The head of an Oxford University research group has met with the Brazilian Ambassador to the UK to discuss the co-development of a Malaria vaccine and advance public health outcomes in Brazil.

Professor Sue Ann Costa Clemens, Head of Oxford Latam Research Group and chair of Global Health at the the university's Department of Paediatrics met with His Excellency Antonio Patriota.

Ambassador Patriota said: "Touring the Department of Biochemistry at Oxford University and witnessing the ground breaking research on a malaria vivax vaccine provided a unique and invaluable experience.

"The dedication and remarkable progress achieved by the researchers are truly commendable.

"The Embassy of Brazil looks forward to fostering continued collaboration and shared advancements in global health, particularly within leading scientific centres in the United Kingdom."

The Oxford Latam Research Group is a collaboration between Oxford and Brazil, aimed at strengthening the university's commitment to global health.

Professor Clemens added: "This partnership between Oxford University and its Brazilian counterparts marks a significant step forward in the fight against neglected diseases and this visit underscores the united front we present in combating global health threats.

"By leveraging the expertise and resources from both academia and government, we can advance science, vaccine development and control strategies to protect vulnerable populations and reduce the burden of these diseases."

Brazil has taken the lead in confronting infectious diseases, marking itself as the world's first to instigate a government policy aimed at eradicating 14 such illnesses, especially those afflicting poorer communities.

The spotlight is on malaria, widely recognised as a major global public health concern, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions with few healthcare resources, such as the Amazon.

Professor Teresa Lambe, head of vaccine immunology at the Oxford Vaccine Group, Professor Simon Draper, Professor of vaccinology and translational medicine at the Department of Biochemistry, and Dr Angela Minassian, the chief investigator on the Malaria Vaccine Programme, also took part in the meeting.

Dr Minassian said: "We were delighted to host the Ambassador and to discuss potential plans to partner on development, including clinical testing of a new vaccine against Vivax Malaria.

"Making a safe and effective vaccine available to resource poor regions, with high disease burden, in the Brazilian Amazon could make a huge public health impact.

"We hope this goal will now become achievable with the support of this important new partnership."

Professor Lambe added: "We were delighted to host the Ambassador and his delegation in Oxford, and excited to discuss the many opportunities to work together.

"Only through open collaboration, as we did during the COVID-19 pandemic, will we be able to tackle the biggest challenges of the 21st century that we face as a global community."