World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus directly linked the four key themes of the 18th BRICS Summit: resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability, to progress in the health sector. He also urged BRICS leaders to strengthen the health sector and place it at the center of global development.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote in a post on the social media platform ‘X’, “The four key themes of the BRICS Leaders’ Summit are directly related to health, and progress in the health sector can help advance all of these goals.” He stated that resilience, one of the key goals, can be advanced by strengthening primary health services, improving disease surveillance, developing early warning systems, and increasing local production of essential health products.
Similarly, the goal of “innovation” can be advanced by harnessing science, digital health, and artificial intelligence (AI) for public health and ensuring that their benefits reach everyone. The goal of “cooperation” can be advanced by working together between countries and different sectors, including by finalizing provisions related to access to pathogens and benefit sharing under the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
Similarly, the goal of “sustainability” can be advanced by creating sustainable financing mechanisms for health services and making the global health system stronger and better coordinated. Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus presented four demands to BRICS leaders: Strengthen preparedness and health systems before the next health disaster or emergency.
Use innovation and new technologies to address problems and areas often overlooked by the market. Cooperation between countries and different sectors should not be limited to mere words, but should be implemented on the ground. Sustain the systems and achievements that have been made in the long run through political will, effective implementation and accountability.
