From Prevention to Longevity: Experts Discussed the Active Ageing Agenda Across BRICS Countries
On 19 May, the roundtable discussion "From Prevention to Longevity: National Active Ageing Programmes in BRICS Countries", organised by the BRICS Expert Council-Russia under the auspices of the Civil BRICS Council, brought together representatives of the academic community, healthcare systems, public institutions, and leading specialists to address one of the key challenges of the twenty-first century—population ageing and the search for effective models of active longevity.
The discussion focused on the prevention of chronic diseases, the preservation of cognitive health, the promotion of a culture of healthy living, and opportunities for exchanging best practices among BRICS countries in the fields of public health, social policy, and medicine.
In her remarks, Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council-Russia, Russian W20 Sherpa, and Co-Chair of the Russian Chapter of Civil BRICS Council, stressed that the humanitarian dimension of BRICS is becoming one of the most important areas of cooperation, while public health is directly linked to economic resilience and the quality of human capital.
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BRICS countries today are united not only by a shared aspiration for economic development, but also by a recognition that human health is a strategic resource for growth. The exchange of practices in prevention, active ageing, and public health has the potential to become one of the most sought-after areas of cooperation, where BRICS can offer the world its own model—one grounded in science, technology, and respect for human dignity.
Victoria Panova
Head of the BRICS Expert Council-Russia, Russian W20 Sherpa, and Co-Chair of the Russian Chapter of Civil BRICS Council
Natalia Bondarenko, Chair of the roundtable and Co-Chair of the Public Health and Human Wellbeing Working Group of the Civil BRICS Council, presented the concept of a "health continuum"—a model based on shifting from reactive medicine to a lifelong system of support, spanning from risk prevention to active and intellectual longevity. At the heart of this approach lies not crisis-driven treatment, but quality-of-life management, prevention, and early diagnosis.
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Active longevity should not become a period of mere survival, but a time of opportunity, development, and meaningful participation in society. We need to move from a system that reacts to illness to one that manages quality of life—from prevention to healthy and active ageing.
Natalia Bondarenko
Chair of the roundtable and Co-Chair of the Public Health and Human Wellbeing Working Group of the Civil BRICS Council
Bondarenko also outlined prospects for cross-country cooperation within BRICS, including joint research into the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases, cognitive health programmes, the development of digital medicine, telemedicine, artificial intelligence technologies, and a platform for sharing best practices in healthy longevity.
Oksana Sinyavskaya, Deputy Director of the Institute for Social Policy, Director of the Centre for Comprehensive Social Policy Studies at HSE University, and a member of the BRICS Expert Council-Russia, devoted her presentation to demographic challenges across BRICS countries and the concept of sustainable ageing. She noted that while BRICS countries are experiencing population ageing at different rates, they face many of the same challenges—rising levels of chronic disease, social inequality, and the need to adapt healthcare and social support systems to a new demographic reality.
Anna Bogolepova, Head of the Cognitive Disorders Department at the Federal Centre for Brain Research and Neurotechnologies of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA), focused her presentation on cognitive health as a foundation of active ageing. She highlighted that the global prevalence of cognitive impairment averages around 19% and increases with age, affecting quality of life, independence, and the risk of dementia. Particular attention was given to the concept of cognitive reserve—the brain’s capacity to remain resilient to age-related and pathological changes, which can be strengthened throughout life. She also outlined the Centre’s work on the early diagnosis and treatment of cognitive and psycho-emotional disorders, the development of cognitive health clinics, and public engagement in prevention and cognitive wellbeing monitoring.
Maria Klochko, Head of the consulting group "Technologies of Influence", dedicated her remarks to fostering a culture of healthy living and promoting longevity as a personal choice rather than solely a medical issue. She noted that in the twenty-first century, extending healthy life expectancy has become part of a broader global social and technological agenda. Particular emphasis was placed on prevention, behavioural health factors, and preserving the professional potential of older generations: in ageing societies, longer working lives, accumulated knowledge, and experience are becoming vital resources for sustainable development, while successful international examples demonstrate the effectiveness of systematic approaches to chronic disease prevention and encouraging a responsible attitude towards health.
Igor Vykhodets, Deputy Head of the Department of Sports Medicine and Digitalisation of FMBA of Russia, addressed the scientific and educational dimensions of sports medicine as part of a broader culture of prevention and health preservation. He presented the results of FMBA research aimed at developing methodological guidance and educational programmes to prevent anti-doping rule violations, stressing the importance of training medical professionals with expertise in risk prevention and the medical and biological support of athletes.
The discussion also featured Alexey Ostash, Head of the Centre of Excellence for Nutrition and Food Safety in the Nuclear Industry at Rosatom, who addressed the role of nutrition, workplace health programmes, and food safety as essential elements of an active ageing ecosystem.
Participants agreed that active longevity is becoming an increasingly important part of the humanitarian and social agenda of BRICS. Bringing together scientific expertise, medical technologies, social policy instruments, and national best practices may provide the foundation for new joint projects, research initiatives, and practical solutions aimed at improving quality of life and preserving human potential across BRICS countries.