December 2019
José Roberto Ferreira
The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) mourns the death of Dr. José Roberto Ferreira, co-founder and joint coordinator of the Center for International Relations in Health (CRIS/FIOCRUZ), which occurred on 25 December. Ferreira was recognized by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) as a public health hero for the Americas, due to his extensive contribution throughout his career. The funeral will be held on December 28 at the São João Batista cemetery, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“We will never forget him due to his friendship, care and devotion for the Center for International Relations in Health. Zé Roberto, as he was locally known, shaped the contemporary international relations of FIOCRUZ and left a legacy that we will carry on for life”, said Paulo Buss, ex-president of FIOCRUZ and current coordinator of CRIS.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, José Roberto Ferreira graduated in 1957 from the National Faculty in Medicine, Brazil University, which is currently known as the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). He began his professional activities at the Surgery Clinic of the Ipanema Hospital, and made several contributions for the Institute on Cardiovascular Research. He was editor for the Brazilian Journal in Medicine and Brazilian Journal on Surgery, which were both scientific publications of the National Academy in Medicine. He was also author, together with Aloísio Amâncio and Hellio Barbosa, of Controle clínico do paciente cirúrgico, a widely used textbook on the pre- and post- operative situation of patients.
Throughout his professional career, Ferreira held several positions, which were relevant for educational planning, organization and administration in the field of medicine, at the Ministry of Education and Culture, in different universities and faculties, the PAHO, and other organizations. In 1969, due to local political interference and without proper conditions of working at the University of Brasilia (UnB), Ferreira renounced to the vice-deanship and accepted the invitation by PAHO, in Washington DC. For twenty-seven years, at different periods, he was positioned as the head of the Human Resources Department, the Research Sector and director of Health Infrastructure, until his retirement in 1996. In that year, Ferreira returned to Brazil and entered into FIOCRUZ.
Ferreira participated on more than 300 international events and published 179 scientific and technical works. He was the recipient of numerous national and international awards during his professional career, among them the Oswaldo Cruz Gold Medal of the Ministry of Health of Brazil and honorary professorships at the following academic institutions: the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University; the FIOCRUZ National School of Public Health; the University of Sucre, Bolivia; and the University of Brasilia (UnB).
Read in HCSM blog:
International cooperation in health: the case of Fiocruz
Read in HCS-Manguinhos:
International cooperation in health: the case of Fiocruz. By José Roberto Ferreira, Claudia Hoirisch, Luiz Eduardo Fonseca and Paulo Marchiori Buss (vol.23, no.2, Apr./Jun. 2016).
Fiocruz as an actor in Brazilian foreign relations in the context of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries: an untold story. Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Mar 2015, vol.22, no.1, p.153-169. ISSN 0104-5970.
In the news:
Dr. José Roberto Ferreira honored by PAHO as Public Health Hero of the Americas
