BRICS nations push stronger health cooperation at Chandigarh meeting

Senior officials held detailed discussions on the draft ministerial declaration and worked towards building consensus ahead of its adoption at the BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting.

Senior health officials from BRICS countries gathered in Chandigarh on Tuesday to strengthen cooperation on global health priorities, with India urging member nations to build more resilient and inclusive healthcare systems through innovation, research and equitable access to medical services. The meeting, held under India's BRICS Chairship, forms part of the preparations for the upcoming 16th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting and focused on finalising the draft BRICS Health Ministers' Declaration.

India outlines priorities for stronger health systems

Inaugurating the meeting, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said the changing global health landscape demands closer cooperation among nations to address increasingly interconnected public health challenges.

She said India's BRICS Chairship theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," reflects the need for collective action and noted that the expanded BRICS grouping brings together significant scientific expertise, manufacturing capacity and a large share of the world's population.

India has identified nine priority areas under the BRICS Health Track, covering stronger health infrastructure, emergency preparedness, digital health, traditional medicine, regulatory systems, skilled healthcare workers, collaborative research and wider access to affordable medicines and healthcare services.

Focus on digital health and preventive care

The Health Secretary highlighted two major Indian initiatives under the BRICS Health Track—the BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle and the proposed BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence for Mental Health. She said both initiatives are designed to strengthen preventive healthcare, encourage knowledge sharing and improve cooperation in tackling emerging public health challenges.

She also called for greater collaboration in nuclear medicine and stronger support for the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre, describing research and innovation as essential for improving global health security.

Declaration moves closer to finalisation

Senior officials held detailed discussions on the draft ministerial declaration and worked towards building consensus ahead of its adoption at the BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting. The talks covered a wide range of issues, including primary healthcare, Universal Health Coverage, digital health, health innovation, pandemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, pharmaceutical cooperation, affordable medical products, traditional medicine and health research.

Delegates also visited exhibition pavilions set up by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the National Health Authority (NHA) and the Ministry of AYUSH, where India's initiatives in food safety, digital health and traditional medicine were showcased.

The participating countries reaffirmed their commitment to expanding research partnerships, sharing knowledge, building healthcare capacity and strengthening multilateral cooperation to support resilient health systems and achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.