BRICS countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in health sector

Health officials of the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – during the 2nd BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting - has come to the conclusion that  multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) due to its high prevalence and incidence mostly among the marginalized and vulnerable sections of society, thus agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas of manufacturing affordable health products and developing advanced health technologies.

The health ministers during the meet also resolved to reduce the prevalence of TB through innovation for new drugs/vaccine, diagnostics and promotion of consortia of tuberculosis researchers to collaborate on clinical trials of drugs and strengthening access to affordable medicines and delivery of quality care.

The Ministers also agreed to adopt and improve systems for notification of TB patients, availability of anti-TB drugs at facilities by improving supplier performance, procurement systems and logistics and management of HIV-associated tuberculosis in the primary health care. They resolved to share experience and expertise in the areas of surveillance, existing and new strategies to prevent the spread of HIV, and in rapid scale up of affordable treatment.

Importantly, the nations committed to strengthen cooperation to combat malaria through enhanced diagnostics, research and development and to facilitate common access to technologies developed or under development in the BRICS countries.

The meeting has adopted Delhi Communique, which will see concrete plans on issues like integrated management of non-communicable prevention, coordination and financing of research and development for medical products, strengthening health surveillance and drug discovery and development along with emphasizes on the child survival through progressive reduction in the maternal mortality, infant mortality, neo-natal mortality and under-five mortality, to achieve Millennium Development Goals.

This is the second meeting of BRICS health ministers following the first at Beijing in July 2011. The Beijing Declaration emphasised the need for technology transfer as a means to empower developing countries, and the importance of generic medicines in realizing the right to health. It also emphasised the fostering of cooperation among BRICS countries to make available and improve medical technology. It was agreed to establish a technical working group to discuss specific proposals.