Health was a major focus at the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit held in India. Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the members of BRICS. In a post on X about the summit, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for progress in four areas.
Ghebreyesus identified the health-related priorities as resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. He said progress in health could strengthen all four areas.
Call for preparedness for health emergencies
The WHO director-general called on BRICS leaders to strengthen resilience before the next health emergency emerges. He said innovation should be directed toward problems and regions overlooked by markets.
Ghebreyesus also called for stronger cooperation across borders and sectors. He said initiatives developed in health should be made lasting through political commitment, implementation and accountability.
BRICS becomes an 11-member grouping
The forum, launched in 2009 by China, Russia, Brazil and India under the name BRIC, took the name BRICS after South Africa joined in 2011.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined the group in 2024, while Indonesia joined in 2025. Following the expansion, BRICS became an 11-member grouping.
The group represents approximately half of the world’s population and around 40 percent of global economic output.