City Beautiful Chandigarh to Host 16th BRICS Health Ministers' Meet, Boosting Global Profile and Health Tourism
CHANDIGARH, JULY 21: The City Beautiful is all set to take centre stage on the global health map as it hosts the 16th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting from July 22 to 24, an event expected to not only strengthen international health cooperation but also reinforce Chandigarh's reputation as a premier healthcare and conference destination in North India.
Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas and known for its modern urban planning, world-class medical institutions and clean infrastructure, Chandigarh is expected to gain renewed international visibility through the high-profile gathering of Health Ministers, senior officials and technical experts from the 11 BRICS member countries.
The three-day programme, being held under India's BRICS Chairship 2026, will include the Senior Officials' Meeting on July 22, the Health Ministers' Meeting on July 23, and a high-level dialogue on Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence on July 24.
The ministerial meeting will be chaired by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, while senior delegations from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia will participate. Together, these countries account for nearly half of the world's population and around 40 per cent of global GDP.
Ahead of the meeting, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava and Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha briefed the media in Chandigarh, highlighting India's commitment to advancing global health cooperation under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
The discussions will focus on strengthening collaboration in health security, pandemic preparedness, digital health, affordable medicines, traditional and integrative medicine, tuberculosis control, healthy lifestyles, mental wellness and resilient healthcare systems.
The event is also expected to showcase Chandigarh's growing stature as a healthcare hub. Home to premier institutions such as PGIMER and other advanced medical facilities, the city has emerged as a preferred destination for patients from northern India and neighbouring countries. Hosting the BRICS health summit is likely to provide fresh momentum to medical tourism, healthcare innovation and international collaborations in the region.
A major highlight of the programme will be the BRICS Dialogue on July 24, titled "From Digital Health Records to AI-Enabled Healthcare – Strengthening the Continuum of Care through Interoperable Data Infrastructure and Responsible Artificial Intelligence." The dialogue will explore how digital health infrastructure and responsible AI can transform healthcare delivery and improve access to quality care, particularly in remote regions.
Under its BRICS Chairship, India has identified nine priority areas for health cooperation, including the BRICS TB Research Network, digital health architecture, medical products regulation, integrated disease surveillance, traditional medicine, mental wellness, healthy lifestyles, diseases driven by social determinants of health and strengthening national public health institutes.
India has already conducted 26 technical meetings and expert consultations since April this year to build consensus among BRICS nations on these priorities.
The meeting is expected to culminate in the adoption of the 16th BRICS Health Ministers' Declaration, reaffirming the bloc's commitment to stronger health systems, innovation, equitable healthcare access and collective action towards Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.
