The 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2025) has officially opened in Ghana, marking a historic moment as the country hosts the continent’s largest health gathering for the first time.
The conference, which will end on the 8th of December at the Accra International Conference Centre, has drawn thousands of delegates, including ministers of health, researchers, development partners, civil society organisations and youth networks from across Africa.
Opening the 5-day conference, Her Excellency Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, delivered the keynote address highlighting Ghana’s commitment to advancing the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. She noted that the continent’s health security depends on sustained investment, innovation and collaboration. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang espoused the conference theme “Africa in Action: Catalysing Integrated Sustainable Responses to End AIDS, TB and Malaria” as a strong call for countries to take leadership in shaping a resilient and integrated health response.
Also addressing the ceremony, the Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, outlined Ghana’s ongoing efforts to strengthen prevention, diagnosis and treatment services across the three diseases. He emphasised the Government’s commitment to integrating HIV, TB and malaria services into primary healthcare delivery, expanding community-based interventions, and improving surveillance and laboratory systems. The Minister noted that with shrinking global health funding, African countries must work towards sustainable financing models that protect the gains made over the past two decades.
ICASA 2025 features a rich programme of scientific sessions, policy discussions, community dialogues and youth-led engagements. Key highlights include technical fora on long-acting HIV prevention tools, scaling up local vaccine and diagnostics manufacturing, and accelerating the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. Delegates will also examine strategies to improve access to quality care, address social and structural barriers, and strengthen multisectoral partnerships.
The conference aims to deepen regional collaboration, promote evidence-based policies and support countries to deliver integrated, people-centred health services, providing a platform for sharing best practices, identifying gaps and aligning continental efforts toward achieving the 2030 global targets for ending AIDS as a public health threat, reducing the burden of TB, and sustaining gains in malaria control.