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The BRICS Health Journal

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The BRICS are a group of leading emerging economies. Originally comprising five countries, the BRICS have now expanded to include ten countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.

The BRICS countries are home to 48% of the world’s population and have similar challenges in health care.

The BRICS Health Journal aims to promote medical research, public health and scientific cooperation among the BRICS countries.

 In the scope of the BRICS Health Journal:

  • Public health
  • Health care system
  • Infectious diseases
  • Noncommunicable diseases
  • Digitisation of healthcare
  • The global challenge of cancer
  • Mental health
  • Maternal and child health
  • Tuberculosis control
  • Advancing the global fight against HIV/Aids
  • Antimicrobial resistance

The Journal is issued four times a year  and publishes original research articles, review articles and letters to the editor. 

Journal target audience

  • Scientists and Researchers: Medical professionals, physicians, scientists and researchers from the BRICS countries who are engaged in medical and scientific research and strive to publish their work in a ranked and recognized journal.
  • Medical organizations and institutions: Medical centres, hospitals, research institutes and clinics in the BRICS countries that are interested in disseminating their scientific and clinical research.
  • Health Authorities and State Institutions: Ministries of Health and other public authorities responsible for health care in the BRICS countries who can use the journal to share experience and information about health care.
  • Medical schools: Students of medical and scientific specialties, graduate students and scientific teachers from medical schools of the BRICS countries.
  • International organizations and partners: International scientific and medical organizations that are interested in cooperation with scientists and medical specialists from the BRICS countries

Current issue

Vol 2, No 1 (2025)
View or download the full issue PDF
3-12 224
Abstract

Innovation is essential for socio-economic progress, particularly in today's fiercely competitive global environment. This article's primary focus is to review the evolution of Brazilian regulations on innovation policy, a subject of intense debate by the government and academic and business institutions. The goal is to review this evolution and dissect the key regulatory frameworks, policies, and initiatives shaping the current scenario. Qualitative research is carried out in three stages: searching and selecting documents, reading and categorizing sources and records, and reviewing relevant information. Since the 2000s, Brazil has promoted legislative reforms to modernize the mechanisms to encourage research and development, such as the Legal Framework for Innovation (2004), the inclusion of the term innovation in the Federal Constitution (2015), the new Legal Framework for Innovation (2016) and the National Policy for Technological Innovation in Health (2017). These changes enhance legal certainty and tax benefits for collaborations between companies and Science, Technology, and Innovation Institutions. Despite the progress, it is still crucial for Brazilian institutions to adopt more robust innovation 

policies and more effectively align them with national development policies. Recently, the country intensified its innovation efforts by summarizing the Health Economic-Industrial Complex, integrated with the New Industrialization Policy, focused on economic, social, and sustainable development, highlighting public health. Brazil's evolution in innovation policy is a testament to the nation's steadfast commitment to technological and economic progress. While significant strides have been made, greater integration between institutions is imperative to maximize the benefits of innovation.

13-26 102
Abstract

Horizon scanning (HS) in healthcare is a strategic framework designed to identify and evaluate emerging medical technologies with the potential to significantly influence health systems. In response to rapid scientific and technological advancements, and the increasing demand for long-term forecasting, HS has been institutionalized in many settings, allowing for its integration into national healthcare planning and policy development. International experience demonstrates that the systematic application of HS contributes significantly to evidence-based decision-making in healthcare. By enabling the timely identification and evaluation of emerging technologies, HS helps mitigate potential risks, supports proactive policy responses, and enhances the overall efficiency and responsiveness of healthcare systems.

IIn the Russian Federation, some HS activities are underway; however, they are not yet institutionalized, do not involve all key stakeholders, and are not supported by advanced technological platforms such as artificial intelligence or big data analytics. This limits the country’s capacity for strategic foresight and long-term innovation planning in healthcare. The adoption of an integrated HS framework could substantially improve system efficiency by facilitating timely access to high-impact innovations, enhancing resource allocation, and informing evidence-based health and pharmaceutical policy. Strengthening collaboration with international organizations and BRICS partners could support the development of common methodological approaches, promote shared technology assessment priorities, and reinforce collective readiness for emerging health challenges. The use of advanced analytical tools would further enable the integration of HS into national decision-making and contribute to building a resilient, proactive system for anticipating technological change.

