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22°52′29.57″S43°14′43.58″W / 22.8748806°S 43.2454389°W /-22.8748806; -43.2454389
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| Founded | 25 May 1900; 125 years ago (1900-05-25) |
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| Founder | Oswaldo Cruz |
| Location |
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Official languages | Portuguese |
Key people | Nísia Trindade Lima (President) |
| Website | Fiocruz |
TheOswaldo Cruz Foundation (PortugueseFundação Oswaldo Cruz, also known asFIOCRUZ) is a scientific institution for research and development in biological sciences located inRio de Janeiro,Brazil; it is considered one of the world's mainpublic health research institutions. It was founded byOswaldo Cruz, a noted physician and epidemiologist.
The organization started in 1898 as theFederal SeroTherapy Institute with the objective of developing serum and vaccines against thebubonic plague.[1] It was located outsideRio de Janeiro.[1] The institute's activities, however, changed from simple production into research and experimental medicine, especially after Oswaldo Cruz assumed its leadership in 1902. From there on, the institute became the base for memorable sanitation campaigns in an age of outbreaks and epidemics of thebubonic plague,yellow fever, andsmallpox.The institute, however, was not confined toRio de Janeiro and collaborated in the occupation of the country's interior through scientific expeditions, aiding in the development of the country.
When Oswaldo Cruz died in 1917, the institute, which by then already bore his name, was nationally consolidated and important scientific achievements followed, such asCarlos Chagas’ description of the complete cycle of theAmerican trypanosomiasis including the clinical pattern of the disease.
Through the regulations enacted in 1919 and 1926, the different areas of scientific activity were divided into six "sections" in order to establish a clearer division of labor between production routines and research work. The 1919 regulation created the AppliedChemistry section, while the 1926 regulation added sections for Bacteriology and Immunity, Medical Zoology,Mycology and Phytopathology,Anatomical pathology, and Hospitals. The Bacteriology and Immunity section was responsible for preparing vaccines and serums, analyzing medicines sold to the public, and conducting bacteriological tests required for public health.[2][3]
In addition to the scientific sections, the new regulations also established administrative sections such as the secretariat, maintenance, storeroom, and archives, as well as auxiliary sections, which included photography and microphotography, the library, and the distribution of serums and vaccines, among others. This reorganization allowed for an expansion of the staff, including the hiring of laboratory assistants and technical-administrative personnel.[4]
The expansion of these activities also required the development of infrastructure, with the construction of newstables and pavilions. Among these buildings were the Chemistry Pavilion, which housed the chemistry and mycology laboratories, and the Official Medicines Service.[5] During this period, construction of the Manguinhos Hospital was also completed. Conceived by Oswaldo Cruz and named in his honour, this hospital was established to study contagious diseases and provide patient care, playing a crucial role in assisting patients during the smallpox epidemics of 1925–26 and the yellow fever epidemics of 1928–29.[6] In 1940, the hospital was renamed Hospital Evandro Chagas, in honor of its then-director,Evandro Chagas.[7]
Today the institution has a broad range of responsibilities related to the health and wellbeing of the Brazilian population, functioning as a national institute of health for the Brazilian government. These responsibilities include
The Fiocruz workforce members number over 7,500. Fiocruz includes several fixed facilities in Rio de Janeiro and other locations; however, it contributes to improving health throughout the country, through its support to the Sistema Único de Saúde (Unified Health System, the Brazilian public health system), its proposals on public health policy-making, its research activities, its scientific expeditions, and the reach of its health services and products.
Fiocruz is one of the founding members of theInternational Association of National Public Health Institutes, a membership organization ofnational public health institutes.[8] The foundation has a longstanding collaboration withGISAID, analyzing and curatingCOVID-19 virus data in the Americas, then quickly contributing those genetic sequences to the repository.[9][10]
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