Society for AIDS in Africa completes assessment visit to Ghana

The Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) organizers of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) have completed an assessment visit to Ghana as part of a comprehensive effort to select a host country for ICASA 2025.

The team was led by SAA President, Dr. David Parrenyatwa, Board Member Professor Sheila Tlou, and Mr. Luc Armand Bodea, the SAA Coordinator.

The team’s activities available to the Communication for Development and Advocacy (CDA Consult), [email protected], a development communication advocacy non-governmental organisation based in Ghana, indicate the team toured facilities Ghana has selected as the venue for ICASA 2025.

The SAA team also held meetings, with Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, some government officials, the donor community, and civil society actors, mainly in the health sector.

ICASA is a biennial conference that aims at collaborating with other national, regional, and international organisations, donors, and other partners to institute policies and promote research knowledge to support the African government's national responses and strengthen the health system to control and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other emerging infections.

Dr. Parrenyatwa, in his concluding remarks, commended President Akufo Addo for the commitment, stressed that the team was satisfied with the assessment of Ghana’s proposed venue and facilities, and lauded the country for its strong passion and support from development partners and civil society.

The team is expected to proceed to South Africa to undertake a similar assessment. The selected host country will be announced after the assessment visits to both Ghana and South Africa by the SAA Executive Board.

Before the final announcement of the host country for ICASA 2025, a notification letter will be sent to the host country, and an MOU will be signed between the selected country and the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA).

The SAA document available to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult), [email protected], which is a development communication advocacy non-governmental organisation based in Ghana, indicates that at the end of voting on Wednesday, May 15th, by 512 paid members who were able to cast their votes, Ghana obtained 37.0 percent of the valid votes cast, South Africa obtained 33.3 percent, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo had 29.0 percent.

The SAA President is the ICASA 2025 Chair; the host country will appoint a Co-chair for ICASA 2025 in consultation with the SAA.

The Council reserves the right to revoke the hosting rights of a country if there are reasonable doubts about its ability to deliver.

Meanwhile, President Akufo Addo has affirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to host ICASA 2025.

The President pledged Ghana’s commitment during a meeting with the SAA team, led by President Dr. David Parrenyatwa, to discuss Ghana's bid to host the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) in 2025.

President Akufo Addo affirmed Ghana's ability to successfully host the conference, highlighting the country's progress in its national response to HIV, AIDS, and other diseases.

“This will contribute significantly to national development and will ensure that whoever succeeds me as President after my tenure on January 7th, 2025, takes up the task next year since ICASA 2025 will take place in December 2025,” President Akufo Addo stated.

The SAA team’s meeting with President Akufo Addo, some Ministers of State, and other stakeholders serves as the final stage for the assessment.

Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, Ghana’s Minister of Health, described the hosting of ICASA 2025 as a significant milestone in Ghana's efforts to combat HIV, AIDS, and other diseases. It also demonstrates the country's commitment to improving healthcare and well-being for its citizens.

In a presentation, Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programme Manager, of the National AIDS and STI Control Programme, highlighted Ghana's readiness and adequate facilities to host the ICASA conference in 2025.

He mentioned that Ghana is the second-most peaceful country in the world, which makes its environment very conducive to hosting such a programme.

He stated that Ghana has all the facilities needed for hosting a successful programme. Giving examples, he mentioned that Ghana hosted the 13th African Games, with over 49 countries participating.

Also, the Africa Continental Free Trade Area has been held in Ghana.

Dr. Ayisi Addo assured the board that the government of Ghana and other private sectors in the country will work together to ensure that youth from all 16 regions in the country will be sponsored to participate in the conference.

He mentioned that Ghana will be very grateful to hold the ICASA 2025, looking at the country's efforts as far as health is concerned.

He said Ghana has managed to keep the HIV prevalence below 2% consistently year after year, and this programme if held in Ghana, will encourage our health sectors and also help them gain enough knowledge to create awareness about the disease and advise the people with the disease in the country.

Dr. Ayisi Addo also mentioned that the ICASA programme will enable people to stop the act of stigmatisation and create a sense of belonging and love for people with AIDS.

During the assessment engagement with Ghanaian authorities, civil society actors in the health sector, and the donor community earlier on Wednesday, Mr Bodea explained the ICASA Committee’s qualification criteria for hosting the conference.

He said part of the requirement was the need for a conducive environment that will enable a successful programme and that the country should be able to provide a 5,000-seat venue and 21 offices to house participants and meetings and demonstrate the government's commitment to sponsor 500 youth from all the regions of the country to participate in the conference.

Mr. Bodea added that, at the conference, opinion leaders in the country will be allowed to put their developmental requests before the board, which is likely to yield a positive outcome.

As part of the assessment, the team held two separate meetings on Wednesday with Ghana’s development partners, which included the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, UNOP, UNAID, USAID, and World Vision Ghana.

The second meeting was with civil society organisations, including GHANET, WAPCAS, NAP+, the Coalition for NGOs in Health, AGAMAL, Malaria Centre Rep, the National AIDS Commission, and the Ghana AIDS Control Programme.