Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Hosts First BRICS HWG Meeting in New Delhi.
The theme for BRICS 2026 is building for resilience, Innovation, cooperation, and Sustainability that reflects a human-first approach.
The HWG meeting emphasizes building adaptable and advanced health systems through mutual learning and cooperation, said Punya Srivastava, Union Health Secretary of India.
With an emphasis on people-first, holistic, and preventive health approach, India will focus on Mental well-being and Healthy Lifestyle as two key areas.
Ongoing priorities are evidence-based traditional medicine, and the TB research network continues as a strategic focus under the BRICS Chairship.
HWG (Health Working Group) meeting was held in India under the BRICS framework in 2026. This meeting brought health officials, senior delegates and technical experts from China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Russia, Brazil, UAE, Indonesia, and South Africa.
India is the BRICS chairperson for 2026 and is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", which showcases a human-first approach articulated by the Honourable Prime Minister at the Rio Summit in 2025. This theme underscores the need to strengthen India's commitment to responsiveness.
Union Health Secretary also welcomed all BRICS member states and highlighted the importance of the HWG (Health Working Group) as a key platform for advancing cooperation in
public health services.
Punya Srivastava, Union Secretary of India, noted that the BRICS Health Working Group meetings have paved the way for collaboration on addressing health issues, including communicable and non-communicable diseases, improving access to affordable medicines and health systems. These efforts have helped in the promotion of Universal Health Coverage and health technology innovation.
Focusing on India's priorities under the chairship of 2026, the Union Secretary said that the Health Working Group aims to foster sustainable and inclusive, while recognising the socio-economic contexts of BRICS nations. Also, she underlined the importance of mutual learning and adaptability to design impactful health interventions.
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