2022 BRICS High-level Forum on Traditional Medicine was held online and offline in Beijing and Zhangzhou on May 11th, 2022. Officials and experts from traditional medicine authorities of BRICS countries discussed the theme of “To strengthen BRICS cooperation in traditional medicine, fight against COVID-19 together and contribute to the establishment of a global community of health for all” and unanimously approved the 2022 BRICS Online Initiative for Cooperation in Traditional Medicine. Yu Wenming, Commissioner of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM), China, Li Dejin, Vice Governor of Fujian Province, China, Sandra Barros, Vice Minister of Ministry of Health of Brazil, Pramod Pathak, Special Secretary of Ministry of AYUSH, India, and Sonin Oleg, Deputy Director of the Department for International Cooperation and Public Relations, Ministry of Health of Russia, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony, which was moderated by Qin Huaijin, Vice Commissioner of NATCM, China. Nearly 100 representatives of officials and experts in traditional medicine from BRICS countries attended the meeting.

Yu Wenming mentioned that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been fully and deeply participated in the prevention and treatment of the epidemic in China, and the application of TCM and the combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine has significant treatment effect. From February 28 to March 2 this year, the World Health Organization held Expert Meeting on Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of COVID-19 and subsequently released the expert evaluation report. The report noted that TCM is safe and effective in the treatment of COVID-19 and recommended WHO member countries to learn from and promote this successful experience. He stated that this meeting will further lay the foundation for cooperation among BRICS countries in the field of traditional medicine, and will further promote the role of traditional medicine in improving global health governance, as well as the building of a community of common health for mankind and help realize the WHO vision of health for all.

Li Dejin said that the Government of Fujian Province attaches great importance to the development of traditional Chinese medicine, earnestly implement the spirit of Chinese President Xi Jinping's important speech on the cause of TCM. With the support of the NATCM, Fujian Province has made great progress in the cause of TCM. He expressed that holding  this forum was an opportunity to promote exchanges in traditional medicine, enhance mutual trust, and strengthening cooperation among BRICS countries, so as to contribute wisdom and strength to building a community of common health for mankind. He suggested to give play to the important role of TCM, and build a global community of health for all; strengthen international cooperation and establish a favorable environment for cooperation in TCM; promote TCM transnational trade and improve the construction of an international standardization system for TCM.

Sandra Barros firstly congratulated China for successfully holding the 2022 BRICS High-level Forum and mentioned that the Ministry of Health of Brazil have always attached great importance to traditional medicine and given full play to its important role in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Brazil side hopes to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with BRICS countries in traditional medicine, work hand in hand to combat COVID-19 epidemic, and contribute to the development of traditional medicine and protect the life and health of people in all countries.

Pramod Pathak welcomed the participants on behalf of India, and stated that traditional medicine plays an important role in safeguarding human health. He said that the Ministry of AYUSH, India attaches importance to the development of global integrated medicine, and believed the cooperation platform and mechanism of BRICS countries can promote the long-term development of traditional medicine.

Sonin Oleg said that the release of 2022 BRICS Online Initiative for Cooperation in Traditional Medicine will definitely promote exchanges and cooperation among BRICS countries in traditional medicine and further implement a series of consensus reached at the 12th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting. He also expressed his willingness to introduce effective practices and experience about folk medicine and traditional medicine in Russia to BRICS countries, carry out academic discussions and exchanges, and jointly promote the development of traditional medicine.

2022 BRICS Online Initiative for Cooperation in Traditional Medicine was jointly adopted by representatives of BRICS countries. The Initiative calls for joint research on preventing and treating serious infectious diseases such as COVID-19 with traditional medicine and leveraging the unique advantages of traditional medicine in fight against the pandemic so as to provide more reference and methods for traditional medicine to further participate in global pandemic prevention and control. BRICS countries will conduct extensive exchanges and cooperation in traditional medicine, education, scientific research and medicinal resources, establish a talent training and exchange mechanism among BRICS, and cultivate international talents of traditional medicine in various forms.

In the speech session of experts, Wang Jinzu, Mayor of the Government of Zhangzhou, China, Li Candong, President of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China, Zhang Boli, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering of China, and Huang Jinming, Senior Engineer and General Manager, Zhangzhou Pien Tze Huang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., China respectively delivered their speeches on two topics of BRICS cooperation on traditional medicine and the role of traditional medicine in fighting against COVID-19. Traditional medicine experts from India, South Africa, Brazil and Russia also carried out academic discussions and experience exchanges about the effect of traditional medicine in fighting the epidemic, and put forward their opinions and suggestions on strengthening the exchange and cooperation in the traditional medicine in the future.

(National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine)