NIMHANS to be nodal body for BRICS Centres of Excellence, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, has been designated as the coordinating center for a network of BRICS Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for mental health.
• This decision was adopted during the New Delhi Declaration at the 18th BRICS Summit.
• The network aims to facilitate collaborative research, policy dialogue, and exchange of best practices among BRICS countries.
• The declaration also endorsed the BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle and the BRICS Roadmap for the Joint Initiative on Healthy Lifestyle Promotion (2026-29).

Detailed Insights:

• The network of CoEs will be jointly governed by representatives from each BRICS member state to ensure balanced decision-making.
• Its primary goal is to achieve scientific and technical cooperation for integrating mental well-being into primary healthcare.
• The declaration emphasizes addressing mental health consequences of crises, particularly for vulnerable populations like children and adolescents.
• It also highlights the growing relevance of Traditional and Integrative Medicine (TCIM).
• A BRICS Expert Working Group on TCIM is proposed to coordinate research on medicinal plants and ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of these practices.

Key Concepts Involved:

• BRICS: An acronym for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• NIMHANS: A premier medical institution in Bengaluru, India, specializing in mental health and neurosciences.
• Centres of Excellence (CoEs): Institutions recognized for their outstanding expertise and leadership in a specific field.
• Traditional and Integrative Medicine (TCIM): Healthcare practices that are not typically part of conventional medicine but are used alongside or instead of it.