The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Government of Ethiopia have officially inaugurated the Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA) 2026 to advance Africa’s health security and sovereignty agenda.

The inauguration took place on Friday in Addis Ababa ahead of the continental conference scheduled for 23-27 November, in Addis Ababa.

The conference, themed “Africa’s Health Security and Sovereignty: Transformation from health dependency and vulnerability to ownership and resilience,” aims to strengthen Africa-led public health solutions and resilient healthcare systems.

At the event, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadera Abera, said the inauguration reflected the continent’s determination to build a healthier and more resilient Africa aligned with Agenda 2063 aspirations.

“CPHIA 2026 is necessary. It will help advance Africa from dependency to self-reliance, from vulnerability to resilience, and from fragmentation to coordinated continental action,” Mr Abera said.

He noted that the conference would convene governments, scientists, policymakers, health professionals and development partners to shape the future of public health across Africa through practical and sustainable solutions.

According to him, the platform will also support the implementation of the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty agenda recently adopted during the 39th ordinary session of the African Union Assembly.

“We are proud to partner with Africa CDC to convene this significant gathering,” Mr Abera said.

Raj Tajudeen, the acting deputy director-general of Africa CDC, described the conference as a strategic opportunity for evidence-driven policymaking across Africa’s 55 member states.

“This platform provides an opportunity to influence evidence-based policy and shape strategies that will define the health security of Africa’s 55 AU Member States,” Mr Tajudeen said.

He said participation had grown significantly since the inaugural edition in 2021, which attracted no fewer than 2,500 participants, adding that organisers were targeting 30,000 attendees for the 2026 conference.

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Mr Tajudeen explained that the conference would build on commitments contained in the Durban Promise adopted during CPHIA 2025 to promote health sovereignty and strengthen healthcare governance systems across Africa.

He said the commitments included mobilising Africa’s resources and innovation for health development, strengthening accountability systems, reinvesting in primary healthcare and fostering stronger regional solidarity among member states.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CPHIA is the flagship annual conference of Africa CDC and AU member states, bringing together political leaders, scientists, private sector stakeholders and programme implementers.

The conference also serves as a platform for dialogue on critical public health issues, scientific breakthroughs, innovation and collaborative strategies capable of driving transformative change across the continent.

(NAN)

Africa CDC and Ethiopia to Host CPHIA 2026

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