On Friday (9), Health Minister Nicia Trindade and Culture Minister Margaret Menezes signed a technical cooperation agreement to develop joint actions that will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – Agenda 2030, the quality of life of the population and guaranteeing the right to health and culture, with a focus on the most vulnerable and historically excluded groups. The signing took place at the National Library in Rio de Janeiro. Among the actions provided for in the ministerial agreement is the implementation of the Covid-19 Pandemic Monument.
On this occasion, Nicia highlighted the importance of the intersectoral work of President Lula’s government in resuming care for the people and preserving the memory of the victims of the pandemic. “The signing of this agreement represents a partnership that integrates several activities that address health and culture at the same time. We are committed to not forgetting what happened during the pandemic,” he stressed. “This cultural project, which focuses on health promotion, seeks to promote individual and collective health. It is a special moment that brings a national perspective on health, promotes a culture of peace and strengthens the unified system.
The space will be located in the Cultural Center of the Ministry of Health in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to the monument, the agreement proposes joint policies in the areas of public health and culture. The signed document also expands the possibility for ministries to integrate projects with common objectives and exchange technical knowledge.
“The signing of this agreement is a special moment in which we reaffirm and organize actions to strengthen the collaboration between culture and health. Culture plays a fundamental role as a tool to transform and improve the quality of life. I am very happy to sign this agreement with Minister Nessia. We have lost more than 700,000 people who died alone in their families due to the lack of adequate care. We cannot forget this,” stressed Margaret Menezes.
The Ministry of Health will also receive technical support from the Ministry of Culture to prepare notices for cultural and architectural projects and exhibitions. Furthermore, the department is committed to promoting training and exchange activities with agents Living CultureCultural bridges and regional agents, as well as community health agents, with a focus on popular health education.
Health and Culture
As part of the commitments of the agreement, the two departments will work to promote mental health and the adoption of healthy habits, through cultural activities and the integration of health and cultural agents, such as Pontos de Cultura Viva and psychosocial care networks.
They will also be able to implement health education and prevention actions in the network of cultural equipment and spaces, with a focus on Ceus das Artes, museums, libraries and theaters, among others. Likewise, cultural activities can be carried out in the network of health equipment, such as in Basic Health Units (UBSs), Psychosocial Care Centers (Caps), community centers, hospitals, among others.
Monument
The memorial will be a place of visit for residents seeking to engage with the community on cross-cutting themes such as health, science, education, culture and the environment. An act of reparation and memory, it points to the importance of seeking justice for the more than 700,000 people who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.
In the future, the memorial should include, in its facilities, a long-term exhibition reporting on all the remarkable events of the pandemic, from the first news to the last. closingAnd scientific studies to understand the virus and deaths, but also moments of success and discovery such as the first vaccines, among other measures.
The idea is that the COVID-19 Memorial is a living, ever-changing museum, as well as an opportunity to encourage visitors to think about health and the world they want to build in the future.
Igalma Borges
Ministry of Health
