The fifth edition coming of the Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) 2023 (www.AHAIC.org), comes this march in Kigali Rwanda, with a theme “Resilient Health Systems for Africa: Re-envisioning the Future Now”.
Through the conference, top thought leaders, political figures, reserachers, policy makers, and civil society for dialogue and action with an aim to deal with climate discourse that affects the health policy conversations.
AHAIC 2023 aims to shape a joint African position on climate and health ahead of critical conversations that will take place at the World Health Assembly (http://bit.ly/3li1xF6), the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) (https://bit.ly/3HyMrlO), and the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) (https://bit.ly/3XdM6eh) later in the year.
According to Dr. Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO, Amref Health Africa, 2023’s AHAIC forum is the first that sets on a global health conference with a perspective of the Climate change in Africa being a determiner of health.
“At AHAIC 2023, we will be exploring themes at the nexus of climate change and health including a rapidly warming planet, pandemic preparedness, food security and nutrition, innovation, research and development, gender, and conflict,” said Dr. Githinji.
AHAIC 2023 comes against the backdrop of renewed calls by African leaders for more urgent action against climate change as its impacts continue to be acutely felt on the continent. Hence the curating of the sessions inorder to attain solutions for climate challenges, health challenges that are sustainable and inclusive.
“African nations remain particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We are already feeling the effects of deteriorating global health through extreme weather events and food insecurity, limited access to clean water, and frequent epidemics. Yet these issues remain on the periphery of climate conversations despite the existence of scientific evidence that climate change threatens our well-being,” said Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, Minister of Health, Rwanda.
The approaching 2030 comes with a pressure for attaining of the Sustainable Development Goals which African leaders are emphasizing a need for renewal of commitments in achieveing an end to poverty, improving health and protecting the environment.
“While we remain cautiously optimistic about the world’s ability to prevent and withstand the next global pandemic, we must also be cognisant that we cannot survive what we do not prepare for. It is, therefore, imperative that we come together to find solutions to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges while we still have the opportunity. Together with Member States and partners such as Amref, the Africa CDC will continue to implement the New Public Health Order to drive Africa’s health security,” said Dr Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, Acting Director General, Africa CDC.
