BRICS cooperation in strategic health projects.

Editorials 388 Over the past few decades, the BRICS countries (Brazil, the Russian Federation , India, China and South Africa) have occupied a unique position in the world and in the international health community. Their growing economies have lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty. Marked improvements have also taken place in health outcomes, and substantial progress made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. These countries have also made remarkable progress in moving towards universal health coverage and in strengthening their health systems. At the global level, they offer a solid, distinctive voice and perspective on global health. For these countries, health is an essential element in social and economic development and they are becoming increasingly important partners in international development. BRICS are truly contributing to reshaping the international health-cooperation landscape. Health cooperation among the countries themselves is also gaining momentum, proving to be a promising channel for both improving health in these countries and fostering changes in the rest of the world. BRICS' ministers of health met for the first time in Beijing in July 2011 to discuss their role in providing wider access to quality and affordable drugs around the world. They signed the Beijing declaration, which called for collaboration with international health organizations, as well as with each other. Coordination mechanisms among BRICS' health authorities were established, with the engagement of every country's ministry of foreign affairs , and the assistance of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). A second ministerial meeting took place in New Delhi in January 2013. It expanded the scope of cooperation and concluded with a strong call for strengthened cooperation in applying affordable , equitable and sustainable solutions both for ensuring access to health services and for combating emerging health threats. Working groups were established for five thematic areas: (i) strategic health technologies for communicable diseases (led by Brazil); (ii) medical technologies (led by the Russian Federation); (iii) strengthening health surveillance system (led by India); (iv) drug discovery and development (led by China); and (v) reducing noncommu-nicable-disease risk factors, prevention, health promotion and universal health coverage (led by South Africa). The ministers also met during the session of a United Nations high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases at United Nations Headquarters, New York, in September 2011 and during the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May 2012 and 2013. Following each meeting, the ministers issued …