The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) India Chapter, under the aegis of the Healthcare Working Group, hosted a hybrid session on “Equity and Innovation: Tackling Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in BRICS Economies” during FICCI HEAL 2025 on October 8th, 2025.
The session brought together women leaders, entrepreneurs, and health experts from across BRICS nations to share country experiences and explore collaborative models to advance equitable and inclusive healthcare. Discussions focused on how technological innovation, local entrepreneurship, and gender-responsive approaches can strengthen NCD prevention and management.
The session was chaired by Ms. Malti Sachdev, Senior Vice President and Head, Varian India. Ms. Sachdev highlighted the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and emphasized the need for BRICS countries to work collaboratively to address this shared challenge. She further underscored that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires placing women at the centre of health transformation.
Speakers highlighted a range of country-level initiatives addressing the growing NCD burden. From Brazil, Ms. Elisa Kovalski, Co-Leader, BRICS WBA Healthcare Working Group shared the country’s progress in corporate wellness and mental health promotion, supported by key performance indicators to measure anxiety and depression management in workplaces. She also cited successful HPV vaccination drives led by women entrepreneurs and emphasized the importance of sharing best practices across BRICS.
Representing Indonesia, Ms. Maika Nurhayati, Indonesian Women Entrepreneurs Association, Head of Permanent Committee for Disease Prevention & Control of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Harsen Laboratories, Researcher Health & Environment at School of Environment, University of Indonesia discussed the establishment of women-led community health hubs that utilize low-cost digital tools for early detection of hypertension and diabetes. These grassroots networks are bridging healthcare access gaps in rural areas and improving preventive care outcomes.
From Russia, Prof. Oksana Drapkina, Director, National Medical Research Center for Therapy & Preventive Medicine & Chief Specialist in Therapy & General Medical Practice, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation presented the BRICS Health Umbrella Initiative, which integrates five areas of focus—health literacy, system strengthening, workplace wellness, supportive environments, and preventive investment. She noted that every dollar invested in workplace wellness yields USD 2–USD 4 in productivity gains, highlighting the economic rationale for prevention and health equity.
Showcasing India’s innovation, Dr. Sayantani Pramanik, Product Lead and Co-founder, Pragmatech Healthcare Solutions Pvt Ltd introduced CerviCheck, an at-home, CDSCO-approved cervical cancer screening solution designed to ensure privacy, scalability, and inclusivity. The product is enabling greater participation among rural women and supporting India’s vision for a nationwide cervical cancer screening programme aligned with the national HPV vaccination drive.
From Iran, Dr. Mona Davoudi, CEO, NavaGoStar shared details of a smart hand-hygiene monitoring project that has significantly reduced infection rates and improved safety for healthcare workers—most of whom are women. The initiative has received international recognition for advancing safety, transparency, and equity in hospital systems.
Representing China, Dr. Natalie Liao, General Manager, Infinity Institute of Intelligent Technologies presented Lingjing AI Doctor, an advanced AI-driven large language model for precision diagnosis and treatment of blood cancers. The system integrates genomics, big data, and telemedicine to expand access to quality cancer care in rural and underserved regions, bridging gender and geographic inequities.
The session concluded with a shared commitment to deepen BRICS collaboration in strengthening health systems, promoting workplace wellness, and scaling women-led innovations that advance equity in NCD prevention and care.
