Health ministers from five major emerging national economies -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) -- agreed at the 68th World Health Assembly, in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 19, to increase cooperation in the health sector to improve their citizens’ health.

Taking part in the meeting was Li Bin, of China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission, who addressed the gathering by suggesting that cooperation between BRICS countries should focus on non-infectious disease prevention and control, emergency health systems, R&D in medical technology and drugs, and traditional and Internet medicines.

BRICS countries accounting for 40 percent of the world’s people, so their health policies mean a lot for international disease prevention and control, and ministers of the five countries say they need to increase communications and exchanges.

They also need to join together in non-infectious diseases prevention and controls, increase accessibility to and affordability of drugs, and push the new strategy for global tuberculosis prevention and control.

In addition, the health ministers announced a joint communiqué of BRICS countries at the meeting. Russia will host the 5th BRICS Health Ministers Meeting this year.