Founded 16 years ago, Instituto Desiderata is an OSCIP (Civil Society Organization of Public Interest) with an innovative history of joint action with public managers and organizations in the development and implementation of solutions for prevention, diagnosis, and care for the health of children and adolescents. For this, it promotes actions of mobilization and articulation between the public sector and civil society, the training of health professionals for early diagnosis, humanization of treatment, and production and dissemination of knowledge in the field.
Since its beginning, Desiderata works to change the reality of childhood cancer in Rio de Janeiro. In 2019, it expands its commitment and actions to other Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCDs) and risk factors, such as childhood obesity.
CNCDs are the leading causes of death in the world, and generate a loss in quality of life, as well as economic impacts on families, communities, and society at large.
Instituto Desiderata’s work aligns itself with the plan of action of the United Nations’ (UN) global agenda, formed by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), taken on by countries as a global commitment to a sustainable and better world for people everywhere. Our actions mainly aim to meet goal 3.4 of the SDGs: “by 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.”
Our mission
Promote solutions that ensure prevention, diagnosis, and timely care for the health of children and adolescents.
Our dream
Brazilian children and adolescents among the healthiest in the world.
Manifesto
To improve the lives of children and adolescents we work collectively and make things happen. This is how we started a story of transformation.
Where one sees complex and insoluble health challenges, we see the opportunity to make a difference. We map the problems, identify who and how. We join individuals and institutions to search for solutions, producing social changes in the collective interest.
Articulate to approximate to mobilize to engage to solve to transform causes projects dreams lives.
Timeline
Instituto Desiderata is founded with two areas of operation: education and pediatric oncology.

Studies, visits, and workshops point to early diagnosis as key to improving the treatment of childhood cancer in the public healthcare network of Rio de Janeiro.

Creation of the program “Being Capable” to support nine projects of NGOs working with after-school activities.
Launch of the United for the Cure initiative. Donation of ultrasound device to the Hospital Municipal Jesus.

Launch of the study “Childhood and Youth in Rio de Janeiro”.
Playful transformation of child chemotherapy rooms and hospital beds for teenagers .
Beginning of the training of doctors to identify signs and symptoms of cancer, and the referral of suspected cases through United for the Cure.

Program “Partnerships for Education”: five projects in partnership with public schools.
United for the Cure becomes a public policy for the promotion of early diagnosis in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Extension of training for all professionals in the Family Health Strategy.

The education area focuses on Middle School and conducts the participatory survey “Megaphone in School” (link to PDF) to understand the education of adolescents in the public school system.
1st Pediatric Oncology Forum (FOP). Donation and transformation of a tomograph for pediatric care at the Hospital Municipal Jesus.
Desiderata receives the Pedro Ernesto Merit Medal for its efforts in Pediatric Oncology.

Organization of working groups with teachers and public managers to discuss and propose actions for the education of adolescents.
Inauguration of the Carioca Aquarium at Hemorio.
Launch of the 1st Panorama of Pediatric Oncology of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Launch of the first Letter of Recommendations at the 2nd Pediatric Oncology Forum, with proposals for actions and monitoring in pediatric oncology.

Launch of two online platforms: Latitude, with georeferenced educational indicators; and Prisma, to disseminate knowledge and practices about adolescents and media education.
3rd Pediatric Oncology Forum. Launch of handbook for the caregivers of children with cancer
Expansion of training of health professionals to four other municipalities in Rio de Janeiro.

Beginning of the Education Network with Adolescents (RECA), formed by teachers, students, and social organizations to propose public policies for education that are specific to this group.
4th Pediatric Oncology Forum.
Desiderata becomes a member of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)

Closure of the education area in a seminar with the municipal secretary of education.
Desiderata reinforces its commitment to pediatric oncology and extends its actions to other chronic non-communicable diseases and risk factors, such as childhood obesity.
Desiderata is recognized as one of the 100 best NGOs in Brazil by Época Magazine and Instituto Doar.

