The BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre has been launched to strengthen global preparedness and responses to future pandemics.

"The launch of the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre initiative is an important milestone and for three strategic reasons," Blade Nzimande, South Africa's minister of higher education, science and technology, said at a virtual ceremony on Tuesday. The ceremony was attended by other BRICS member representatives.

"This initiative will significantly bolster global capacities to prepare for and respond to pandemics; it is an example of best practices in international cooperation in science and it will further deepen BRICS partnership, solidarity and friendship. We are excited for its potential in these regards," Nzimande said.

He stated that the virtual centre should use artificial intelligence and big data to formulate solutions to prevent and fight pandemics. The centre would be coordinated by the Medical Research Council, which will work with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Nzimande said South Africa would make its centre of excellence in infectious disease available as well as experts to the initiative to ensure it is successful.

Nzimande noted that the centre shows commitment to "multilateralism, solidarity and equality" and will contribute to the global public good by ensuring that countries of the world have access to vaccines. He said the country would prioritize the centre next year when it becomes the BRICS chair.

The centre will see experts from BRICS countries exchange and share information on laboratory, clinical and epidemiological experiences regarding the virus as it prepares to tackle future pandemics. Scientists have warned that COVID-19 is not the last pandemic and have called on countries to prepare for others in the future.

A few months ago, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the centre would share and broaden knowledge for the benefit of the BRICS countries and the global community. The COVID-19 virus caught many countries by surprise and experts have called for the strengthening of early pandemic warning systems so that the countries have more success combating them in the future.