To promote health and social development, to forge and disseminate scientific and technological knowledge, to be an agent of citizenship. These are the concepts that have guided Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, known as Fiocruz), attached to the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the most prominent science and technology health institution in Latin America.

Inaugurated on May 25, 1900 under the name of Federal Serotherapy Institute, Fiocruz was given the mission of fighting the great problems of public health in Brazil. Therefore, Fiocruz became a think tank concerned with the Brazilian reality and experimental medicine.

Today the institution is responsible for a range of activities which include research development; highly-regarded hospital and ambulatory care services; production of vaccines, drugs, reagents, and diagnostic kits; education and training of human resources; information and communication in the area of health, science and technology; quality control of products and services, and the implementation of social programs. It has over 11,000 employees and health professionals with different levels of involvement, a workforce proud of being at the service of life.