Health Ministers To Chart Africa’s Health Future At WHO Regional Meeting In Lusaka
Health ministers from 47 African countries will converge on Lusaka, Zambia, from 25 to 27 August for the 75th Session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, the continent’s highest decision-making body on health.
The annual gathering, set to attract over 500 delegates, will be opened by Zambia’s President, Hakainde Hichilema, alongside WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi.
At the top of the agenda are ambitious frameworks and strategies to tackle some of the region’s toughest health challenges, from ensuring universal access to safe blood and essential oral care to strengthening rehabilitation services, transforming maternal and child health systems, and accelerating the fight against malaria.
Discussions will also focus on urgent concerns such as health workforce shortages, which currently stand at just 1.55 health workers per 1,000 people, and the region’s ability to respond to public health emergencies.
In 2024 alone, African countries faced 251 public health events affecting over 40 million people.
The meeting will be preceded on 24 August by a “Walk the Talk” 5km fitness event, hosted by WHO and the Government of Zambia, to promote healthy lifestyles.
With Africa bearing the brunt of maternal deaths, under-five mortality, and malaria cases globally, ministers are expected to take bold decisions that could shape the future of health across the continent for the next decade.
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