Build resilience before next emergency arrives: WHO chief to Brics leaders

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday urged health cooperation, innovation, resilience and sustainable health financing, saying the four themes of the Brics Leaders' Summit were directly relevant to health.

In a post on X, Tedros said that progress on health could advance all four themes of the summit -- resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.

He said, "Resilience: By strengthening primary health care, surveillance, early warning and local production."

On innovation, he said that Brics countries should harness science, digital health and artificial intelligence for public health while ensuring that their benefits remain accessible to all.

"Innovation: By harnessing science, digital health and AI for public health, while making their benefits accessible to all," the WHO chief said.

Highlighting the importance of cooperation, Tedros called for action across borders and sectors, including efforts to finalise the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement.

"Cooperation: By acting across borders and sectors, including to finalise the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex to the @WHO Pandemic Agreement," he said.

On sustainability, Tedros called for sustainable health financing and a stronger and more coherent global health architecture.

He said, "Sustainability: By building sustainable health financing and a stronger, more coherent global health architecture."

Tedros then outlined four asks for Brics leaders, calling on them to strengthen preparedness, direct innovation towards underserved areas, make cross-border cooperation operational and ensure long-term political commitment and accountability.

He said, "Therefore, here are my four asks to Brics leaders:1. Build resilience before the next emergency arrives; 2. Direct innovation towards the problems and places markets miss; 3. Make cooperation operational across borders and sectors;4. Sustain what you have built through political commitment, implementation and accountability."

In the New Delhi Declaration adopted on Saturday, the Brics nations welcomed the deepening of cooperation in global health initiatives and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing universal health coverage through resilient, inclusive, and people-centred approaches.

The nations reiterated that multilateral cooperation in health must be preserved and reinforced, emphasising the vital coordinating role of the World Health Organisation.