On 10 May 2022, as the BRICS presidency, China successfully hosted the 12th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting online. Minister of the National Health Commission of P.R China, Ma Xiaowei delivered an opening speech, and Vice Minister Li Bin presided over the meeting.

Ma Xiaowei recalled the progress made since the first BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting held in Beijing in 2011, saying that the Chinese government holds on to the philosophy of putting people and their lives first, sticks to scientific and targeted COVID-19 prevention and control measures, as well as dynamic zero strategy, and has striven to coordinate its virus containment measures with economic development. At the same time, China has made its contributions to the global fight against the pandemic by providing antivirus materials, vaccines and dispatching medical expert teams overseas. By far, China has provided more than 2.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations. China calls on the BRICS countries to unite and cooperate in the fight against COVID-19 and jointly contribute to the goal of achieving universal health coverage.

Delegates from BRICS countries exchanged in-depth views on topics including COVID-19 prevention and control, health system strengthening and digital health. The meeting agreed to launch work related to the establishment of BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for preventing mass infectious diseases risks and adopted in principle the Declaration of the 12th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting.

A total of more than 70 delegates including BRICS countries’ Health Ministers and the WHO Deputy Director-General attended the meeting. Delegates from relevant departments of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Health Commission of P.R.China attended the meeting.

     (National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China)