Board
Deliberative Board
- Mark Essle
Guilherme Frering - Antonia Frering
- Arminio Fraga
- Gabriela Paranhos
- Germana Bahr
- Guilherme Teixeira Azevedo
- Maria Auxiliadora Gomes
Consulting Board
- Beatriz Cardoso
- Heloisa H Oliveira
- Luciano Huck
- Paula Guedes
- Rafael G Martinez
- Rodrigo Capistrano
- Sergio Bermudes
- Wanda Engel
Fiscal Board
- Joaquim Dias
- Eduardo Poggi
- Maria Fernanda Carvalho
Our Team

Passionate about the idea of social transformation, has 20 years of experience in the third sector. She was Director of Fundraising at ActionAid Brasil and worked on the institutional strengthening of social organizations such as Fundo Elas, Canal Futura, Médico Sem Fronteiras, Fundação do Cancer and in the Heritage and Culture area of the Roberto Marinho Foundation. She holds a degree in Social Communication (UFRJ), a master’s degree in Social History of Culture (PUC-Rio) and specialized in Cultural Management (Itaú) and Cultural Finance and Economics (Université Paris-Dauphine). Renata is also Joaquim’s mother and considers that raising a boy with gender equity values is her biggest challenge.

Post-graduated in Business Management from FGV, her career was, over the years, consolidated in the areas of administrative, financial and facilities management. With 14 years of experience in the third sector and in the area of culture, she migrated to the health area in search of new knowledge and professional and personal growth.

Graduated in Tourism and Hospitality and majoring in Business Administration at Unesa. Experience in internal and external customer service for over 10 years. Acting mainly in management of providers, facilities, emphasis on financial administration, companies and various activities.

Postgraduate in Marketing from Universidade Católica do Rio (PUC-Rio). She worked for more than 10 years with Communication and Marketing in large companies and agencies, as well as with customer relations and project management. She migrated to the third sector seeking to unite her personal values and professional life.

Researcher with experience in project planning, fundraising and management through national and international grants. She holds two Master’s Degrees, one in Political Science from Kobe University (Japan) and another in International Relations from UERJ (Brazil), and an MBA in Foreign Trade and International Business from FGV (Brazil). International experience in Japan, Germany, USA, and Switzerland.

Journalist focused on topics related to human rights and public policies, studied at Universidade Federal Fluminense. More than ten years of experience in local and national media and other institutions.

Graduated in journalism from UFF and postgraduate in Press Relations, Strategic Journalism and Crisis Management from UCAM. He has worked in local and national journalistic vehicles and has experience in corporate communication and press relations.

Bachelor of Data Processing Technology and Postgraduate in UX Design / Information Architecture. Experience in IT project management, and 10 years working in projects related to the healthcare area.

PhD in Collective Health (IMS/Uerj), Master in Public Health (Ensp/Fiocruz) and specialist in Oncology (Inca/MS). Graduated in pharmacy from UFRJ and in law from UFF, she dedicates her professional life to research, teaching and defense of SUS, working mainly with the following themes: right to health, social participation and oncology.

PhD student and Master in Public Health (ENSP/Fiocruz). Interested in topics such as Governance and Compliance, he has experience in coordinating management contracts and projects between public entities and Third Sector organizations. She is currently researching racial inequalities in health.

Nutritionist from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) and specialist in Collective Health (UFRJ). Master’s student at the PPG-ANS at UERJ in the area of Food and Nutrition in Collective Health, researching public and private sector policies and actions for the creation of healthy food environments. She developed her professional work at SUS from nutritional assistance in PHC to practice as a manager in different spheres of health care.

Lawyer. Master’s student in Justice and Security at UFF. Legislative Process Consultant. Extensive experience in Parliamentary Advisory. Currently, she develops her professional activities with a focus on the access of Social Movements and Third Sector Institutions to the municipal, state and national legislature.

Graduated in Social Sciences from UFRJ, with a master’s degree in Sociology from UFF and a doctorate in progress at USP, in the Graduate Program in Sociology. She served as a parliamentary advisor in several terms in Rio de Janeiro, and later devoted herself to her development as a researcher. Throughout this experience, she prioritized action in guaranteeing human rights and social justice, in Brazil and in the world.

Sanitarian (FSP/USP), specialist in Collective Health (IESC/UFRJ) and Master in Public Health (ENSP/FIOCRUZ). She worked at the Municipal Health Secretariat and the State Secretariat of Rio de Janeiro with management, information, surveillance and health promotion with a focus on the implementation of policies to confront racial inequalities in health.

Specialist in Primary Care Management and Family Health Strategy by ENSP/Fiocruz. Nutritionist graduated from UFRJ. At SUS, she has been working since 2014 as a sanitarist in the Management of Primary Health Care at the Rio de Janeiro State Health Secretariat (SES-RJ). It seeks to develop projects focused on professional training and strengthening of the SUS.

Specialist in Primary Care Management and Public Healthcare Resident at ENSP/ Fiocruz. Bachelor of Psychology from PUC-Rio. During the last five years she worked in the Rio de Janeiro State Health Department, as well as with public healthcare management. She seeks to develop projects focused on strengthening the SUS.
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