- Home
- Middle East
- UAE
- Brazil, UAE can collaborate on vaccines for COVID, future pandemics: Brazilian Minister
Brazil, UAE Can Collaborate On Vaccines For COVID, Future Pandemics: Brazilian Minister
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published October 21, 2021 | 06:45 PM
By Binsal Abdulkader DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 21st Oct, 2021) Brazil is seeking the UAE’s collaboration in its projects to produce vaccines for the existing and future pandemics and other tropical diseases, a senior Brazilian official told Emirates news Agency (WAM).
"We are going to test the first Brazilian vaccine [against COVID-19] this month that can be [useful] for even future pandemics," said Marco Pontes, Brazilian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, who is on a working visit to the UAE.
In an exclusive interview with WAM in Dubai, the astronaut-turned minister said that Brazil has invested in 15 strategies [with 15 types of different technologies] for vaccines. Clinical trials of four of them are starting soon. One among them – an RNA messenger vaccine – will have phase one and two clinical trials this month.
"I think they will be ready for production next year. Brazil will be one more player [in vaccine industry] to be able to help other countries. It is important for South America to have a country [in the continent] to provide vaccines for future pandemics as well," Pontes said.
He added that Brazil will develop vaccines for diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever etc. that are prevalent in tropical countries, including Brazil.
Asked about Brazil’s potential collaboration with the UAE in such vaccine projects, the minister said, "For sure! This is one of the reasons I brought my team here now, not only to demonstrate what we are doing there in Brazil in several different areas, but also to try and get some partnership, collaboration or cooperation, especially with companies [in UAE] that want to work with Brazil.
"
He pointed out that Brazil is a big country with more than 200 million people. "So it's a big market. It's a good opportunity for us and for other countries or investors that can invest in Brazil [in projects including vaccine research and production]," Pontes said.
Before becoming the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil on 1st January 2019, he had an illustrious career as an astronaut.
Pontes is the only Brazilian to go to space and the first astronaut to officially represent a southern hemisphere country in a space expedition. He was a mission specialist on Centenary Mission in 2006, a partnership between the Brazilian and the Russian space agencies. He was responsible for the maintenance of spacecraft systems and execution of research projects, working 10 days at the International Space Station (ISS).
Pontes said Brazil is interested in forging collaboration in the UAE's space projects. About the UAE’s announcement early this month about a new interplanetary mission to be launched in 2028, with the Primary goal of exploring the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the minister said, "I think this is wonderful. I went to the Space Agency here. I talked with some of the guys there and they are amazing. It's really good to have more countries going ahead in space sector. I hope we can work together in some of those projects," he said. Pontes added that students or researchers from both countries can work together.
Both countries can also work together in new and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, biotechnology and related sectors, he said.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
PSX gains 771 points
PITB HR Wing organizes Eid Milan celebration for children at PITB Day Care Cente ..
Cabinet briefed on progress of PIA privatization
Meeting held to streamline trade between Pak-Afghan , Central Asian Republics
SONY x TECNO - is this for real?
Progress of Aaghosh, Bunyad, Khud Mukhtar programs discussed
SBP to announce monetary policy on April 29
London stocks hit new record peak on takeovers
Summer School on Understanding Greenhouse Gas Emission and Measurement Technique ..
Rupee sees slight recovery against US dollar
Govt to out source waste management companies to generate revenue
Rawat police arrest four robbers; recover Rs 700,000
More Stories From Middle East
-
UAE announces ‘Zero Bureaucracy Program’ to reduce bureaucracy
3 months ago -
COP28 President-Designate welcomes Transitional Committee agreement to operationalise Loss and Damag ..
6 months ago -
Global Media Congress 2023 to feature Co-Production Majlis as a new networking platform
6 months ago -
Young female athletes shine at Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship
6 months ago -
King of Jordan receives Abdullah bin Zayed and ministers participating in Arab coordination meeting
6 months ago -
Abdullah bin Zayed participates in coordination meeting of Arab foreign ministers, joint meeting wit ..
6 months ago
-
3rd annual conference of Emirates Society of Clinical Microbiology kicks off in Dubai
6 months ago -
SIBF 2023 hosts Nobel laureate to discuss emergence of ‘Afrofuturism’ in global discourse
6 months ago -
ALC announces winners of Kanz Al Jeel Award 2023
6 months ago -
SIBF turns spotlight on remarkable contributions of women
6 months ago -
Global assets in spot bitcoin ETFs hit $4.16 billion
6 months ago -
Rescuers struggle to find Nepal quake survivors as deaths reach 157
6 months ago