BRICS and the Global Health Agenda

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgency of reviewing the global healthcare agenda, including pandemic preparedness, international cooperation, vaccine development processes, global healthcare regulations, pharmaceutical supply
chains, citizen awareness and local capacities.

The panel reviewed the lessons from Covid-19 and explored measures that the BRICS can take to improve healthcare delivery.
Panellists noted that the pandemic has placed added pressure on the demand for medication, while the Covid-19 vaccine
rollout has been a challenge for most countries as a result of vaccine hesitancy, vaccine nationalism, vaccine protectionism,
vaccine side effects and concerns around equitable distribution.

It was proposed and supported that BRICS needed to increase investments in scientific research, develop infrastructure, look
at best practices and adapt in order to establish BRICS vaccine research and development centres.

An important part of this process is building resilient digital systems that would help sequence new variants as early as possible. Each member state should commit to building public trust and confidence by following a bottom-up approach to development that recognises the role of civil society organisations. BRICS countries should seek feedback from the communities they serve and follow through on resolutions that have been made previously.