On September 29, 2019, ABRASCO marked its 40th anniversary. The date was commemorated at the opening of the 8th Brazilian Congress of Social and Human Sciences in Health in João Pessoa, with the presence of 11 of our 16 presidents and four executive secretaries. We recall our history marked by the trajectory of struggles for the reduction of social inequalities and to ensure the universal right to health for all Brazilians. It could hardly have been more emblematic that this celebration took place in Paraíba, the capital of an important state in the Northeast, a region renowned for its resistance to the whole context of political adversity that has afflicted our country on the part of a regime of austerity and the dismantling of social policies that were achieved and built with a great deal of work and dedication.

ABRASCO was born with the commitment to empower the field of public health by firmly engaging in the construction and support of lato sensu and stricto sensu post-graduate programs in all regions of the country. From 2010 onwards, the defense of undergraduate courses in the area was also included among our causes.

The enhancement of our scientific area and the expansion of the training of professionals committed to structuring the field of public health have been the hallmark of our performance. We have followed the growth in the number of graduates and the scientific output in the area, which has always shown a commitment to strengthening our universal health system. Within this perspective, Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, emerged and tackled this mission in an exemplary manner. Today we are proud that our scientific journal is ranked first among all the Brazilian scientific journals according to Google Scholar indicators and has also featured respectably in the JCR index¹1 Conner N, Provedel A, Maciel ELN. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva: análise da produção científica e redes colaborativas de pesquisa. Cien Saude Colet 2017; 22(3):987-996..

There is no doubt that this achievement did not happen by chance. It occurred because it is a scientific journal that deals with the three areas that make up our field - health policies, epidemiology and social and human sciences - and that encompasses all the themes inherent to social causes and their interfaces. Its editorial line has always strived to include articles of high scientific quality, while being open to popular culture and knowledge. We are sure that the trajectory of our prestigious journal was marked by combining dissemination with respect for life, an end to violence and the defense of all human rights and fundamental freedoms²2 Minayo MCS, Gomes R, Silva AAM. 25 anos de ciência para construção do SUS. Cien Saude Colet 2020; 25(3):780-780.^,33 Nunes E. Fronteiras do Conhecimento e Saúde Coletiva. Cien Saude Colet 2019; 24(9):3179-3182..

We are well aware of all the difficulties that have been imposed not only on those who work directly on the journal, but also on our collaborators and our scientific community due to the daily attacks on science and education that we have been experiencing in recent years; however, with solidarity and determination, we move forward. We thank all those who, despite all these difficulties, keep the journal alive and continue to believe that this is the way to ensure the role of science and freedom of expression.

In this year in which C&SC celebrates its 25th anniversary, the world has been afflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Once again, the journal responded to its mission and since June it has published three special issues (two supplements and one edition) on the topic. There were more than 50 articles that showed the importance of our area in tackling this health crisis that is the most serious of the century.

Unfortunately, the consequences of the pandemic in the country have assumed alarming proportions and, in the context of such a serious institutional and political crisis in which the country finds itself, the scenario is very worrying. However, we are sure that we are exercising our role by disseminating scientific information that encourages dialogue in our community and communication with the population.

Congratulations to the current editors, Cecilia Minayo, Romeu Gomes and Antônio Augusto Silva, and to all the collaborators and support team that have made this journal a beacon of Brazilian public health!

We will stand firm in the enhancement of science and in the fight for democracy and for the right to health and to education!

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