An Iranian delegation led by Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi is attending the 16th BRICS Health Ministerial Meeting in Chandigarh, India, which runs from July 21 to 25. The event convenes health officials from BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—to enhance cooperation, share best practices, and jointly shape strategies for resilient, innovative, and sustainable healthcare systems.
The Iranian delegation, representing various health sectors including Persian medicine, mental health, communicable diseases, and international affairs, aims to strengthen ties with BRICS member states and explore opportunities to expand collaboration, particularly in pharmaceutical raw materials, health technologies, and medical equipment. According to Ali Jafarian, an official with Iran’s health ministry, the delegation intends to leverage the capacities of BRICS nations to improve access to essential healthcare supplies, amid restrictions caused by international sanctions.
The meeting in Chandigarh also includes a parallel BRICS session dedicated to Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM). The Indian Ministry of Ayush is leading discussions focused on integrating traditional medicine into mainstream healthcare systems and enhancing international cooperation through evidence-based approaches. Participating countries are expected to finalize the Terms of Reference for a BRICS expert working group on TCIM, which is set to foster collaboration in research, clinical validation, digital knowledge-sharing, regulatory harmonization, and protection of traditional medical knowledge.
Over the course of the five-day conference, officials will review progress on nine priority areas under the BRICS health agenda. These include preventive healthcare, mental health, pandemic preparedness, tuberculosis research, digital health infrastructure, regulatory convergence for medicines, and strategies addressing diseases linked to social and economic determinants.
Prior to the ministerial meeting, Zafarqandi engaged in discussions with BRICS health ministers during the World Health Assembly, held from May 18 to June 23 in Geneva, Switzerland. At the assembly, he met with Indian Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda to emphasize India’s significant role in the pharmaceutical sector and the potential to enhance bilateral health cooperation. Both sides agreed to establish a joint committee to advance academic, medical, and pharmaceutical collaboration.
Zafarqandi also held talks with his counterparts from Russia, Brazil, China, South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia, addressing the impacts of the ongoing US-Israeli conflict on Iran’s civilian health infrastructure. These discussions underscored the importance of strengthening collaborative efforts among BRICS countries to support health sector resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges.