A Watershed Moment for BRICS
The 2025 BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro marks a turning point for the emerging coalition as Vietnam joins under an expanded 11+10 partnership framework. Together, members now represent nearly half the world’s population, one-third of global economic output and over 50 percent of current economic growth—fueling unprecedented potential to reshape global governance, especially in health.
Gaps Demand Systemic Solutions
Global health cooperation is one of six summit priorities, spotlighting structural inequities exposed by COVID-19. A UN document shows Africa’s vaccination rate stalled at just 4.1 percent by mid-2022, while high-income nations hoarded doses through premium purchases. With tensions from the Russia-Ukraine conflict to Middle East crises, delayed action is no longer an option.
- Africa’s vaccination rate: 4.1% by mid-2022
- High-income dose hoarding and access gaps
- Geopolitical headwinds heightening urgency
From Vision to Action
At the Third BRICS Sherpas Meeting on June 30, members proposed a “partnership for eliminating socially-determined diseases” to tackle poverty-linked health disparities. They also identified regulatory gaps in AI-driven healthcare as a priority for joint standard-setting, underlining BRICS’ commitment to forward-looking collaboration.
As 2025 approaches, the expanded BRICS bloc is poised to turn bold visions into real-world impact, offering a roadmap for young global citizens, business innovators, thought leaders and digital nomads eager to drive health equity across borders.
Reference(s):
2025 BRICS summit: Launching a new chapter in global health equity
cgtn.com
