Africa Public Health Foundation (APHF) attended the 2nd International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2022) that was held in Kigali, Rwanda between 13th-15th December. According to the CPHIA website, the annual conference is a unique platform for African researchers, policymakers and stakeholders to come together and share perspectives and research findings in public health while ushering in a new era of strengthened scientific collaboration and innovation across the continent. Building on CPHIA 2021, this year’s conference also served as a catalyst to build more resilient health systems that allow African countries to better prepare for and manage emerging health threats while also addressing long-standing infectious diseases.
In attendance from APHF was our Interim CEO, Dr. Francisco Songane who was positive about the general outcome of the second annual conference, and first in-person, “The CPHIA 2022 was very well organized by Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) with worthwhile interactions and overall good dynamics addressing real issues affecting the continent. It was a great platform for networking with health experts across the continent and beyond, various donors, and many other stakeholders who are working in support of the call for a new public health order in Africa. An important take home message was that we need a wholistic approach moving beyond emergency preparedness.”
CPHIA 2022, which had over 2,500 participants, held main discussions and various side events discussing pertinent issues and initiatives such as strengthening health systems for equitable and universal health coverage in Africa, health diplomacy, and looking into the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and how we can better prepare for pandemics.
Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma the Ag. Director for Africa CDC speaking at a side event about “Showcasing Cutting Edge Partnerships and the Role of Africa CDC” emphasized the importance of harnessing the existing partnerships and how we should ensure we are well prepared for pandemics, and the significance of supporting the implementation of the new public health order. “The health situation in the continent will greatly improve when this is realized. It is time to accelerate our efforts toward rebuilding health systems capable of responding to multiple health threats in Africa.”
Dr. Magda Robalo, one of our Governing Council members was part of a panel discussing the importance of women leaders in public health. In this enlightening session, she reiterated the importance of women creating their own spaces, instead of waiting for others
“We need to understand that if there is a table where a conversation is happening and you are not invited, there
are several things you can do. Consider creating your own conversation with your own table and chairs, and bring in people who are interested in the things you want to say and probably people who left you out at the other table can be interested too
As H.E. Amb. Minata Samate Cessouma, the Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development said in the CPHIA 2022 closing ceremony, “It has been three years since the start of COVID-19 pandemic which has affected our health systems negatively. In Africa, the response led to spending of resources threatening other health interventions such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious diseases. COVID-19 has taught us we can move united. Let us come together across, borders, countries, regions, gender, and languages. We did it and we can do it again”
