The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has been appointed as the chair of the health working group within the BRICS group of emerging economies, Tasneem reports.
IRCS Chief Pir-Hossein Koulivand made this announcement during a meeting with the Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum, Alena Peryshkina. Koulivand highlighted IRCS’s extensive achievements, emphasising its role in providing relief and rescue services to vulnerable communities.
With three million volunteers and 70,000 expert rescuers and relief workers, IRCS ensures round-the-clock services, including road, mountain, and coastal relief. Moreover, it offers relief training to students, showcasing a commitment to public education. IRCS’s international efforts, such as earthquake relief in Turkey, Afghanistan, and Syria, have earned accolades, including Turkey’s highest award.
The BRICS Health Working Group plays a vital role in fostering collaboration among its member nations. Through this platform, these emerging economies coordinate efforts to improve healthcare access, enhance medical infrastructure, and combat shared health threats. The group focuses on exchanging best practices, research findings, and innovative solutions to promote public health and well-being across diverse populations.
During the 13th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting in Durban, South Africa, in August last year, ministers from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa announced resolutions that aim to advance universal healthcare by 2030. Key initiatives include strengthening health systems, establishing a common BRICS platform for tracking health progress, deepening collaboration in TB research, implementing early warning systems for pandemics, establishing public health emergency operations centres, forming a BRICS Working Group on Nuclear Medicine, fostering collaboration in digital health, and establishing a BRICS Health Journal.
