By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : July 23, 2026 7:42 am
Union Health Secretary outlined India's nine priority areas under the BRICS Health Track, aimed at building resilient, equitable and inclusive health systems
As part of India's BRICS Chairship, senior health officials from BRICS member countries met in Chandigarh to strengthen collaboration on key public health priorities and finalize the draft BRICS Health Ministers' Declaration ahead of the 16th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting.
The meeting was inaugurated by Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, who welcomed delegates and emphasized the need for deeper cooperation, innovation and equitable access to healthcare in addressing increasingly complex global health challenges.
In her inaugural address, Srivastava said Chandigarh's focus on innovation, sustainability and planned development reflects India's BRICS Chairship theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
She noted that the expanded BRICS grouping, representing a significant share of the world's population, scientific expertise and manufacturing capacity, offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of global health through consensus-driven solutions and collaborative innovation.
Srivastava outlined India's nine priority areas under the BRICS Health Track, aimed at building resilient, equitable and inclusive health systems.
These include strengthening health infrastructure, improving preparedness for future health emergencies through enhanced surveillance 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 equitable access to healthcare services, essential medicines and medical products.
The Union Health Secretary also highlighted India's flagship initiatives under the BRICS Health Track, including the BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle and the proposed BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence for Mental Health, which seek to promote preventive healthcare, specialized care, knowledge sharing and greater collaboration in tackling emerging public health challenges.
On the sidelines of the meeting, she inaugurated exhibition pavilions set up by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the National Health Authority (NHA) and the Ministry of AYUSH. The exhibits showcased India's advancements in food safety, digital health, traditional medicine and integrated healthcare delivery.