BRICS nations address rising health risks alongside hunger
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Leaders from BRICS nations, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, are now focusing on public health alongside food security, recognising that changing lifestyles contribute to new health challenges.
During the BRICS Summit 2026, these countries launched the BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle and endorsed a roadmap for promoting healthy living from 2026 to 2029. This initiative acknowledges that nutrition is evolving beyond simply having enough food to include what people eat and how they live.
BRICS countries experience varied nutritional challenges. While Ethiopia still struggles with food insecurity, India and Indonesia grapple with both undernutrition and rising obesity. China and Brazil are seeing increased diet-related diseases despite reducing traditional undernutrition, and Gulf nations face high rates of obesity and diabetes. Economic growth and urbanisation are driving shifts toward processed foods and less physical activity, creating a “compressed nutrition transition” where both undernutrition and diseases from unhealthy lifestyles coexist.
India, in particular, is at the centre of this transition. Current nutrition policies rightly prioritise hunger, maternal and child nutrition, and addressing anaemia, but these efforts must expand to include promoting healthy habits throughout childhood and adolescence. The BRICS Mission offers an opportunity for these nations to share best practices and integrate agriculture, food, nutrition, and health policies.
India can demonstrate how to embed healthy living into food systems, schools, and communities, focusing on practical skills like mindful eating and regular physical activity.
