The SARS-CoV-2 and Zika virus outbreaks have reshaped global perceptions of effective scientific practice during public health crises. Building on these experiences, this diverse session presents a filmed dialogue between interdisciplinary researchers from the Centre for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS) in Salvador, Brazil. The film interrogates how systemic inequalities—in data access, funding structures, and healthcare delivery—shape both the trajectory of scientific inquiry for the and the questions that can be asked and answered. This session encourages attendees to engage with the ethical and epistemological dimensions of equity in the study of infectious disease outbreaks and their consequences. The first half of the session will feature an introduction by the session organizers, followed by a showing of the film and then a commentary by Lukas Engelmann aimed at placing these contributions in historical perspective. The second half of the session will involve a discussion with attendees around the issues raised by the film and speakers. The session is funded and supported by the PHIL_OS project (www.opensciencestudies.eu).
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The circulation of mosquito-transmitted viruses is a public health problem that Brazil is facing for many years. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito, responsible for transmitting the viruses that cause Dengue, can also transmit other viruses, such as Zika Virus (ZIKV). The Zika epidemic was particularly widespread in the north-east of Brazil in 2015, when health professionals working in health services noticed the emergence of a ‘febrile exanthematous illness of unknown origin’ with symptoms very similar to dengue. Months later, health professionals, managers and researchers observed a disproportionate increase in the number of cases of babies born with ‘microcephaly’, the most visible symptom of what would later be described as Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome (CZS). The data from health service records caught the attention of health managers and professionals, who, together with researchers, developed studies that found an association between exposure to ZIKV during pregnancy and the subsequent development of CZS in their children. The Zika epidemic has therefore left long-term health and social consequences for infected women, their families, children and Brazilian society. In the context of Zika, a range of different data has been produced, including administrative data and electronic health records together with data from multiple global health research initiatives, such as clinical data, qualitative data and data based on cohort studies. These data also have multiple purposes, including administrative purposes for health services and management, surveillance and research. The data has concrete effects for affected people by revealing how the epidemic has impacted and still impacts their lives and by informing specific public policies and services that aim to respond to the specific needs of affected families. This communication proposes to discuss production and data sharing from different points of view, aiming to highlight the aspects of equity in research practices in the case of the Zika epidemic.
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