Valéria Credidio / LAIS/UFRN Communications Office (ASCOM/LAIS)
The Laboratory for Technological Innovation in Health (LAIS/UFRN) will represent Brazil at the Second World Summit on Sustainable Health and Well-Being (WSSHW 2026), to be held on September 25, 2026, at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. LAIS/UFRN was invited because of its status as a World Health Organization (WHO)/Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Collaborating Centre.
The World Summit on Sustainable Health and Well-Being is an international platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration on emerging challenges and opportunities in the fields of health, well-being, and sustainable development. The event is organized by the Sustainable Development Council (SDC), which holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC).
According to the document sent by the summit organizers, LAIS/UFRN was invited because of its expertise in Digital Health, Artificial Intelligence, and Innovation, one of the eight areas to be discussed at the event. Brazilian researchers were also invited to submit recommendations, research, case studies, or institutional perspectives on digital health, virtual education, health innovation, and resilient health systems that could contribute to the Summit’s knowledge dialogue.
Researcher Thaísa Lima will represent Brazil as a delegate during the discussions, with the opportunity to give her views and make suggestions on the topics under debate. “This invitation is a source of pride for all of us researchers at LAIS. Our Collaborating Centre has extensive experience as an agent of technical cooperation, strengthening the resilience of health systems and expanding universal coverage toward achieving the SDGs. We will take an active part in this international dialogue on behalf of Brazil,” said the Brazilian representative.
Thaísa Lima, from Rio Grande do Norte, is a career nurse at the Brazilian Ministry of Health, currently formally assigned as advisor to the Federal Senate. She holds a PhD in Public Health from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and has broad experience in international health affairs. She has served as Head of the International Affairs Office of the Ministry of Health, as a PAHO consultant in Caracas, Venezuela, and as Brazil’s lead delegate to MERCOSUR Health. Her expertise includes public policy analysis, international technical cooperation, and research and development in health management and innovation, including health economics.
As stated on the event website, the World Summit on Sustainable Health and Well-Being will serve as a high-level platform to accelerate global progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and to reinforce its crucial role in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Summit recognizes that UHC is central not only to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) but is also deeply interconnected with other SDGs, including SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). By framing sustainable health and well-being within UHC and the SDGs, the Summit emphasizes a holistic vision: health as a driver of equity, resilience, and sustainable development worldwide.
