World Health Organisation (WHO) congratulated India on recent success in WHO’s assessment of the country’s National Regulatory Authority for Vaccines. In a message to BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting, Dr Margaret Chan, DG, WHO congratulated Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister of Health & family Welfare on India’s recent success.

Greeting from Geneva, Dr Chan said WHO requirements are stringent and the assessment of national regulatory capacity is rigorous. Regulatory oversight was declared functional, opening the way for the pre-qualification of individual vaccines and their international marketing. This success provides yet another example of how BRICS countries, in their drive to achieve domestic excellence, are contributing to better health throughout the developing world. BRICS countries occupy a unique and inspiring place in the international health community. These countries offer an alternative model for health development, where partners are not givers and takers, haves and have-nots, but true fellow-travellers. No so long ago, BRICS countries faced the same problems shared by most of the developing world today i.e. huge health needs among huge populations at a time when budgets are shrinking and costs are soaring.

Dr Chan said BRICS countries have experienced a string of victories. The leadership coming from these countries resonate well with the developing world. BRICS countries are the champions of fairness, whether in trade agreements or in the prices of medicines. These countries are leading the way in providing universal healthcare to populations. This is comprehensive and affordable care. The solutions are home-grown and different in each country, but the goal is the same: fairness and social justice. BRICS countries have world-class researchers and academic institutions. These assets are contributing to drug discovery and development, especially for the neglected diseases that mainly affect the developing world.

Dr Chan said BRICS countries have tremendous manufacturing capacity. These countries have become the principal source of generic medicines and several public health vaccines on the global market. BRICS countries have changed the dynamics of this market, getting prices down and improving the reliability of supplies.