Khadijah Aliyu-Nigeria
The 23rd International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) opened in Accra, calling on African leaders to prioritize health sovereignty, protect human rights, empower communities, and embrace innovation to end AIDS as a public health threat.
Hosted in Ghana for the first time, ICASA is a major bilingual conference that has been a pivotal platform for over 30 years in combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and malaria while fostering stigma-free environments for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and their families.
The event runs until December 8 under the theme, “Africa in Action: Catalysing Integrated Sustainable Responses to End AIDS, TB & Malaria.”
The conference aims to accelerate Africa’s progress toward the triple elimination of these diseases, strengthen sustainable and resilient health systems, and drive innovation through digital technologies.
It also provides a forum for governments, civil society, the private sector, and international organizations to collaborate on health security and pandemic preparedness, while empowering communities and promoting human rights and gender equality.
Speaking at the opening, Ghana’s Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman, urged African nations to take bold steps and set their own healthcare agendas amid declining international support.
“We cannot continue to outsource our healthcare priorities; we must lead our own reforms, build sustainable systems, and strengthen our collective resolve,” she said.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima stressed that ending AIDS is no longer just a medical challenge but a political choice. She urged African leaders to resource HIV responses despite shrinking aid, safeguard the rights of vulnerable communities, and harness new innovations to achieve health sovereignty.
Byanyima also highlighted Africa’s disproportionate HIV burden, noting that while the continent accounts for 19% of the global population, it is home to 65% of people living with HIV.
Delivering remarks virtually, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohammed Janabi, noted that while new HIV infections have declined, too many people remain unreached. “ICASA is a chance to confront these gaps and strengthen the systems needed to close them. WHO will walk this journey with you,” he said.
The conference brings together heads of government delegations, health ministers, UN agencies, researchers, civil society groups, PLHIV networks, youth organizations, donor partners, and private sector actors from across Africa and beyond.
Continental health institutions, regional economic blocs, pharmaceutical stakeholders, and signatories to global health initiatives are also participating, reaffirming their commitment to ending AIDS and strengthening Africa’s health systems.