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From August 25 to 27, 2025, Zambia’s capital Lusaka becomes the beating heart of African public health as it hosts the 75th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa. This annual gathering, considered the highest decision-making body of WHO in the region, brings together health ministers from 47 African member states, representatives of international organizations, civil society, and development partners.
A Strategic Platform for Africa’s Health Future
The Regional Committee plays a crucial role in shaping health policies, setting regional priorities, and approving financial plans aimed at improving the health of African populations. This 75th edition, held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, comes at a pivotal moment as health challenges grow more complex: pandemics, workforce shortages, limited access to care, and the effects of climate change.
Strong Voices for a Healthier Africa
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema opened the session with a call for stronger health diplomacy and harmonized public health regulations across the region. He emphasized that health should be seen as a driver of economic and industrial development.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Africa’s efforts to build resilient health systems rooted in autonomy and efficiency. WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Mohamed Janabi stressed the need to transform the health architecture to be “transparent, accountable, and tailored to African realities.”
Concrete Resolutions for Accessible Care
Key topics addressed this year include:
– Oral Health: Adoption of a regional framework to integrate dental care into primary health services, with clear goals set for 2030.
– Blood Transfusion: Implementation of a strategy to ensure universal access to safe and effective blood products, addressing chronic shortages that endanger mothers, children, and patients with sickle cell disease.
– Rehabilitation and Care for Vulnerable Populations: Development of plans to expand access to rehabilitation services, which remain out of reach for two-thirds of Africans in need.
A Call for Unity and Innovation
Beyond resolutions, this session embodies a call to collective action. As Zambian Health Minister Dr. Elijah Muchima noted: “No country can tackle today’s health challenges alone. We must strengthen regional collaboration, share best practices, and build lasting resilience.”
This summit marks a historic milestone for Zambia and for Africa as a whole. It reflects a shared commitment to making health a pillar of progress and social justice. For more information, you can visit WHO Africa’s official website.
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Lusaka — African health ministers and partners are calling for increased investment in integrated health services to address the growing burden of severe noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), particularly those affecting women and underserved populations across the region. At a high-level side event during the Seventy-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, delegates emphasized the urgent need for equitable access to prevention, screening, treatment, and rehabilitation across the continuum of care for NCDs. Disparities are especially pronounced in rural areas, where health infrastructure and services remain inadequate. Breast and cervical cancers are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in sub-Saharan Africa—particularly cervical cancer, which is both preventable and treatable. It remains the most common cause of cancer death for women in the region. In 2022, Africa accounted for nearly a quarter (23%) of the 76 000 global cervical cancer deaths. Meanwhile, severe NCDs such as Type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and heart conditions claim more than half a million lives annually, including among children, adolescents, and young adults in some of the continent’s poorest communities. Inequitable access to health services continues to hinder efforts to reduce this burden. To improve cervical and breast cancer care in the region, urgent investment is needed in leadership, governance, and financing. Strengthening these foundations is critical in the current funding landscape. Advancements in strategic planning, healthcare infrastructure, workforce training, and—most importantly—equitable access to screening, diagnostic, and treatment services are essential. To address these challenges, WHO and its partners showcased successful integrated models such as the Women’s Integrated Care for Cancer Services (WICS), the BEAT Breast Cancer Project, and the PEN-Plus Strategy. WICS strengthens early detection, treatment, and integration of women’s cancer services into primary health care systems in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The BEAT Breast Cancer Project is a transformative multi-year initiative aimed at reducing breast cancer mortality among women in Tanzania and Ghana through early detection, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive treatment access. “PEN-Plus, WICS and the BEAT Breast Cancer Initiative are models for a new standard of care, rooted in equity, access and health justice. I urge countries to prioritize policies that embed these models into broader health system strengthening, said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa”. Côte d’Ivoire offers a compelling example of progress, combining high HPV vaccination coverage—reaching over three million girls (91.4%)—with WICS-supported community-based screening campaigns to strengthen cervical cancer prevention. In Kenya, cervical cancer screening has been successfully integrated into national health services. “This gathering marks a pivotal moment to accelerate action for breast cancer prevention in Africa. We deeply value the leadership of the Ministries of Health of Ghana and Tanzania, and the steadfast support of the Pfizer Foundation in helping us achieve this milestone. The side event builds momentum for the policy prioritization of women’s cancers, partnerships to strengthen the broader women’s cancer ecosystem, and advance a health-systems approach to breast cancer prevention and management”, said Dr Somesh Kumar, Senior Director, Jhpiego. PEN-Plus expands access to care for severe NCDs at the district hospital level. Since its implementation, 20 countries in Africa have increased access to services for severe NCDs. Over 15 000 people are currently receiving treatment for chronic conditions such as sickle cell disease and Type 1 diabetes through PEN-Plus clinics.
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