NEW DELHI---The Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Shri C. K. Mishra launched the June 2014 issue of World Health Organization (WHO) Bulletin devoted to the theme of “BRICS and Global Health”, here . This issue will cover key issues pertaining to BRICS countries. Speaking at the function, the Additional Secretary stated that Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa (the countries known as the “BRICS”) involve nearly 40% of the world’s population. After having achieved remarkable economic growth over the last two decades, they have taken important steps towards improving their health systems and the health of their citizens. BRICS have also gathered into a cooperation initiative around the most salient issues of their respective agendas, he stated.
Shri C. K. Mishra said that BRICS’ global health achievements and BRICS’ rather unique position to influence health at global level have attracted increasing attention over the past years. It is well understood that implementing and delivering concrete results will lift up the health and wellbeing of millions of citizens in BRICS countries and will significantly contribute to the improvement of global health indicators, Shri Mishra said.
He stated that while the world has long acknowledged the impressive strides the BRICS countries have taken in the economic sphere, it is beginning to take note of increasing influence that our exemplary and innovative public health programmes and policies are having in shaping global practices.
Shri Mishra said that we have declared health collaboration as a priority to collectively enhance our partnerships among each other and other countries we are engaged with through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms. He further added that the impact of affordable generic drugs to manage HIV and TB, vaccines for childhood diseases also other to tackle the meningococcal meningitis, Japanese Encephalitis, innovations in diagnostics, health service delivery, and Information technology based applications etc. are key contributions to global health that have emanated from BRICS countries.
Development and rapid adoption of appropriate and affordable health technologies is a key to ensure game changing interventions to reduce the burden of endemic and emerging communicable diseases, obtain the desired health impacts in non-communicable diseases but also to address the escalating cost of health care, Shri Mishra said. Towards this the BRICS countries seek to collaborate on enhancing our health technology development, assessment and adoption capacity, he added.
He said that our countries are also pioneering approaches to address the double burden of disease we face due to combination of existing and re-emerging infectious diseases with the rapid emergence of non-communicable diseases. He added that while we are very happy to have contributed to the success of the global eradication of poliomyelitis. we have several other communicable disease challenges including the emergence of antimicrobial resistance to handle.
The Additional Secretary stated that the approach towards attaining a desirable level of health by all segments of the society amidst the complex challenges we face has to incorporate 'primary healthcare’ which takes cognizance of broader, comprehensive and integrated service delivery mechanisms and interventions that also recognize and make use of our traditional knowledge and societal beliefs.
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