 

27-31 115
Abstract

The Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) initiative is a transformative approach in India’s journey towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), addressing long-term deficiencies in the primary healthcare system. Launched in April 2018 under the Ayushman Bharat program, AAM seeks to revolutionize primary healthcare by upgrading existing Sub Health Centres and Primary Health Centres to provide comprehensive, free of cost services spanning preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care. This strategic shift has significantly improved access, particularly in underserved and rural areas. By integrating expanded range of services including non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health into primary care, and by enhancing community mobilization and promotion, AAM has made substantial strides through improved population coverage, significant reductions in Out-Of-Pocket Expenditure, and enhanced screenings for common NCDs. However, challenges persist, including infrastructural inadequacies, workforce shortages, quality of health care, information technology systems and more. Future efforts must focus on addressing these gaps through improved infrastructure, robust training programs, and advanced health information technologies. Continued research and strategic policy adjustments are also crucial to sustaining and expanding the achievements of the AAM initiative, ultimately advancing India’s efforts towards UHC.

38-52 81
Abstract

Greater than 40% of cancer can be prevented through modifiable risk factors. The World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research recommended healthy lifestyles for cancer prevention. No study, however, has investigated adoption rate of cancer prevention lifestyles in China. This article utilized data from a baseline survey of major cancer related risk factors in China including 89,045 participants. The results showed that the adoption rate of healthy lifestyles for cancer prevention among the contemporary Chinese population was 24.49%. Women (28.91%), individuals aged 40 years or older (26.43%-38.41%), had lower education level (27.60%), lived in rural areas (29.24%) and high or middle human development index regions (24.98%), and were unemployed (29.14%) had higher adoption rates. The adoption rate of healthy lifestyles was lowest among participants aged 25–29 years (14.16%) and showed an increased trend with age (P for trend < 0.001), with similar trends observed across subgroups stratified by sex, education level, residential area, and employment status (all P for trend < 0.001). Despite challenges in implementing primary cancer prevention, recent initiatives such as China Code Against Cancer and the Smart Health Management Digital Platform for Primary Cancer Prevention are expected to promote healthy lifestyles among the Chinese population, supported by national policies and international guidelines.

 

53-68 212
Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a global health challenge, particularly in low-income regions, leading to severe complications. Plant-derived alkaloids offer potential as alternatives to conventional therapies. This study evaluated 31 alkaloids for antidiabetic drug development through molecular docking, pharmacokinetics, and drug-likeness analyses. Four standard drugs (epalrestat, metformin, acarbose, glibenclamide) and four targets (aldose reductase, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, a-glucosidase, protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B) were used for computational simulations.

Molecular docking revealed that alkaloids mahanimbine (-11.5 kcal/mol), echinulin (11.3 kcal/mol), coptisine (-10.9 kcal/mol), and groenlandicine (-9.7 kcal/mol) have substantial binding affinities against aldose reductase compared to epalrestat (-9.3 Kcal/mol). In contrast to metformin (-4.8 kcal/mol), coptisine, echinulin, sanguinarine, and groelandicine showed superior binding affinities against adenosine monophosphateactivated protein kinase. In comparison to acarbose (-8.4 Kcal/mol), coptisine (-9.7 Kcal/mol), sanguinarine (-9.3 Kcal/mol), mahanimbine (-8.9 Kcal/mol), and echinulin (-8.9 Kcal/mol) demonstrated better docking scores against a-glucosidase. Jatrorrhizine, coptisine, sanguinarine, mahanimbine and echinuline respectively demonstrated higher binding scores of 8.8, -7.5, -7.5 and -7.2 Kcal/mol against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B than glibenclamide (-7.0 Kcal/mol). Most alkaloids adhered to Lipinski’s rule, except casuarine 6-O-a-glucoside and conophylline. Pharmacokinetics identified pinoline as highly bioavailable and central nervous system penetrant, while conophylline had poor bioavailability.

The study concluded that alkaloids including mahanimbine, echinulin, coptisine, groenlandicine, sanguinarine, and jatrorrhizine show strong binding affinities and favorable pharmacokinetic properties, requiring further in vitro and in vivo studies for therapeutic validation

 



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