu Magalhães Research
Center, another of its biennial International Seminars on Schistosomiasis, which
started in 1987, in order to discuss more recent positions and suggest strategies
which lead to the effective control, or to eradication of schistosomiasis, an
endemic disease both in Brazil and other regions of the planet, affecting approximately
200 million people.
Although schistosomiasis is a disease
in which its biological cycle and epidemiology are known in most endemic areas
in the world, and that there is a specific and efficient treatment for it, there
are still some aspects that need to be clarified concerning parasite biology,
immunopathology, factors which induce the development of serious types of the
disease, its relationships to host parasite in undernourished populations, and
strategies to control high and low endemical zones, among others.
This Symposium in its context shows
a concern which is expressed in the general theme of the event: Is schistosomiasis
still a challenge for the XXI Century? Why does a disease of known biological
cycle, efficacious therapeutics, easy administration and without serious collateral
effects, still affect in Brazil from 8 to 10 million individuals, with 25 to
30 million exposed to risk and death rates of 4,391 patients, only during the
period of 1990-1997? And, by the way, these official statistics, according to
specialists, probably represent an estimate lower than reality. How to stop
progress of urban schistosomiasis, which in the Brazilian Northeast and in other
regions of the world represents a permanent threat, even to tracts of public
land reserved for tourism, and debilitates the economy of emerging countries?
What is the importance of newly discovered medication, in view of the appearance
of resistance facing the existing ones? Can it be justified, taking into consideration
the present economic picture, the amount of expenditure with researches on anti-schistosomiasis,
in terms of cost-benefit?
All these questions require a deeper
reflection and this Symposium will surely provide, through debates among specialists,
the appearance of new ideas and new solutions.
Nowadays, there is a consensus that
"the effective control of schistosomiasis can not be seen outside the social
and economic context of affected communities; and it will only be met through
social changes which result in the betterment of life conditions of the less
favored populations".
Then, what will the role of scientific
community be, besides its strictly technical contribution, in the silence of
laboratories or by working directly with communities? What are the limitations
of our performance, if we really wish a XXI Century free of parasites, as it
was proposed in Japan in 1998, by Japanese prime minister R Hashimoto, who suggested
the integration of scientific and financial resources of countries belonging
to the Group of the 7 with international organizations, during the opening session
of the 9th International Congress on Parasitology?
This 8th Symposium intends to honor
some living Brazilian scientists, due to their valuable contributions to the
advancement of scientific knowledge in several aspects related to study of schistosomiasis.
These are doctors Wladimir Lobato Paraense, Luis Rey, Aluízio Prata,
Zilton Andrade, José Rodrigues Coura, Naftale Katz, Frederico Simões
Barbosa, Ageu Magalhães Filho and Salomão Kelner.
The trophy which will be given to
them symbolizes our admiration, our respect and our recognition of the work
developed along their fecund lives.
Among the researchers to be honored
there is one who has double citizenship: by birth he is an American, by adoption
he is a Brazilian. I am referring to Dr Allen W Cheever, who was chosen because
of the importance of his work, by the affection with which he has planted his
roots in this country and as a representative of American scientific community
present at this session, to whom this Symposium pays honor and shows solidarity
for the tragedies which have happened in the United States, since last 11 September.
I can not conclude these words without
a very sincere "thank you very much" to this Symposium Steering Committee,
for their day-by-day dedication and enthusiasm. For these last two years they
have stood by me, sharing tasks and taking over responsibilities. To the Steering
Committee must be given credit for any success we may get throughout this 8th
Symposium.
Words of gratitude also go to Dr
Paulo Machiori Buss, President of the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz and
Honor President of this 8th International Symposium on Schistosomiasis, for
his support, friendship and readiness to solve multiple inner and external difficulties
related to the organization of this event.
Our thankfulness is, of course, extended
to our sponsors: OMS/TDR (Special Programme for Tropical Diseases Research and
Training, in the person of Dr Carlos M Morel and Fábio Zicker; to the
Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology (here represented by director Dr Eloan
Pinheiro); to vice-president of Research and Technological Development of Fiocruz
(here represented by Dr Euzenir Nunes Sarno); to the National Center of Epidemiology
of the National Health Foundation (here represented by its director Dr Jarbas
Barbosa); to the Secretariat for Special Policies of the Health Ministry (here
represented by Dr Cláudio Duarte); to the Aggeu Magalhães Research
Center (here represented by its director Alexandre Bezerra de Carvalho); to
Cinzel (here represented by Dr Carlos Tavares) and to Paulo Loureiro, Clinical
Analyses Laboratory.
Finally, we are also very grateful
to our colleagues who are taking part in Conferences, Round Tables and the Committee
for the Judgment of Awards "Jose Pellegrino" and "Amaury Coutinho"
to be awarded during the Closing Session of this Conclave, and to Pernambuco
State University which sponsored these prizes.
To the authorities who are attending
this meeting, on behalf of the Steering Committee and on behalf of myself, I
thank you for the honor of the presence of each one of you.
Dear colleagues who are participating
in this Symposium: you are very welcome to this city of both literary and historical
traditions. The people from Recife, are proud of their contribution to the history
of Brazil. It is with pleasure that we shall start working together tomorrow
morning. All of us will have a good time and are going to take advantage of
our sincere fellowship.
We have lost the XXth Century, in
the emerging countries, in the struggle against poverty and misery, background
of the so-called underdevelopment diseases. There will be no development if
man will ever need to be extending his hand in order to ask for food. If he
still gets sick and dies because of lack of basic sanitation, and abundance
of parasites which bring about verminous diseases and other diseases related
to bad environmental conditions.
We shall not lose the XXI Century!
Eridan M Coutinho
Symposium Chaulady
Copyright
2002 Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz
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