MONICA KAYOMBO/ Zambia Lusaka
THE 4th Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA) 2025 came to a close last Saturday in Durban, South Africa, with a renewed call to action for Africa’s self-reliance, sustainability, and leadership in global health. The conference culminated in the launch of the Durban Promise, a roadmap for accelerating Africa’s progress on health equity, solidarity, and universal health coverage.
During the official closing of the conference, CPHIA 2025 Co-Chairperson Professor Olive Shisana emphasized the significance of the event. “This moment enables South Africa to carry the voice of the continent into the G20 deliberations, championing fair global health financing, resilient systems, and recognition of Africa as a strategic contributor, not a passive recipient,” she said.
The Durban Promise outlines a comprehensive framework for Africa’s health future, including mobilizing the continent’s wealth and innovation for health sovereignty, strengthening governance and accountability, and re-investing in primary health care and systems. The framework also emphasizes the importance of building integrated, climate-resilient, and pandemic-ready One Health systems and reframing health as a strategic investment.
The conference was a testament to the power of collaboration, with nearly 20,000 participants from over 72 countries coming together to discuss critical health issues, share knowledge, and showcase innovative solutions. The event featured groundbreaking research, engaging panel discussions, and dynamic exhibitions showcasing Africa’s ingenuity.
The Africa CDC Chief Executive Director, Dr Jean Kaseya, announced that the 2026 CPHIA conference will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Together, we decided to affirm our collective ambitions and accelerate Africa’s journey towards sovereignty. It has been inspiring to hear directly from all of you and especially from young people, about the exceptional work being done to support public health and to ensure strong health systems across Africa”, Dr Kaseya said.
The conference also recognized outstanding contributions to public health and research with three prestigious awards. Dr Noluxabiso Mangwana from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa and Dr. Diana Imoli from the Kenya Medical Research Institute received the Best Investigator and Best Oral Abstract awards, respectively. Prof. Sishana, President of Evidence-Based Solutions, was honoured with the Distinguished Scientist award for his remarkable contributions to research and public health.
In his closing remarks, Bio Africa Convention Chairperson Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela praised the conference’s accomplishments, saying, “What we saw over the last three days was groundbreaking research tackling critical health issues… This conference has demonstrated the power of collaboration.”
As the conference came to a close, participants left with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to advancing Africa’s health agenda.
This is according to the statement issued by the Africa CDC media team in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
