The Health Economic-Industrial Complex (HEIC) is recognized as a fundamental pillar for the Welfare State, essential for ensuring universal health access and reducing the vulnerability of Brazil's Unified Health System. This paper argues that the HEIC must be positioned as a key vector in the national development strategy, linking the reconstruction of Brazil's economy with social development, science, technology, innovation, and environmental sustainability. These strategies collectively work towards building a dynamic, just, and democratic Brazil. Furthermore, it presents how Brazil, under Lula Presidency, incorporated HEIC in a set of public policies aiming to strengthen the production and innovation in health to increase the Brazilian Health System resilience and increase health access to Brazilian population. Furthermore, the paper explores how the principles of the HEIC can be adapted to the BRICS context. By leveraging this model, BRICS nations can address global health disparities and enhance their capacity to produce vaccines, treatments, diagnostics, and other critical health technologies. Ultimately, this paper advocates for the bold reimagining of the HEIC as a transformative force in BRICS countries capable of driving structural changes in both national and global health landscapes, promoting a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable society.

The history of creating and using various information and communication technologies for medicine and healthcare in Russia dates back to the 1950s–1960s, when the first scientific research was launched in the USSR and the first practical developments and proprietary technologies were created. The creation and application of the first software products was aimed at the collecting and automating statistical reports and partial automation of auxiliary departments, such as accounting, personnel departments, etc. In the early 2000s, Russia began to form a commercial market of specialized software for medicine and healthcare. In 2011, by order of the President and with the active participation of the professional community, the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development launched a federal project to create a “Unified State Information System in Healthcare”, which became the starting point for the mass introduction of various information systems in the healthcare sector of the Russian Federation. In 2019, the federal project “Creation of a unified digital health care circuit based on Unified State Information System in Healthcare” was launched in Russia as part of the “Healthcare” national project. The implementation of the projects in 2011–2024 allowed to achieve high rates of application of medical information systems, as well as to move to projects on digital transformation of the industry, including the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies and various digital services and assistants for patients, doctors, and managers. The article presents a brief history of the development of digital projects, the current key directions in developing information technologies for healthcare and the results achieved so far.

Tuberculosis (TB), the single most infectious killer deserves special attention in a focussed manner, to reduce morbidity and mortality. We describe the challenges in the four pillars of TB control: detect or diagnosis, treat, prevent, build and elaborate the success stories, listing out newer and advanced tools like artificial intelligence, whole genome sequencing, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats based technologies, one health approach and cost effectiveness strategies for an all- round reduction in TB control. Special problems posed by paediatric and extra-pulmonary TB are dealt with. Post TB lung sequalae, reverse zoonosis and behavioural modification that can influence catastrophic costs are explored. Use of molecular and genomic methods of TB detection has revolutionized TB care with increased sensitivity of diagnosis, and timely detection of drug resistance, saving many a precious lives. Undoubtedly, the need of the hour would be shortening TB treatment duration and comprehensive preventive strategies that simultaneously decrease both the incidence and prevalence of TB. The various schemes and initiatives undertaken by the Government of India including the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan – “TB free India” stand as a unique solution in the wake of eliminating TB. India has been extending its success stories to other countries as well, by creating platforms for multilateral research and multinational implementation. This manuscript gives a concise and comprehensive outlook of process involved in TB elimination, amalgamating the research evidences with the programmatic initiatives, enlisting the existing challenges, envisaging the current achievements, providing a road map for TB elimination.

China's health system reform, launched in 2009, has been a comprehensive effort to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality while addressing the challenges of escalating costs, an aging population, and the rise in non-communicable diseases. The reform has achieved near-universal health insurance coverage, leading to reduced out-ofpocket expenses and improved financial protection for citizens. It has also focused on public hospital reform, aiming to improve management efficiency, eliminate financial dependency on drug sales, and introduce new payment models to curb over-prescription. Strengthening primary care has been a cornerstone, with investments in infrastructure and workforce to enhance local healthcare services and introduce a family doctor system for continuous care. The Essential Medicines Program has made medications more affordable and accessible. Despite these advancements, challenges such as service delivery fragmentation, quality of care inconsistencies, and health financing issues persist. The Healthy China 2030 vision, building on these reforms, aims to further integrate health services, enhance governance, and promote preventive care to achieve a more equitable and sustainable healthcare system. The article underscores the importance of robust governance, financial investment, and policy innovation in realizing health reform goals and offers lessons for other nations facing similar health system challenges.

Thirty years into democracy, South Africa’s health system is rated as the best-developed on the African continent and is geared towards closing the divide between the public and private healthcare sectors, but the country still faces immense social, economic and health inequities which thwart the fulfilment of universal health coverage. In tracing the journey of South Africa’s health system development to highlight persistent challenges and future directions for solutions, key issues such as the various negative determinants of health, the burden of disease, patients’ experience of care, the paucity of strategic health information, and the dearth of human resources for health, surface as a tableau of polycrisis. Integrated, multi-sectoral approaches to promote health as a human right, well-governed implementation of policy to holistically address gaps in service delivery and data management, and authentic community participation in monitoring health system performance can support action for reform to improve its quality, responsiveness, efficiency and resilience.

The global burden of mental disorders is already substantial and increasing disconcertingly each year. In India, the prevalence of mental disorders is estimated to be 10.6%. There is a significant treatment gap and a limited number of mental health professionals. Every country needs a robust public mental health system to address this burden. India has developed a comprehensive public mental health infrastructure across all levels of healthcare. The National Mental Health Programme, which has evolved since its inception in 1982, is a key component of this system. Additionally, India has a National Mental Health Policy and a Suicide Prevention Strategy. The recently introduced National Tele Mental Health Programme has transformed mental healthcare in the country. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, located at Primary Health Centres and Sub Health Centres, are providing comprehensive primary health care, including mental health services. Despite these advancements, India faces several challenges in mental healthcare, including population size, geographical diversity, cultural variations, stigma, multiple stakeholders, a shortage of mental health professionals, and budget constraints. Efforts are ongoing to address these issues. New areas such as Artificial Intelligence, climate change, and perinatal mental health are being explored. The public mental health setup in India could serve as a model for other countries.