The National Research Infrastructure Platform (PNIPE) MCTI joined the combat to Covid-19. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (MCTI) provided the instrument, which able to map, systematically gathering information and enabling the sharing of research infrastructure in the Brazilian Science and Technology Institutions (ICTs) to support the National Plan for Operationalization of the Vaccination against COVID-19, led by the Ministry of Health (MS).

The purpose of the action is to provide information related to the laboratory infrastructure in the country, able to contribute to the logistics required for the mass vaccination of the Brazilian population, for equipment and laboratories to be considered in the strategic support in the distribution of vaccines for each region of the country.

At the moment, laboratories and equipment registered at PNIPE MCTI are mapped to check the capacity to store vaccines in the deep freezers in ICTs throughout the country. On the platform, in addition to the external and public access area, there is a panel restricted to MCTI decision makers, where information, such as the availability of machinery, the georeferenced localization of the laboratories and technical information about the infrastructures are available, compiled and organized by tags. like #vaccinacovid19, #ultracongeladordisponivel and #ultracongeladorparcialmentedisponivel.

In an interview for RNP, the Research and Scientific Education Secretary of MCTI, Marcelo Morales, clarifies the role of the platform in the combat to Covid-19 in this emergency context and the alliance between Ministries and RNP to make this action feasible. Check out:

How will this action work and how can PNIPE MCTI support the mass immunization of the Brazilian population in practice?
“On the platform, MCTI will identify and locate laboratory infrastructures useful in the combat to the pandemic, such as deep freezers. The Ministry of Health will be able to use this information in the vaccine distribution logistics. This is an action by researchers from education and research institutions that will voluntarily make their infrastructures available, if necessary”.

What is the importance of seeing MCTI strategically supporting the Ministry of Health in this emergency context of Covid-19?
“MCTI's mission is to support all Ministries to what refers to the application of science, technology and innovations. PNIPE MCTI is an important tool for making the research infrastructure of the country available for the different actions of the Federal Government, such as research for agriculture, health, defense, for example ... Regarding the support to the Ministry of Health, since the beginning of the pandemic, MCTI has worked together and more recently, we are providing PNIPE MCTI. This is the purpose of MCTI to serve as an instrument for better decision-making by all ministries.”

What is the role of RNP in this action to combat the pandemic by means of PNIPE MCTI?
“The partnership with RNP, specifically in the operation of PNIPE MCTI, is the offer of the platform tools with the most innovative in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). For this action on the platform, in the combat to Covid-19, RNP promptly offered to develop new features, which will meet the specifics of the campaign and support the needs of MCTI and MS regarding the registered equipment data. RNP has given important support to the different ICT actions of MCTI, especially in the Department for Research and Scientific Qualification”.
 

RNP's Services and Solutions Director, Antônio Carlos F. Nunes, states: “PNIPE MCTI already presents a vision about the potential of laboratories and equipment available for use by the research community. The possibility to provide information also about deep freezers to  support the strategy to combat the Covid-19 pandemic is an important action of MCTI, supported by RNP, with direct impact on the society ”.

I want to help, now what?
Institutions that wish to collaborate to the initiative, providing freezers, can include the equipment they intend to offer for the campaign on the platform, following these guidelines. For further information, go to the platform: pnipe.mctic.gov.br or contact by e-mail pnipe@mctic.gov.br.