BRICS Cooperation and Experience in Combating Malnutrition as an Element of Addressing Socially Determined Diseases

Socially determined diseases (SDDs) are illnesses whose occurrence, progression, and outcomes are closely tied to social determinants of health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), these determinants broadly encompass living conditions—such as poverty, inequality, and hunger. These non-medical factors can wield as much, if not more, power over health as genetic predispositions or access to medical care. Social determinants play a crucial role in shaping healthcare inequalities, leading to stark disparities in health status both within and between countries.

A vital social determinant of health is food security—specifically, access to nutritious, high-quality food. Populations living in poverty often struggle to obtain adequate nutrition, which worsens the burden of infectious diseases, undernourishment, and obesity. These conditions, in turn, lead to other chronic illnesses and higher mortality risks.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 28% of the global population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2024, meaning 2.28 billion people lacked regular access to sufficient food. This increases their vulnerability to both communicable and non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. Global hunger, measured by the prevalence of undernourishment, stood at 8.2% worldwide in 2024. Both food insecurity and hunger are disproportionately concentrated in low-income nations, especially in the Global South, and affect rural populations more than urban residents. For instance, moderate or severe food insecurity affects 65% of people in low-income countries and 41.8% in lower-middle-income countries, compared to just 7.7% in high-income countries. In 2024, globally, the rate stood at 32% in rural areas and 23.9% in urban areas.

This challenge is also a central priority for the BRICS nations. At the XV BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting held on June 17, 2025, it was acknowledged that socially determined diseases may present a serious challenge for BRICS members like Ethiopia and India. In Ethiopia, 60% of the population experiences food insecurity, alongside the highest malnutrition rate among the group at 22.2%. Furthermore, Ethiopia reports some of the highest mortality rates from socially determined diseases, including tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, malaria, and other nutrition-related illnesses.

The recognition of this urgent problem led to the creation of the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases, launched at the XVII BRICS Summit on July 6, 2025. As highlighted in the XV BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting Declaration, this initiative underscores the group's leadership in shaping global efforts to promote equality and social justice in healthcare. Among the five key focus areas of the Partnership is the development of comprehensive, cross-sectoral strategies that foster collaboration between national health systems and social protection programmes. These strategies aim to tackle the root socioeconomic factors contributing to health inequalities, including food security. The WHO advocates for such cross-sectoral approaches as a priority in mitigating the adverse effects of social determinants of health.

For BRICS, eliminating socially determined diseases and infections is both a bold humanitarian objective and an endeavour that could become one of the most significant achievements of 21st-century multilateral cooperation. This collaborative effort is poised to substantially advance global healthcare equality, particularly in less socio-economically developed regions with limited resources, where the need is most acute. 

The contribution of the BRICS nations to tackling the global challenge of socially determined diseases is vital, not only due to their substantial share of the world's population, but also because several member states have already designed and successfully launched national initiatives that can serve as models for enhanced collaboration.

Perhaps the most notable example of effective public policy in this field comes from Brazil, which has actively rolled out measures to improve nutrition and combat hunger in recent years, making it one of the countries that has substantially reduced both hunger and food insecurity. Available data shows the prevalence of undernourishment fell from 3.2% in 2022 to below 2.5% in 2023. Although food insecurity in the country also dropped from 18.4% to 13.5% over the same period, it remains relatively high. This progress is largely attributed to the successful Bolsa Família programme, which by 2023 had reduced the number of children in the programme suffering from wasting or severe wasting due to malnutrition by 72.95% compared to 2022. Another major initiative targeting socially determined diseases is the Healthy Brazil (Brasil Saudável) programme, launched in 2024, which aims to eliminate these conditions by addressing underlying socioeconomic inequalities. This very programme formed the foundation for the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases. Brazil also plays a significant role in the South-South cooperation, notably through the UN WFP Centre of Excellence Against Hunger Brazil. This centre acts as a global hub for South-South policy dialogue, supporting countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America in creating and implementing their own mechanisms to eradicate hunger and malnutrition.

Several additional factors further underscore the importance of the BRICS nations' role in tackling hunger and related healthcare inequalities.

First, the BRICS nations hold particular significance for global food security, accounting for roughly 80% of the world's food reserves by value. Several member states are also leading producers and exporters of key agricultural commodities, including grains. 

Second, the Rio de Janeiro Declaration endorsed at the XVII BRICS Summit recognised the vital role of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty in combating hunger and food insecurity through promoting international cooperation. BRICS contributes to this Alliance in several ways. One is through sharing successful policy models—several programmes, like Brazil's Bolsa Família, are featured in the Alliance's Policy Basket, a repository of evidence-based practices. Second, there is the opportunity for countries in need to access financial support from the New Development Bank (NDB), a key founding member of the Global Alliance, established by the BRICS nations to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects in both BRICS and developing countries.

Summing up, the BRICS nations possess: (1) a demonstrated record of eradicating domestic hunger, (2) participation in international efforts like the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty and South-South cooperation, and (3) a leading role in worldwide food production. This position creates enhanced opportunities to combat hunger more effectively—both within the group and globally—including by addressing it as a primary driver of socially determined diseases.