TGHN LAC highlights scientific communication and innovation at the Alames Congress
The Global Health Network Latin America and the Caribbean (TGHN LAC) took part, with representatives from Brazil and the Dominican Republic, in the XVIII Latin American Congress of Social Medicine and Public Health, held in Rio de Janeiro from 4 to 8 August. The event brought together more than 2,500 participants, including researchers, students, professionals, and institutional representatives committed to strengthening health research in the region.
The Fiocruz team at TGHN LAC was represented by Executive Coordinator, Flávia Bueno; Data Coordinator, Larissa Marques; Researcher, Laís Araújo; Communication Analyst, Luisa Picanço; and Researcher, Letícia Marinho. From Fundación Étikos, the participants were the Regional Coordinator of the Mesh, TGHN Hub, Luis Felipe Arias Soto; the institution’s Director of Education, Olga Lucía Jape Collins; and lecturer of the same foundation, Alin Maybet Gil Heredia.
Scientific communication as a strategy in health research
On 4 August, during the pre-congress, the Roundtable “Scientific communication as a strategy for equity in health research in Latin America and the Caribbean” was held, led by Letícia Marinho, Luisa Picanço, and Flávia Bueno. The event gathered more than 35 participants and demonstrated how TGHN LAC can contribute to the integration and strengthening of research in the region, using scientific communication as a driving force for developing more inclusive communities of practice, and addressing challenges and opportunities to build collaborative and sustainable networks in global health.
For the Executive Coordinator of TGHN LAC/Fiocruz, Flávia Bueno, the congress reinforced the importance of regional integration. “We want to connect institutions and researchers so that the knowledge produced in Latin America and the Caribbean can be used in health research, respecting the realities of the countries in our region and valuing the knowledge and research produced locally,” said the coordinator.
Pathfinder methodology and its application in public health
On 5 August, the workshop “Pathfinder in Health Research: mapping challenges and finding solutions to innovate” was held, conducted by Larissa Marques, Laís Araújo, and Luis Felipe Arias. Pathfinder consists of mapping the cycles of a health research project to identify obstacles, such as skill gaps, insufficient technological infrastructure, or limitations in data systems and tools, with the aim of enabling the search for solutions and innovations for the development of the study itself, as well as recording these experiences so that they can support other teams and projects.
For the Data Coordinator of TGHN LAC/Fiocruz, Larissa Marques, the methodology plays a key role. “Pathfinder helps us to uncover invisible bottlenecks in the daily life of research and turn them into opportunities for innovation,” said Marques.
The researcher from Fundación Étikos, Luis Felipe Arias, emphasised the impact of the approach on international cooperation. “The methodology shows that many challenges are common across countries and can be overcome collectively with innovative strategies,” highlighted the representative from the Dominican Republic.
During the workshop, participants were introduced to practical examples of the methodology and took part in exercises to build a Pathfinder matrix based on a case study, reflecting on how to adapt it to their own research contexts.
Regional cooperation and exchange of experiences
In addition to these activities, the team from the Dominican Republic presented oral communications and posters, addressing experiences in implementation research, community engagement, and studies on malaria. The Fiocruz team at TGHN LAC presented oral communications on experiences within the network with scientific communication and Pathfinder applications in Brazil and across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Participation in the congress was an opportunity to bring researchers from Étikos and Fiocruz closer together and strengthened TGHN LAC’s role as a community of practice in the region.
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