The Brazilian Congress of Parasitology, organized by the Brazilian Society of Parasitology (SBP), is a biennial event that brings together experts from Brazil and international guests to discuss various areas of parasitology. This year, the event was held for the first time in Sergipe, and the main theme is "What are the major challenges for the control and elimination of parasitic diseases?"
The Institute of Technology and Research (ITP) was present at the event, with researchers dedicated to conducting studies on regionally important parasitic diseases.
Paulo do Eirado, CEO of ITP, emphasizes the importance of the institute's participation in the event: "ITP's participation in an internationally-oriented event like this is very important. Especially when we have the presentation of research by our own researchers. So, our contribution is not only being present, but also making ITP available to all research related to the field of parasitology."
Dr. José Mauro Peralta, President of SBP and organizer of the event, highlights the relevance of the Congress: "It is an event that usually brings together around 700,000 people approximately. Brazil is a country where several parasitic diseases occur, and research is essential for the development of vaccines and diagnostics."
Dr. Cláudia Moura de Melo, a researcher at the Laboratory of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (LDIP) at ITP, emphasizes the importance of the event: "This is the twenty-eighth Brazilian Congress of the Brazilian Society of Parasitology. It is the first time that Sergipe hosts the event, and this year's theme is extremely relevant for the control and elimination of parasitic diseases."
Research in parasitology is challenging as parasitic infections and diseases are caused by living organisms that exhibit variability in social, political, and economic contexts. Dr. Cláudia Moura de Melo highlights: "These challenges still require a lot of research effort. This is the objective of the research group at ITP and the Tropical Diseases Pathology Research Unit, which always seeks new approaches and studies to address these challenges."
The Congress also featured the participation of renowned international experts, such as Dr. Hector Garcia from Cayetano Heredia University (UPCH) in Peru. He emphasizes the importance of the event in disseminating and generating interest in research on infectious diseases in poor countries: "These diseases contribute greatly to inequality and poverty. It is important for students, parasitologists, and physicians to have spaces to obtain updated information."
