As part of the ongoing BRICS Health Ministerial Meeting being held under India's BRICS Chairship, the Senior Officials' Meeting was held today in Chandigarh.

The meeting was inaugurated by Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, who welcomed the delegates and underscored the importance of strengthening collaboration among BRICS nations to address evolving global public health challenges through cooperation, innovation and equitable access to healthcare.

In her inaugural address, Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary, welcomed the delegates to Chandigarh and stated 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." She noted that the theme assumes greater significance in the evolving global health landscape, where increasingly complex and interconnected health challenges call for stronger collaboration, cooperation and collective action among nations.

Highlighting the importance of the expanded BRICS grouping, the Union Health Secretary said 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 that, guided by the spirit of partnership and shared responsibility, India has identified nine priority areas under the BRICS Health Track to strengthen resilient, equitable and inclusive health systems.

She informed that 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; and ensuring timely, affordable and equitable access to healthcare services, essential medicines and medical products.

The Union Health Secretary further 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.

Referring to the draft BRICS Health Ministers' Declaration, Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava said that the document reflects the collective vision and outcome of extensive technical consultations among the Member States. She expressed confidence that the deliberations during the Senior Officials' Meeting would help build consensus on the remaining provisions of the Declaration, paving the way for its adoption at the 16th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting.

She also emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in areas such as Nuclear Medicine and supporting the activities of the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre, reaffirming the shared commitment of BRICS nations towards collaborative research, innovation and global health security.

The Union Health Secretary also inaugurated the exhibition pavilions of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the National Health Authority (NHA) and the Ministry of AYUSH. The pavilions showcased India's flagship initiatives and innovations in food safety, digital health, traditional systems of medicine and integrated healthcare delivery, offering delegates an opportunity to experience the country's transformative health initiatives.

The deliberations during the Senior Officials' Meeting focused on finalizing the BRICS Health Ministerial Declaration. Senior officials held detailed discussions on the key priority areas under the BRICS Health Track, reaffirming their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation in addressing common public health challenges.

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.

The participating countries reiterated the importance of collaborative research, knowledge sharing, capacity building and technology exchange in advancing resilient and equitable health systems. The meeting also emphasized the need for stronger multilateral cooperation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals related to health.

*****

SR

HFW/BRICS Senior Official’s Meeting/22 July 2026/1

(रिलीज़ आईडी: 2287898) आगंतुक पटल : 133