Health and multilateralism: Brazil’s political choice in a fractured world
Alexandre Padilha, minister of health, Brazil
I n a world fractured by climate emergencies, pandemics, disinformation and multiple conflicts, humanity finds itself in a global emergency room. Our planet is a patient in critical condition: fractured, vulnerable and in urgent need of collective care. Health, in this context, has become both a front-line casualty and the medicine we must administer to rebuild trust and cooperation. From my first years as a physician in Brazil’s public health system to my current role, serving my country for the second time as minister of health, I have learned a simple truth: health is never only a technical matter. It is a political choice – one that reflects the values we uphold, the alliances we forge and the future we want to build. Brazil’s choice is clear: to defend multilateralism, to support the World Health Organization’s leadership in directing and coordinating international responses to global health issues, to strengthen global health governance, and to put equity at the heart of every policy. Our recent G20 and BRICS presidencies, our current Mercosur presidency, our active role in negotiating preparations to host the UN climate conference in Belém and to make health a priority on the climate agenda have allowed us to translate that choice into concrete actions. INNOVATION ANCHORED IN EQUITY At the 78th World Health Assembly, we advanced a milestone of Brazil’s G20 presidency: the launch of the Global Coalition for Local and Regional Production, Innovation and Equitable Access. This coalition has a clear objective: to strengthen health production capacity, share technology, and expand access to medicines, vaccines and diagnostics. While its mandate focuses on neglected diseases and populations in vulnerable situations, these capacities could also be repurposed to address other diseases and health emergencies when needed. In July, at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, we launched the Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined the Pandemic Agreement and the amendments to the International Health Regulations, and our
From leading multilateral reforms to addressing deep-rooted
inequities, Brazil is making health a cornerstone of global cooperation
to reconnect a divided world
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Health: A Political Choice – The Future of Health in a Fractured World
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