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Visit provided an opportunity to build on strategic partnerships with UK/Brazilian universities and government representatives and meet a City alumnus in São Paulo

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Staff and students from the School of Health and Psychological Sciences (SHPS) travelled to the University of São Paulo in Brazil in early December to join international partners from around the world for a series of meetings, workshops, and research site visits with the University’s Centres for Antimicrobial Optimisation Network (CAMO-Net).

The City contingent comprised Dr Raheelah Ahmad, Director for Global Engagement for SHPS and Knowledge Mobilisation Lead for CAMO-Net UK, and two students from the MSc Health Management programme, Feride Simsek and Ilias Kubica, providing them with a unique opportunity to learn about Brazil’s healthcare system, medical innovation and research. In addition, the delegation from the UK included academics from the University of Liverpool and Imperial College London.

Building relationships

The visit also provided an opportunity to build on strategic partnerships with UK and Brazilian Government representatives, enabling CAMO-Net to enhance the University’s  international reputation as well as influence government policy in Brazil to improve the health outcomes of the communities around São Paulo and beyond.

CAMO-Net is a Wellcome Trust-funded, multidisciplinary global collaboration of researchers working to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans. Joining the scientific delegation from City and other UK universities were members of the CAMO-Net partnership from Ghana, India, South Africa, and Uganda, alongside Wellcome Trust Science and Research Manager, Dr Chibuzor Uchea.

Principal Investigators from each CAMO-Net site met at a management board meeting to discuss updates from around the network, as well as plan the next steps for sharing knowledge and capacity strengthening at each CAMO-Net site. The management board also discussed the development of a global data resource for AMR.

Speaking about the visit, Dr Ahmad said:

Global engagement at its best – current students, a City alumnus, research and training in a packed four-day visit. Feride and Ilias were great ambassadors for the School of Health and Psychological Sciences. The generosity of the CAMO-Net Brazil team was humbling. Special thanks to Ronald Poon-Affat, City alumnus, and health financing actuary expert Raquel Marimon for generously sharing their insights on the past and future of health systems and societal equity in Brazil.

City staff and students visit Brazil for antimicrobial resistance research and policy meeting

  • São Caetano do Sul visit

    Members of CAMO-Net with health care professionals and administrators in São Caetano do Sul.

  • Camo-Net Uganda team

    Dr Ahmad (second left) with the CAMO-Net team from Uganda.

  • Lunch with City alumni

    Ilias and Feride meet with Ronald Poon-Affat, an alumnus of City, and Raquel Marimon.

  • Meeting with Dr Valeria Aoki

    (From left) Feride Simsek, Dr Raheelah Ahmad, Dr Valeria Aoki and Ilias Kubica.

City connections

Besides sharing the CAMO-Net message on AMR, the visit to Brazil enabled Dr Ahmad to meet with valued alumni as well as new contacts who are keen to work with City and SHPS.

While in São Paulo, the City contingent met with Ronald Poon-Affat (BSc Actuarial Science, 1983), Life and Health Underwriting Director at IRB Brasil RE and an Alumni Ambassador at City for Brazil, and they discussed Brazil’s health financing and other health-related issues.

Dr Valeria Aoki, President of the International Relations Committee for the University of São Paulo Medical School, also opened the event and spoke with Dr Ahmad, Feride and Ilias about future opportunities for collaboration.

Talking about their time in Brazil, Feride and Ilias said:

This was an enriching experience, as we were able to gain first-hand experience of the dynamics and functionality of the Brazilian healthcare system. By attending meetings and workshops run by CAMO-Net, and embarking on-site visits to research facilities, clinics and universities, this trip gave us a holistic and immersive insight into the processes involved in Brazilian healthcare.

You can read more about CAMO-Net on camonet.org.

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