African leaders to convene high-level health summit at ICASA 2025 in Ghana

GHANA—The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Global Public Health Institute will partner with The Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) to host a major summit focusing on regional health leadership and sustainable financing across the African continent.

The event will take place on December 3 at the Accra International Conference Centre, immediately following the opening ceremony of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2025).

Officials will convene in the H.E. John Dramani Mahama room for this significant gathering.

The summit draws its framework from two pivotal initiatives: the Africa CDC’s New Public Health Order and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

 These guiding principles will shape discussions as the event brings together an impressive roster of participants, including heads of state from Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ministers of health and finance will join development partners, parliamentarians, civil society representatives, and private sector leaders.

Together, these stakeholders will work toward advancing Africa’s vision of a more equitable and self-reliant health system.

African leaders and global health partners will draw from decades of collective experience in combating the HIV epidemic.

The summit will examine lessons learned from the continent’s HIV response to develop sustainable and inclusive models for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

These discussions will also address health financing strategies that can support long-term continental health security.

Dr. Jorge Saavedra, Executive Director of the AHF Global Public Health Institute, emphasized the critical nature of these conversations.

He stated that sustainable health financing and regional production represent imperatives for Africa’s health security and prosperity, not merely political priorities.

According to Dr. Saavedra, the summit highlights the essential need for bold leadership, innovative financing approaches, and cross-sector collaboration to secure the continent’s health future.

The summit will feature a Presidential Fireside Chat with two distinguished African leaders: H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, and H.E. Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

 Dr. Michel Sidibé, AU Special Envoy for the African Medicines Agency, will moderate this high-level conversation.

Following the presidential discussion, participants will engage in a ministerial-level dialogue on Sustainable and Innovative Health Financing.

This session will include notable figures such as Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate from Nigeria, Dr. Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi from South Africa, Hon. Dr. Samuel Roger Kamba from the DRC, and Hon. Dr. Benjamin Houkpatin from Benin.

Dr. Jean Kaseya from Africa CDC and Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson from Ghana will also participate, with Dr. Penninah Iutung from AHF serving as moderator.

The summit will also feature a session on Leadership, Community, and Science with a focus on Regional Production.

This panel will gather experts including Dr. Mohamed Janabi from WHO AFRO, Dr. Nicaise Ndembi from IVI, Allan Maleche from KELIN, Dr. Ana Beatriz Amaya from UNU-CRIS, Prof. Morenike Ukpong from SAA, and Dr. Benjamin Djoudalbaye from Africa CDC.

AHF will extend the conversation beyond the main summit by hosting two additional fireside chats at its ICASA 2025 exhibition booth.

The first session, titled “Advancing Regional Health Leadership and Sustainable Financing,” will occur on Thursday, December 4 at 11:45 a.m. GMT at Booth 8.

 Public health leaders, advocates, and community partners will explore practical approaches to strengthening Africa’s health security through sustainable financing, regional manufacturing, and community action.

Delegates will identify clear, collaborative paths toward building a more resilient health future.

The second booth session, “Prevention First – Condoms, STI Control & Balanced Biomedical Messaging,” will take place on Saturday, December 6 at 12:35 p.m. GMT at Booth 8.

With STI rates rising worldwide, panelists will examine how to balance biomedical tools such as pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment as prevention with behavioral strategies.

 These behavioral approaches include condom use and community-led awareness campaigns. The session will showcase AHF’s prevention programs and advocacy efforts throughout Africa.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation currently serves as the largest global AIDS organization, providing medical care and services to over 2.7 million clients across 50 countries.

The organization maintains operations in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Europe.