The first Researcher Consortium for Integrative Health in Latin America is established in Brazil
The establishment of the first Researcher Consortium for Integrative Health in Latin America was announced during the Fisrt National Conference of Integrative and Complementary Health Practices, held in Natal, in October 2017. The Consortium, created by 25 Researchers from 19 Brazilian universities, aims to contribute to strengthen the scientific legitimacy of integrative and complementary health practices (ICHP), their credibility, and sustained integration to the Unified Health System. The Brazilian collective effort was inspired on the Academic Consortium of Medicine and Integrative Health, from North America, which gathers 72 centers dedicated to the study of medical systems and non-conventional health practices, affiliated to universities in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The establishment of the Brazilian Consortium, which intends to be a structuring force in research in this field in the country, was received as a blessing by the community of social players in ICHP, and by the Ministry of Health, which announced its support to the initiative. The Ministry of Health, by means of the National Coordination of ICHP, Department of Primary Care, announced a cooperation agreement with BIREME/PAHO/WHO, designed to develop collaboration and knowledge management tools, to generate a registry of Research, to gather relevant related electronic resources, and carry on strengthening capacities for Investigation in ICHP. These developments are integrated to the VHL in Traditional, Complementary and Integrative (TCI) Medicine.
The Brazilian Consortium aims to positively influence in quality of research in ICHP, generating evidence that will contribute to improve individual and collective health, as well as rendering of healthcare services in Brazil. Moreover, the Consortium will make bridges among Researchers, healthcare professionals, healthcare decision-makers, and the general population, taking advantage of the information technology tools.
Founding Members of the Consortium, October 14, 2017 in Natal , Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
The Brazilian researchers also intend to inspire their peers from other Latin American countries, to advance in consolidating national and international partnerships for collaborative research in ICHP. Associating the Brazilian Consortium to the specialized VHL of the area, managed by a regional collaboration network, will enable expanding the impact of the consortium to beyond the Brazilian borders.
The Brazilian Consortium is getting closer to its North American counterpart. They will meet at the First International Conference on Integrative and Complementary Medicine and Public Health, organized by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, to take place in Rio de Janeiro, on March 12-15, 2018.