Oswaldo Cruz Foundation

Hello. We are the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, though many people know us by our shorter name, Fiocruz. Our story is one of science, health, and a deep commitment to the people of Brazil. It began over a century ago, on May 25th, 1900, in the bustling city of Rio de Janeiro. At that time, we were not called the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Our first name was the Federal Serotherapy Institute, a name that described our urgent founding purpose. At the turn of the 20th century, Brazil was in the grip of terrifying public health crises. Deadly epidemics of bubonic plague, yellow fever, and smallpox swept through communities, causing widespread illness and fear. Our founder, a visionary and brilliant scientist named Dr. Oswaldo Cruz, saw that the country needed a powerful tool to fight back. He created our institution with a single, clear mission: to produce the serums and vaccines necessary to combat these devastating diseases and protect the Brazilian people.

Dr. Cruz believed that a mission of such importance deserved a special home. He envisioned a place that would not only be a center for science but also a symbol of hope and progress. Under his guidance, we built our main campus, a magnificent building designed in a beautiful Moorish style. With its grand towers and intricate details, it soon became known as the Castle of Fiocruz, a landmark recognized throughout the country as a beacon of Brazilian science. But this castle was never just for show. It was built for action. Inside its walls, we established advanced laboratories that were much more than a factory for making medicine. It was a dynamic center for research and learning, a place where we could investigate the causes of diseases and train the next generation of scientists and doctors to carry the work forward.

Our work quickly expanded beyond the walls of our castle in Rio de Janeiro. We knew that to truly understand and fight disease, we had to go where the problems were. We began to organize scientific expeditions that traveled deep into Brazil's vast and remote interior. These journeys were challenging, taking our researchers to places with little infrastructure and many unknown health threats. Their goal was to study the unique diseases affecting people in these areas and to bring public health solutions directly to them. It was on one of these groundbreaking expeditions, in the year 1909, that one of our most dedicated researchers, Carlos Chagas, made a monumental discovery. He identified an illness that was completely new to science. In his honor, this condition is now known as Chagas disease, and his discovery was a critical first step in understanding how to diagnose and treat it.

Our institution continued to grow and evolve along with the nation we served. In 1917, after the passing of our founder, we were renamed the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation to honor his incredible legacy. Throughout the 20th century, the health challenges facing Brazil changed, and so did our responsibilities. We applied the knowledge we had gained to help lead the fight against other major health threats that emerged, including widespread outbreaks of influenza and the crippling disease of polio. Our role became more central to the nation's health, and we became a crucial part of Brazil's Ministry of Health. This new responsibility meant our work expanded significantly. We were no longer just producing vaccines and serums. We began helping to shape national health policies, creating strategies to protect the entire population. We established systems to monitor for new disease outbreaks and took on the duty of ensuring that the country's food, water, and medicine were safe for everyone. Our mission had transformed from fighting specific epidemics to proactively building a stronger, healthier country for all its citizens.

Today, we are proud to be recognized as one of the most important public health institutions in the world. Our single castle has grown into a network of research centers located all across Brazil, and we collaborate closely with scientists and health organizations on a global scale. The scope of our work is vast and addresses the complex health issues of the modern era. We continue to study tropical diseases like Zika and dengue, which remain a serious threat in many parts of the world. At the same time, we have expanded our focus to include research into cancer and other chronic illnesses. We also investigate new and emerging challenges, such as understanding how climate change affects human health. Yet, even as we look to the future, a core part of our original mission remains central to what we do. We continue to develop and produce vaccines for millions of people. Our recent work to produce the COVID-19 vaccine is a powerful example of this enduring commitment. We also remain dedicated to education, training the next generation of public health leaders who will be ready to face the challenges of tomorrow.