Summary: In April 2026, India formally introduced “Promotion of Mental Health and Wellness” as a BRICS health priority during the First BRICS Health Working Group Meeting in New Delhi. By placing mental health alongside issues like pandemic preparedness, tuberculosis, and digital health, India expanded the BRICS health agenda toward preventive, community-based, and rights-oriented care. The move signals growing international recognition of mental health as a critical public health and development issue requiring global cooperation.
In April 2026, India formally placed mental health on the BRICS health agenda in a significant way, stating “there is no health without mental health.” During the first BRICS Health Working Group (HWG) Meeting held in New Delhi under India’s BRICS chairship, the Government of India introduced the “Promotion of Mental Health and Wellness” as one of its new priority areas for cooperation among BRICS nations. This marks an important shift in how mental health is being discussed in global health spaces.
For years, BRICS health cooperation has largely focused on infectious diseases, affordable medicines, pandemic preparedness, vaccine access, tuberculosis, and digital health systems. India expanded that conversation by explicitly recognising mental health and wellness as a shared public health priority across member countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
What exactly did India announce?
The announcement came during the First BRICS Health Working Group Meeting hosted by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 15 April 2026 in New Delhi. According to the official Press Information Bureau (PIB) release, India proposed two new focus points under its BRICS health agenda:
- BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyles
- Promotion of Mental Health and Wellness
An official statement described the mental health priority as focusing on the following key areas:
- Strengthening digital and community-based mental health services
- Advancing stigma reduction and a rights-based approach
- Enhancing capacity building and the mental health workforce
- Promoting knowledge-sharing and technical cooperation across BRICS
Importantly, India framed mental health not only as a clinical issue, but as part of preventive and community-centred healthcare systems.
The broader context behind the move
India’s BRICS chairship for 2026 is built around the theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The government has described this approach as “people-centric” and “humanity-first.”
Within that framework, mental health appears to have been positioned as part of building resilient societies and health systems. Especially after the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been rising stress levels, and growing concerns around non-communicable diseases and social wellbeing globally.
Why this matters within BRICS
BRICS is not a small bloc. The grouping now includes Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Together, these countries represent a substantial share of the world’s population and a major influence on global health governance.
When a grouping of this scale formally identifies mental health as a priority area, it can influence:
- Funding Priorities: When mental health becomes a recognised priority within an international forum, it often receives greater attention from governments, research institutions, development agencies, and funding bodies. This can lead to increased investment in mental health services, workforce development, digital innovations, prevention programmes, and implementation research. Formal recognition can also help position mental health as a core component of broader health and development budgets.
- Knowledge Exchange: BRICS countries have diverse experiences in expanding mental health services, using digital technologies, integrating mental healthcare into primary care, and addressing stigma. A dedicated mental health agenda can facilitate the exchange of best practices, technical expertise, training resources, and implementation lessons. Such knowledge-sharing can help countries avoid common pitfalls and accelerate progress in strengthening mental health systems.
- Policy Frameworks Across Member Countries: Including mental health in BRICS discussions can influence national policy conversations by encouraging governments to align with emerging priorities and shared commitments. It can support the development of stronger mental health policies, rights-based approaches, community-focused services, and intersectoral strategies that connect mental health with education, employment, social welfare, and public health. Over time, this may contribute to greater consistency and momentum in mental health policy development across member countries.
The official discussions also showed broad support from participating countries for India’s proposed priorities on healthy lifestyles and mental wellness.
Mental health alongside other structural health priorities
One notable aspect of the 2026 discussions is that mental health was included alongside other long-term structural health priorities such as:
- tuberculosis research,
- infectious disease early warning systems,
- digital health infrastructure,
- access to medicines and vaccines,
- and public health institutes.
This signals that mental health is being treated less as an isolated or secondary concern and more as part of mainstream public health planning.
The government also emphasised reducing stigma and improving integration of mental health services into existing healthcare systems — something mental health advocates in India have pushed for over many years.
A step toward stronger international mental health cooperation
While the April 2026 meeting was primarily a working group discussion, it laid the groundwork for future ministerial discussions and cooperation under the BRICS Health Track.
Whether this translates into long-term regional action remains to be seen. But India’s decision to formally elevate mental health within BRICS is still notable for two reasons:
- it recognises mental health as a global public health and development issue, and
- it places the issue within a major multilateral cooperation framework rather than limiting it to national policy conversations.
At a time when many countries continue to face large mental healthcare gaps, workforce shortages, stigma, and uneven access to support, the inclusion of mental health in BRICS cooperation could help strengthen cross-country learning and public health collaboration in the years ahead.
Sources and references
- Press Information Bureau (Government of India): First BRICS Health Working Group Meeting 2026
- Official BRICS India 2026 Chairship Website
- Times of India report on India proposing mental health as a BRICS priority
- MoHFW India official update on BRICS Mental Wellness meeting
- PIB India official update on the BRICS Health Working Group meeting
- Bennett J, O'Driscoll O, Stevens G et al. Benchmarking progress in non-communicable diseases: a global analysis of cause-specific mortality from 2001 to 2019.The Lancet, 2025; 406, 1255-1282
- Patel V, Saxena S, Lund C et al. The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development
- India officially made mental health and wellness a BRICS health cooperation priority in 2026.
- The proposal emphasised community-based care, stigma reduction, and strengthening mental health systems.
- Mental health was framed as part of preventive and public health planning, not just clinical care.
- BRICS countries collectively represent a major share of the global population and influence global health policy.
- The move could shape future research, policy collaboration, and international mental health cooperation across member countries.
