Unfortunately, however, at the fifth summit the BRICS failed to come to terms on how and when the BDB will be established. Differences over how much these nations will contribute to the bank's initial deposit; disagreements over who will lead the BDB - with China striving to take control though greater financial contributions ; differences in domestic political structures, cultures, and foreign policy views; as well as contestation over where the BDB will open shop has concerned many that it may take time for bank operations to begin.

But these nations share a deeper historical interest that may help to overcome these differences. Since the early-20th century, political leaders in all of these nations have aspired to engage in international cooperation, both for the establishment of peace but also for the creation of multilateral institutions, such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Through these endeavors and others, the BRICS found common ground in striving to increase their international reputation as nations that mattered in the world; as nations that could make a difference.

The BRICS leaders see the BDB as an opportunity to achieve these foreign policy objectives. President Vladimir Putin of Russia has viewed the BDB as a key "cooperative mechanism" in helping transform the old system of international finance and to bolster the emerging nation's influence in this realm. All of the BRICS leaders also agree that the BDB will help to magnify their voice within key multilateral lending agencies, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund .

While these geopolitical incentives may help to facilitate agreements to finalize the BDB, and while their certainly is wide-spread agreement that the endeavor can strengthen infrastructural investment and economic growth, one key issue seems to have been overlooked: Health.

Indeed, the BRICS are grappling with serious public health issues that, if not effectively addressed, could jeopradize their economies. In addition to the ongoing challenge of HIV/AIDS, TB, and a myriad of other communicable diseases, two non-communicable diseases stand out as possessing potentially disastrous economic consequences: Obesity and diabetes.

Increased foreign direct investment, the arrival of fast food restaurants, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles, as the graphs here illustrate, have caused obesity and diabetes cases to rapidly increase in Brazil, India, and China (though to a lesser extent in Russia and South Africa, where malnourishment seems to be more prevalent). In Brazil, by the mid-2000s, the number of obese individuals has increased from 11.4 percent of the population in 2006 to 15.8 percent in 2011. And by 1998, 4.9 million adults had diabetes, with a projected increase to 11.6 million by 2025 . For a nation experiencing ongoing poverty and malnourishment, the rise of these silent but deadly diseases is alarming.