Phaahla: BRICS countries developing early warning system for infectious diseases
Health Minister Joe Phaahla and his counterparts from the BRICS group of countries are working on developing an early warning system to prevent the outbreak of mass infectious diseases.
Phaahla detailed the discussions between the health ministers from South Africa, China, India, Brazil and Russia at Durban International Convention Centre on Friday.
Phaahla said even though Covid-19 infections are on a downward trend, the world cannot afford to let its guard down.
“While we are no longer in crisis mode, we cannot afford to let our guard down. This virus will still, unfortunately, continue to cause havoc in our population and in our economy. What we are hopeful for is that we have the tools and the political will in place to ensure that future waves do not result in more severe diseases, or waves of death, and we can achieve the goal with the tools we have at hand.
“Our technical experts have been hard at work in this area and have developed clear implementation modalities for the envisaged information exchange platform for the BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for preventing mass infectious diseases risks.”
Phaahla said the focus would now shift to turning the proposals into tangible plans with timeframes and financial resources.
“This year, we have an opportunity to also exchange views and develop common positions during important health deliberations on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, as well as issues on the International Health Regulations, which were on the agenda of the 76th World Health Assembly.”
The briefing comes ahead of the BRICS Summit, which will take place from 22 to 24 August.
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