We are delighted to announce our new partnership with the Saúde Planetária branch serving the Lins district of São Paulo, Brazil. Saúde Planetária is an initiative first developed by the Planetary Health Research Group based in the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of São Paulo (USP). The Institute specialises in Planetary Health research and education aiming to solve current problems facing the planet and society, such as in medicine, public health, environment, education, social sciences, engineering, and economics. It also leads the Planetary Health movement in Brazil, Latin America, and the Caribbean. USP is a member of the Planetary Health Alliance, led by Harvard University, and hosted the Planetary Health Annual Meeting in April 2021.

As part of its educational activities, Saúde Planetária runs a Brazilian Planetary Health Ambassadors Program. In January 2021, Lucas Sulino Fernandes was appointed by the USP Planetary Health Research Group as National Ambassador for Planetary Health. Lucas is a member of the Brazilian Association of Researchers and Professionals in Educommunication (ABPEducom), Coordinator of Young News Agency of Lins (AJNL), holds a degree in People Management from UNILINS (University Centre of Lins) and is studying for a master’s degree in Education and Health in Childhood and Adolescence at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp).

Lucas is leading the Saúde Planetária Lins – São Paulo group to disseminate Planetary Health education in Partnership with the ABPEducom Lins Nucleus. The group works with UNILINS, UNISALESIANO (Centro Universitário Católico Salesiano Auxilium) and FATEC (Faculty of Technology of Lins) universities in Lins to create a population mobilization campaign to preserve human health and the environment. The campaign includes topics such as Covid-19, Dengue, Afforestation – Seed cultivation, Selective Collection and Solid Residues. Education is disseminated through videos, Podcasts, brochures, and pamphlets. The group has also hosted webinars featuring leading researchers from Lins on their panels.

To work towards achieving the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, Saúde Planetária Lins-SP currently partners with:

• Allan Romero Matheus Pereira – Founder of the NGO Olaria
• Ana Lúcia Andrade – Environmental Educator
• Carlos Montanha – Social Worker of the Solid Waste Recyclers Cooperative of Lins – Coopersol
• Carolina de Souza Paulino – Social Worker
• Joelita Palmeira Rocha – Educommunicator, Coordinator of the ABPEducom Lins Nucleus.
• Leticia Mieko Mituiti- Psychologist
• Mariana Oliveira- Social Educator at the NGO Olaria
• Prof. Ms Silvia Cristina Beozzo Junqueira de Andrade- Nutritionist and Coordinator of the Nutrition Course at UNISALESIANO.
• Rosimeire Oliboni- Director Fundação Casa – Vitória Régia Unit

Girawa will be working with Saúde Planetária Lins-SP by providing existing educational material starting with COVID-19, followed by mental health, nutrition, and the importance of plants, as well as material currently in development covering topics such as air pollution, vaccines, and climate change. Saúde Planetária Lins-SP will translate the material to Brazilian Portuguese and disseminate them to educational institutions in the community of Lins, with the aspiration to expand to other parts of Brazil in the future.

Girawa will also continue to work with the Foundation of Goodness, Sri Lanka, and Saúde Planetária Lins-SP to develop activities allowing interaction between students in Sri Lanka and Brazil on Planetary Health topics, with the aim of helping students understand the global complexity of Planetary Health issues, and to encourage the need for global cooperation to solve current planetary crises. It is hoped such activities will serve as a model to be expanded to other countries in the future.

Please continue to visit our website and social media pages for updates on how our partnership develops. We look forward to a successful collaboration with Lucas and Saúde Planetária Lins-SP.