Health financing, innovation herald the 4th CPHIA conference
ADDIS ABABA: THE Fourth International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2025) is expected to be held in South Africa from October 22 to 25, 2025 while the major discussion focus in domestic health financing, innovation, and accountability.
Speaking during the virtual media launch of the 4th CPHIA, Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa CDC, said that Africa must seek sustainable solutions amid dwindling donor support.
He said that CPHIA 2025 will focus on developing lasting solutions to the continent’s domestic health financing crisis and said Africa cannot afford to continue with that as usual.
“These crises are unfolding against a backdrop of declining resources. Since 2021, foreign assistance for health in Africa has dropped by nearly 70 percent. It means hospitals are running without essential supplies, communities are left without clinics, and health workers are losing their jobs,” he said.
He added that also means the hard-won progress they made on maternal and child health, HIV, malaria, and non-communicable diseases is at risk of being rolled back.
“We must rethink how we finance, manage, and deliver healthcare. We must rebuild systems that are strong, resilient, and above all, self-sufficient. This is what we call health sovereignty in Africa. That is why the upcoming CPHIA 2025 is not just another meeting. It is Africa owning this platform to shape its health future.”
He added, “Health leaders, scientists, policymakers, and community voices will converge to forge solutions that work for Africa. The conference will spotlight African-led ideas in transforming primary healthcare, creating sustainable financing models, and scaling local production of vaccines, medicines, diagnostics, and other essential commodities.
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On her part, the CPHIA 2025 Co-Chair and President and CEO of Evidence-Based Solutions, Prof. Olive Shisana, CPHIA is an opportunity for Africa to lead, shape, and define its own health future.
” CPHIA 2025 is more than a conference; it is a platform for Africa to reclaim its leadership in global health. This year’s theme, “Moving Towards Self-Reliance to Achieve Universal Health Coverage and Health Security in Africa,” underscores the continent’s growing capacity to drive its own priorities.
She added, “Self-reliance is not isolation; it is resilience. It is about harnessing our own capacity, investing in our systems, and ensuring that Africa’s priorities drive global health decisions. The 2025 program is built around three core pillars: primary healthcare transformation, predictable health financing, and local manufacturing of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics.
She said those pillars will be explored through eight thematic tracks focusing on areas such as health product manufacturing, digital health, climate resilience, and pandemic preparedness.
Prof. Shisana said the evidence and policy recommendations from CPHIA will inform the G20 Leaders’ Declaration, reinforcing Africa’s voice in shaping global health policy.
“Hosting CPHIA in South Africa ensures a direct bridge between continental evidence and global policymaking. This is Africa’s moment, a moment to chart a path towards health security and universal coverage,” she concluded.
