Bahiana hosts a Seminar to mark the National Day to Combat HTLV

In reference to the National Day of Confrontation of HTLV (March 23), it was held, on March 19 and 20, at the Cabula Campus of Bahiana, the Seminar Commemorating the National Day of Confrontation of HTLV. The meeting, of national scope, had the objective of discussing several aspects about the virus and its scenario in Brazil. The event's opening panel included the rector of Bahiana, Maria Luisa Carvalho Soliani, the researcher and professor at Bahiana Bernardo Galvão Castro-Filho, the president of the HTLVida Association, Márcia Brandão, the vice-director of Research at Fiocurz Bahia, Ricardo Ricio, and the national health advisor and representative of the National Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS, Moysés Souza, in addition to representatives of the state and municipal health departments. More than 180 representatives of health agencies from Brazil's 27 states participated in the event.

In her speech, the dean of Bahiana She stressed the importance of developing research that serves the SUS and society, and that, with this, initiatives such as the institution's HTLV Center have made HTLV no longer invisible. "Since 2002, with the creation of the Integrative and Multidisciplinary Center for Care for HTLV Carriers, we have been resisting and insisting that HTLV no longer be invisible, so that people could learn more about the virus and the conditions in which people with it live. In 2010, we supported the formation of the HTLVida association, because we believe that civil society has enormous strength, and we see that here," said Soliani. Agreeing with the rector, Dr. Bernardo Galvão emphasized that the formation of the opening panel itself confirms the realization of a dream. "We have researchers, public managers and civil society here. Allow me to borrow the words of actress Fernanda Torres: 'Life is worth it!' and, in reference to the film, I still emphasize that we are still here, we will still be here and we will continue our fight as long as necessary to control this infection that causes so many problems for infected people", declared Galvão.

A Bahiana was present at the event with the presentation "Health Mentors: Experience in Education in HTLV", with speeches by Laurides Farias Santos (HTLVida), Milena Lisboa, coordinator of the Health Mentors Extension Program, and, at the end of the event, with the theme "HTLV: The art of hope", with a presentation by the HTLV Center and the HTLVida Association, made by Dr. Bernardo Galvão and Márcia Brandão. The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Health, through the General Coordination of Surveillance of Sexually Transmitted Infections of the Department of HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis, Viral Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections of the Secretariat of Health and Environment Surveillance (Cgist/Dathi/SVSA), in partnership with the Bahia State Health Secretariat (Sesab), the Escola Bahiana of Medicine and Public Health, and the Representation of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) based in Bahia. The event ended with a special tribute to Prof. Dr. Bernardo Galvão, considering the historical, scientific and human relevance of his work in combating HTLV. Plaques of honor were presented by the entities HTLV Network - Brazil, HTLVIDA Carrier Support Group (HTLVIDA) and HTLVida association.