BRICS to redouble efforts against infectious diseases

The international conference, "Common threats - joint actions: The response of the BRICS countries to dangerous infectious diseases," ended in Moscow on 24 June. The conference participants agree that the BRICS countries should promote cooperation between their healthcare organisations and experts and also with related international organisations.

The agenda of the second day of the conference included discussions of new sanitary and epidemiological challenges in the BRICS countries. The participants showed particular interest in strengthening their countries' cooperation for creating immunological and diagnostic medications.

The closing session was devoted to the BRICS countries' contribution to global health safety.

Alexander Pankin, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department of International Organisations, said that the fight against infectious diseases would remain the focus of the international community as part of global development.

Patrick Osewe, the World Bank's leading health specialist for the Southern Africa region, emphasised that BRICS could turn the tide in the war on epidemics by assuming leadership in this sphere.

Anna Valkova, deputy head of the Russian Finance Ministry's Department of International Financial Relations, said healthcare and the fight against infectious diseases were among the priorities of Russia's assistance programmes.

Anna Popova, head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor), said in conclusion that the conference was the first BRICS event on infectious diseases. She said it would jumpstart BRICS cooperation against global epidemic challenges.