Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary, highlights nine priority areas under the BRICS Health Track during the Senior Officials' Meeting of the ongoing BRICS Health Ministerial Meeting in Chandigarh.
The Senior Officials' Meeting of the ongoing BRICS Health Ministerial Meeting was held today in Chandigarh as part of India's BRICS Chairship. Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, welcomed delegates and emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration among BRICS nations to address evolving global public health challenges through cooperation, innovation, and equitable access to healthcare. She noted that the city's ethos of innovation, sustainability, and thoughtful development aptly reflects India's BRICS Chairship theme, 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability.'
In her inaugural address, Srivastava highlighted the importance of the expanded BRICS grouping, stating that the bloc, representing a significant share of the world's population, scientific expertise, and manufacturing capacity, provides an unprecedented opportunity to shape the future of global health through innovation and consensus-driven solutions. She emphasized India's commitment to guided by the spirit of partnership and shared responsibility in identifying nine priority areas under the BRICS Health Track to strengthen resilient, equitable, and inclusive health systems.
These priority areas focus on strengthening health infrastructure; enhancing preparedness for future health emergencies through robust surveillance systems and laboratory networks; leveraging digital health technologies; integrating traditional medicine into healthcare systems; strengthening regulatory frameworks; developing a skilled health workforce; promoting collaborative research and development; ensuring timely, affordable, and equitable access to healthcare services, essential medicines, and medical products.
Srivastava also highlighted India's flagship initiatives under the BRICS Health Track—the BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle and the proposed BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence for Mental Health—which reinforce the collective commitment of BRICS countries towards preventive and promotive healthcare, specialized care, knowledge sharing, and deeper cooperation in addressing emerging public health challenges.
The deliberations during the Senior Officials' Meeting focused on finalizing the BRICS Health Ministerial Declaration. The discussions covered priority areas including strengthening primary healthcare, advancing Universal Health Coverage, promoting digital health and health innovation, enhancing preparedness and response to public health emergencies, addressing antimicrobial resistance, strengthening pharmaceutical cooperation, improving access to quality and affordable medical products, and fostering collaboration in traditional medicine and health research.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
