The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the Human Development and Violence Research Centre (DOVE), and several partner organizations have strengthened collaboration to prevent violence against children through an international seminar held in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The two-day hybrid event, titled “Violence and Child Development: Evidence and Policy Pathways for Prevention in Brazil,” brought together more than 400 participants, including researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and international experts. The seminar focused on sharing scientific evidence, promoting evidence-based policies, and strengthening multisectoral efforts to reduce violence against children.
Discussions highlighted the significant impact of violence on children’s health, well-being, and development while exploring effective prevention strategies across different stages of life. Participants also examined the influence of social determinants of health, including gender and racial inequalities, on children’s vulnerability to violence.
The seminar served as a platform to bridge the gap between research and public policy by presenting findings from programme evaluations, child protection initiatives, early childhood development research, and parenting support programmes. Representatives from the health, human rights, and public security sectors also shared successful experiences in translating research into practical interventions at national, state, and municipal levels.
Participants reviewed Brazil’s progress in implementing the INSPIRE: Seven Strategies to End Violence Against Children framework and assessed advancements made since the country’s commitments at the 2024 Global Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children. The discussions will also contribute to Brazil’s preparations for the Second Global Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children, scheduled to take place later this year.
The event was coordinated by the DOVE Research Center, which became a WHO Collaborating Centre for Evidence-Based Violence Prevention Across the Life Course in 2025. Organizers emphasized that strengthening partnerships, expanding access to research, and promoting evidence-based policymaking are essential to creating safer, healthier environments for children across Brazil and the wider region.
