Union Health Minister Speaks at BRICS Health Ministerial Meeting
Written by Arushi Sharma, Susi
During the recent BRICS Health Ministerial Meeting, the Union Health Minister delivered a compelling address that highlighted the importance of international collaboration in addressing pressing health concerns.
India backs South Africa’s Early Warning and Russia’s Nuclear Medicine in BRICS.
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare while addressing the BRICS Health Minister's Meeting virtually in Durban, South Africa made this statement -
“India’s G20 Presidency has provided a distinctive platform to amplify the concerns of the Global South, benefiting from its role as both the predecessor (Indonesia) and the successor (Brazil) are in the G20 Troika. This positioning would underscore and highlight the challenges faced by the Global South and would offer a valuable opportunity to address these issues at the highest level of global governance.”
The Health Minister praised South Africa’s Universal Health Coverage focus, highlighting alignment with India’s G20 priorities, especially in health emergency management and Digital Health innovations.
India's support for South Africa's Integrated Early Warning system initiative to improve health crisis readiness was expressed by Dr. Mandaviya. He said -
“The collaboration shall play a pivotal role in designing effective interventions to contain cross-border spread of infection while minimizing their impact on BRICS countries’ social and economic conditions, in accordance with International Health Regulations (2005).”
The Minister embraced Russia’s BRICS Nuclear Medicine plan and endorsed an International Expert Forum on the subject. He stated that -
“Collaboration in this arena shall not only encourage knowledge sharing but also enhance technological advancements in BRICS nations.”
Dr. Mandaviya restated India’s dedication to the BRICS TB Research Network Initiative, emphasizing its role in ending TB by 2030. He urged swift implementation of meeting outcomes and thanked South Africa for hosting the engagement. He wished Russia success in its upcoming BRICS Presidency.