ACCRA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) in Africa (ICASA) has opened in Accra, Ghana's capital.
Women leaders, including first ladies across the continent, gathered late Wednesday at the Accra International Conference Center for the six-day conference to deliberate on strategies for advancing the continent's cooperation in the fight against the AIDS pandemic.
During the opening session, Ghanaian Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman said that Africa must take bold steps to set its own agenda in tackling the pandemic amid shifting global support for healthcare.
She highlighted the urgent need to strengthen domestic financing, develop regional pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, and enhance disease surveillance and laboratory systems as critical measures to curb the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
As global support continues to shrink, Opoku-Agyeman said that the continent must not allow its hard-won gains to be reversed. While innovations such as HIV self-testing and long-acting injectables have advanced prevention efforts, she noted that progress remains uneven, with Africa shouldering over two-thirds of the global HIV burden and facing major disparities in access and outcomes.
"We need African-led solutions, digital transformation, and differentiated services and technology," she urged.
Under the theme "Africa in Action: catalyzing integrated sustainable responses to end AIDS, TB, and malaria," the conference aims to catalyze Africa's progress toward triple elimination and the development of sustainable, resilient health systems. ■
