Lula affirms at the BRICS summit that there is no health without investment

Rio de Janeiro, July 7 (RHC)-- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva affirmed on Monda that implementing the right to health requires fiscal space.  

Speaking on the second and final day of the XVII BRICS Summit, in the plenary session on Environment, COP30 (United Nations Climate Change Conference), and Global Health, the Brazilian president noted that "many of the diseases that claim thousands of lives in our countries, such as Chagas disease and cholera, would have already been eradicated if they had reached the Global North."

Lula said that such an assertion clearly highlights the historical inequalities that separate the South from the North.  Referring to the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3)—ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all—Lula was categorical: "There is no right to health without investment in basic sanitation, adequate nutrition, quality education, decent housing, work, and income."

As host of the forum, the Brazilian leader made it clear that he is not willing to submit to the neoliberal mandate of cuts and reiterated his rhetoric of confrontation between the poor and the rich.  Lula assured that his government will not sacrifice social spending and, on the contrary, will promote redistributive policies as a way to guarantee social justice.

Also, in a moment of multilateral reflection, he advocated for restoring the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO).

"It is urgent that the WHO recover its role as a legitimate forum to address pandemics and defend people's health. "Global health cannot depend on unilateralism or the abandonment of powers that withdraw from multilateral organizations," he warned, alluding to past decisions by governments such as the United States and Argentina.

During his speech, the Brazilian president also highlighted the importance of addressing the social determinants of health.  "Income, education, gender, race, and place of birth determine who gets sick and who dies," he forcefully denounced.

To address this inequality, he announced the launch of the "Alliance for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases," an initiative that will seek to promote physical and digital infrastructure and enhance capacity building in developing countries.

Anticipating his role as host of COP30 in Belém, capital of the northern Amazonian state of Pará, in November, Lula again called for a just and planned transition to end fossil fuels and eliminate deforestation.

He openly criticized the role of the large international banks that still finance this industry. "Eighty percent of carbon emissions are produced by fewer than 60 companies. Most operate in the oil, gas, and cement sectors," he stated. (Source: PL)