Giving a new direction to global healthcare cooperation, the four-day BRICS Health Ministerial Meeting has started in Chandigarh, Punjab on Tuesday. Delegates from 21 countries are participating in this important meeting, which is specifically focusing on increasing global cooperation in Traditional Healthcare Systems. In a major milestone achieved during these meetings chaired by India, it has been agreed to create a dedicated Institutional Vertical and Expert Working Group for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM).
Role of traditional medicine in global health
During the meeting, the importance of multilateral platforms to address global health challenges was underlined. Iranian Delegate Dr. Arman Zargaran said that traditional medical systems in countries like India, China and Iran are extremely rich and strong, which are having a positive impact on global health. At the same time, Brazilian delegate Arthur Fernandes da Silva praised India’s leadership and shared the experiences of integrating complementary medicine in the Universal Health Care System of Brazil, which has a population of 200 million.
Yoga sessions and ministry efforts
According to the information given by the Ministry of AYUSH on the social media platform ‘X’, this health track is being organized in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026. The meeting, chaired by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and moderated by Joint Secretary Monalisa Dash, laid emphasis on research, education, governance and exchange of best practices. Delegates also participated in a special ‘Chair Yoga Session’ at the beginning of the conference, which further reinforced the importance of wellness with international collaboration.
