Breaking Barriers for Better Health: 3rd International Conference on Public Health in Africa Opens in Lusaka, Zambia

27 November 2023, Lusaka, Zambia – The 3rd International Conference on Public Health in Africa
(CPHIA 2023) opened today in Lusaka, Zambia, with African Heads of State, ministers of health, and
leading scientists, innovators and researchers attending as speakers and participants. Under the
theme Breaking Barriers: Repositioning Africa in the Global Health Architecture, the four-day
conference will spotlight cutting-edge research and innovations, and present African-led solutions to
public health challenges.

African countries have made significant progress in public health in recent years, supported by the
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Efforts to coordinate and strengthen
disease surveillance and outbreak response, for example, have improved the continent’s ability to
respond quickly to public health emergencies. Despite this progress, Africa continues to face many
challenges: infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS claim millions of lives each
year; the burden of noncommunicable diseases is increasing dramatically; and maternal mortality in
Africa is among the highest in the world. These challenges reinforce the need to build resilient health
systems that can deliver quality care to all while responding to emerging threats.

‘’Africa faces significant barriers, but through our collective resilience and ingenuity, we are breaking
down these barriers and creating a New Public Health Order for the continent. CPHIA 2023 will
advance conversations that will shape the future of health in Africa, through sharing African-led
research, health products, and best practices. Our continent is a source of extraordinary knowledge
and innovation – this conference will showcase this excellence and position Africa as a transformative
force in the global health narrative,’’ said H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC.

CPHIA 2023 is hosted by the African Union and Africa CDC in partnership with the Zambia Ministry of
Health and the Zambia National Public Health Institute. Taking place from 27-30 November 2023, the
conference will feature 9 plenary and 18 parallel sessions, several high-level special sessions, 18
abstract driven sessions, and over 100 side events. The in-person conference comes after three days
of virtual programming, including 18 virtual abstract sessions and more than 30 virtual side events.
This is the third edition of the conference, which was held virtually in 2021 due to the COVID-19
pandemic and in person in 2022, drawing more than 2,800 participants to Kigali, Rwanda, and an
additional 11,625 online.

Prof. Senait Fisseha, CPHIA 2023 Co-Chair and Vice President of Global Programs, Susan Thompson
Buffett Foundation, commented: ‘’CPHIA started during the COVID-19 pandemic – a pivotal time for
Africa and the world. Coming together virtually in 2021 and in person in 2022, we shared lessons and
approaches that saw us through the pandemic, and we have emerged stronger as a continent. CPHIA
2023 will build on these foundations, elevating African voices and solutions to create strong,
responsive, and resilient health systems in Africa.’’

Discussions in Lusaka will also explore resilient financing mechanisms to strengthen pandemic
preparedness; Africa’s progress in advancing local production of vaccines, diagnostics and
therapeutics; access to adequate healthcare for women and girls; and multi-sectoral response
mechanisms to strengthen health security on the continent.

“Building on the success of CPHIA 2021 and 2022, this year’s convening will show how African
researchers and health leaders are leveraging scientific research and innovations to develop
groundbreaking solutions to long-standing challenges – and generating critical lessons from which
the rest of the world can learn,’’ said Prof. Margaret Gyapong, CPHIA 2023 Co-Chair and Director of
the Institute of Health Research, University of Health and Applied Sciences.

The conference will include remarks by His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic
of Zambia; Honourable Sylvia Masebo, Minister of Health of Zambia; Dr Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization; CPHIA 2023 Co-Chairs, Professor
Margaret Gyapong and Professor Senait Fisseha; His Excellency Moussa Faki, Chairperson of the
African Union Commission; Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Regional Director for Africa at the World Health
Organization; and H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, among others.

‘’CPHIA is the largest gathering of health experts, leaders and researchers in Africa, and we are proud
to host this year’s conference in Lusaka, Zambia. We look forward to welcoming all participants, and
we encourage delegates to connect, collaborate, and learn from one another. Together we will break
barriers and lay the foundation for a healthier, more prosperous Africa,’’ said Sylvia Masebo, Minister
of Health of Zambia.

Prof. Senait Fisseha, CPHIA 2023 Co-Chair; Vice President of Global Programs, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (STBF) said: The conference’s Scientific Programme Committee comprises some of the leading experts in public health and research in Africa and internationally. This body of experts shapes the direction of the discussions for the conference to ensure the program responds to the continent’s public health challenges.

The first International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2021) took place in December 2021 to share lessons learned and accelerate progress in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and other health challenges.

The conference’s theme was: A New Public Health Order in the 21st Century.
The virtual conference had over 12,000 participants and featured 232 African policymakers, scientists, public health experts, data experts, and civil society representatives who presented the latest learnings and research from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the actions needed to better guard against current and future health crises.

Building on the success of the inaugural CPHIA 2021 convening, in December 2022, 2,800 scientists, policymakers, and advocates from around the world gathered in person in Kigali, Rwanda for CPHIA 2022 to spotlight African science and innovation, and strengthen local regional and global collaboration, with an additional 11,625 participants joining via the live stream.

The theme of the conference was: Preparedness for Future Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Recovery: Africa at a Crossroads
This year, the Conference on Public Health in Africa will expand horizons once again to showcase how the continent is catalyzing innovation and scientific research to generate new knowledge and groundbreaking health products.