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| Indian Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family welfare P.K. Pradhan addressing BRICS Health Secretaries and Senior Advisors meeting held in New Delhi |
New Delhi: The second meeting of Health Ministers of all BRICS nations began
here in New Delhi on Thursday to outline the rapidly growing synergy between
the member nations.
The first day's programme started with the inaugural address
by Health and Family Welfare Ministry Secretary P. K. Pradhan where Health
Secretaries and Senior Advisors of BRICS countries participated.
In his inaugural address, Pradhan said BRICS Health
Ministers' Meeting was held at Beijing on 11th July 2011 following the decision
taken by Heads of BRICS countries in the Sanya Declaration of 14th April 2011.
"The Beijing Declaration of the first BRICS Health
Ministers' Meeting emphasized the importance and the need of technology
transfer as a means to empower developing countries; the importance of generic
medicines in the realization of the right to health; and to establish
priorities in research and development as well as cooperation among BRICS
countries including support to transfer of technologies and innovation in a
sustainable way to foster cooperation among BRICS countries to make available
and improve technology," he added.
Recalling that in the meeting held at New Delhi on 29th
March, 2012 it was urged that meeting of BRICS Health Ministers would be held
in an institutionalised manner so that the countries of BRICS could jointly
address common goals such as promoting innovation and universal access to
health technologies including medicines, Pradhan said it was the way to promote
corporation among BRCIS nations.
Pradhan emphasized to encourage flow of knowledge amongst
research institutions through joint projects, workshops and exchange of visits,
particularly by young scientists in areas relating to pharmaceuticals and
health.
Remarkably, BRICS countries represent 43 percent of the
world's population.
“If we stand united, we can achieve a lot of positive
development not only within our own countries but also on various international
platforms. Considering this, we have included the topics such as CEWG
Recommendations and WHO Reforms in the agenda since they are quite relevant
today, to a collaborative health RandD as well as to resource allocation and
priority setting, budgeting and financing etc," said Pradhan.
“India supports open-source drug development for encouraging
the global health agenda for universal access to affordable medicines and
health commodities of assured quality," he added.
BRICS nations consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa have several unique strengths such as the capacity for
manufacturing affordable health products and research in some cutting edge
areas.
The first day's programme included presentation of thematic
areas by each BRICS country followed by discussion and finalization of action
plan.