International Security Forum Highlights Health As Pillar Of Global Stability

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- The International Security Forum in Moscow has highlighted the critical role of healthcare and international cooperation in ensuring global stability and national security, with officials warning that health threats transcend borders and require coordinated global responses.

The four-day forum, which began on May 26 under the auspices of the Security Council of Russia, brought together more than 140 foreign delegations from over 120 countries, including representatives from BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), ASEAN, Africa, West Asia and Latin America.

Speaking at a round table entitled “The Power of Cooperation for the Health of Nations”, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said healthcare resilience is central to national sustainability and global security, TV BRICS reported.

“We are speaking about the health of our population because this is what makes your state sustainable and consolidated. There are no boundaries, nor passports, nor flags for infections. So we have to cooperate and implement the best practices,” he said.

Murashko stressed that a strong national health system contributes to global security, while efficient international cooperation helps countries maintain stability in the face of global challenges.

The minister also outlined the key priorities for the development of Russian healthcare through to 2030, including strengthening primary healthcare, preventing non-communicable diseases, advancing digital transformation, and implementing personnel policies that have increased the number of medical professionals.

According to Murashko, Russia has developed its own reserve of vaccine technologies and is capable of producing vaccines against various strains, including Ebola, while noting that epidemics, biological risks, workforce shortages, and cyber threats are directly linked to national security.

South African Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Phophi Silence Ntshavheni said the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of coordinated international action, noting that cooperation made it possible to accelerate vaccine development and strengthen epidemic response mechanisms.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Russia, Batyr Berdyklychev, also stressed the need for coordinated responses to global health threats, noting that international cooperation enables countries to detect risks faster, exchange research findings and strengthen healthcare resilience in an increasingly interconnected world.

-- BERNAMA