WHO Director-General thanks PM Modi, BRICS leaders for commitment to universal health coverage

New Delhi [India], September 13 : Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Sunday expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi following a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit held under India’s chairship.
Ghebreyesus and UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres met with PM Modi. Sharing an X post, WHO Director-General praised BRICS leaders’ support for the organisation and their commitment towards universal health coverage in the New Delhi Declaration.
“Prime Minister @narendramodi, thank you for the warm welcome to the 2026 #BRICS Delhi Summit. I very much appreciate the BRICS Leaders’ strong support for @WHO and multilateralism, and the commitment, as reflected in the declaration, to universal health coverage, resilient health systems, the successful conclusion of negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing Annex to the Pandemic Agreement, efforts to #EndTB, strengthening the health workforce, digital health, the integration of traditional medicine, and delivering #HealthForAll,” Ghebreyesus posted.
In the New Delhi Declaration, the BRICS nations welcomed the deepening of cooperation in global health initiatives and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing universal health coverage through resilient, inclusive, and people-centred approaches.
The nations reiterated that multilateral cooperation in health must be preserved and reinforced, emphasising the vital coordinating role of the World Health Organisation. While reaffirming sovereign rights of States over their biological resources as well as the sovereign right to legislate and implement laws, including national access and benefit-sharing legislation, the BRICS nations encouraged continued constructive engagement on the negotiations of the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement in support of a safe, equitable, transparent and effective multilateral framework.
Following the 16th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting held in Chandigarh, BRICS nations recognise tuberculosis as a critical global public health challenge requiring coordinated action, sustained investment in research and effective mechanisms for cross - learning and innovations. The nations also welcomed the establishment of a dedicated Sub-Working Group to advance the BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for the prevention and response to mass infectious diseases, and its terms of reference.