By Ana Paula Blower (Fiocruz News Agency). Published on 28/11/2025

Fiocruz was officially introduced as the executive secretariat of the Global Coalition for Local and Regional Production, Innovation, and Equitable Access, an initiative led by Brazil’s Ministry of Health within the framework of the G20. The announcement was made this Friday (28/11) during the group’s first meeting, which discussed the coalition’s terms of reference and challenges — with dengue being the first priority proposed by Brazil. The Foundation’s president, Mario Moreira, took part in the virtual meeting and reaffirmed Fiocruz’s commitment, in leading the initiative’s work, to equitable access to health products for vulnerable populations. In a video message, Health Minister Alexandre Padilha welcomed the new members — the African Union and Africa CDC — who joined the group at the most recent G20 ministerial meeting in South Africa. He also stated: “It is an honor to announce the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation as the permanent executive secretariat of the Coalition, reinforcing our commitment to equitable access.” Fernanda De Negri, Secretary for Science, Technology and Innovation and for the Health Economic-Industrial Complex (Sectics), praised Fiocruz as the “most important research and production institution in the country.” The meeting was chaired by Marise Nogueira, Head of the Special Advisory Office for International Affairs at the Ministry of Health. Mario Moreira emphasized the responsibility of leading the Coalition’s work and thanked the Ministry of Health for its trust: “We received this mandate with immense joy,” he said. “We see the Coalition not only as a mandate, but as an opportunity for greater unity, greater responsibility, and more effective coordination among the various existing strategies, platforms, and initiatives across all regions.” Moreira highlighted that, in addition to responding to the demands of Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS), Fiocruz also has a strong global identity. Over recent decades, the institution has taken on leadership roles in several global health initiatives, including epidemiological intelligence, research and development networks, South–South cooperation, and efforts to strengthen local and regional productive capacities. “We are an institution committed to articulation, coordination, and the creation of spaces where countries and partners can design joint solutions,” the president noted.

The Coalition

One of Brazil’s proposals during its rotating presidency of the G20 was the creation of the Global Coalition for Local and Regional Production, Innovation, and Equitable Access, aimed at addressing research and development needs and ensuring access to new and existing antibiotics to treat resistant infections. In May this year, the initiative was formally launched during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. The initiative thus emerges from a commitment to overcoming the health inequities exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, advancing the proposal of a new model for production and access to innovation for essential health technologies — such as vaccines, therapies, and diagnostics — for neglected diseases and for people living in vulnerable conditions globally, especially in Latin America, the Caribbean, and developing countries.