New research center will survey health in the Amazon through an unprecedented study of vulnerable populations – Jornal da USP

.

A new center of scientific excellence, based at USP’s University Hospital (HU) Clinical and Epidemiological Research Center (CPCE) in São Paulo, will work to reduce the impact of chronic diseases on populations in the Amazon. Named the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) for Broad Investigation in the Amazon Region of Health (IARA-Health), the center was approved under Public Call 19/2024 by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). The program supports network-based research projects that make significant contributions to scientific, technological, and innovation development in the Legal Amazon, with a focus on sustainability and openness to social innovation.

“The initial success of IARA-Health – being selected in a highly competitive call for INCTs – is the result of the swift mobilization of researchers from the Amazon region,” explains project coordinator Paulo Andrade Lotufo, from USP’s Medical School and University Hospital (HU). He noted that the initiative brings together more than 100 researchers from 27 federal and state universities and research institutes across the nine Amazon states, in addition to USP.

The institute will focus on describing the epidemiological profile of populations in the Amazon, particularly riverine communities, quilombolas, Indigenous peoples, and extractivists. This work will be carried out in coordination with Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) – including the Indigenous Health Secretariat (Sesai) – as well as civil society organizations and federal science and technology institutions. The goal is to identify the main risk factors, diseases, and healthcare needs related to chronic conditions among Amazonian populations.

With an investment of R$ 9 million in public resources, IARA-Health will fund epidemiological studies, acquisition of equipment for local research centers, and training of local scientists through scholarship grants. “The participation of Research Support Foundations from the nine states of the Amazon region will be fundamental in supporting researchers from their own states,” Lotufo emphasizes.

The new INCT’s operations will also involve support from the Ministries of Health (MS), Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Environment and Climate Change (MMA), Education (MEC), Sports (Mesp), Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), Planning and Budget (MPO), and Defense (MD), in specific areas. The project will also count on collaboration from federal institutes such as the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), the National Institutes of Amazon Research (Inpa) and Space Research (Inpe), the Renato Archer Information Technology Center (CTI Renato Archer), the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), as well as the Emílio Goeldi Paraense Museum and the Evandro Chagas Institute.

Health research and everyday application

The first phase of the project will involve staff and technicians from more than 130 campuses of universities in the Amazon region, conducting a prevalence study on morbidity, diet, mental health, disability, and anthropometric, physiological, and biochemical measurements, similar to the Longitudinal Study of Health (ELSA-Brasil), a project already underway at CPCE. The results will allow comparisons by gender, ethnicity, and place of residence among the campuses included in IARA-Health, as well as analyses against data already available from ELSA-Brasil.

.

The second phase will focus on measuring and analyzing the burden of disease and associated risk factors in particularly vulnerable populations. Selected sites include Alcântara (MA), the municipality with the largest number of quilombola communities; Laranjal do Jari (AP), home to the country’s largest riverine slum; and the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve (AC), along with other communities yet to be defined.

The project also proposes epidemiological monitoring of critical points along the new bioceanic routes of the Amazon, such as Oiapoque (AP), Boa Vista (RR), Tabatinga (AM), Guajará-Mirim (RO), and Assis Brasil (AC). The growing interconnection between Brazil and other South American countries is expected to increase the circulation of people, goods, vectors, and pathogens across different biomes, requiring permanent surveillance along these routes.

The innovation process will be structured around two main axes: care pathways in Primary Health Care and the implementation of diagnostic and treatment methods in the region. Knowledge generated by epidemiological research will enable practical applications in Primary Health Care, aligned with local SUS structures and communities, especially the most vulnerable. Rapid diagnosis and treatment approaches for prevalent diseases may be tested in laboratories already operating at universities in the Amazon region.

.
Training and active participation

Lotufo stresses that IARA-Health also seeks to strengthen human resource training in the region, offering scholarships for undergraduate research, as well as master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral studies. The program follows an inclusive approach, with specific quotas for Indigenous peoples, quilombolas, and riverine populations. “All research participants will receive training in ethical principles, epidemiology, anthropology, sociology, and public policy, with special attention to environmental issues,” he said.

The project will take place in partnership with universities in South America, mainly in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, and also with France, due to its proximity to French Guiana. Additionally, the institute will be open to funding from Northern Hemisphere agencies, in line with the goals of the INCT.

According to the coordinator, IARA-Health will work directly with Indigenous populations to ensure their active participation in shaping the study, moving beyond the traditional passive role of merely receiving information. This effort will be accompanied by outreach initiatives for the general public, including podcasts, videos, and research manuals.

With information from INCT IARA-Health

English version: Nexus Traduções, edited by Denis Pacheco