By Rachel Quartey & Rukayatu Musah
Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has urged African leaders to take full ownership of the continent’s fight against AIDS, TB, and malaria, warning that shrinking global support threatens decades of progress.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening of the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2025) in Accra, the Vice President said Africa must “step forward with vision and leadership” in the face of new global pressures and health emergencies.
“It is an honour for Ghana to host this gathering of global experts, policymakers, researchers, community advocates and partners,” she said, adding that for more than 30 years, ICASA has provided a platform “to reflect, confront hard truths, share scientific breakthroughs, and reaffirm our resolve” to end major public health threats.
Global Solidarity Shrinking
Referencing the conference theme, she noted that the world is undergoing major shifts that demand a new African response.
“The space for global solidarity, though still important, is narrowing,” she warned. “Africa must own our agenda, define our priorities, and build strong, sustainable, self-reliant systems.”
While acknowledging significant progress in reducing HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, she cautioned that the gains remain fragile.
“Therapy has saved millions of lives, and innovations such as HIV self-testing and long-acting injectables are driving prevention,” she said. “But progress is uneven, and these gains are reversible. They demand sustained political, financial, and social commitment.”
Young Women Still at Risk
The Vice President expressed concern about the disproportionate impact of HIV on adolescent girls and young women, saying stigma and discrimination continue to undermine testing, disclosure and treatment adherence.
Domestic Financing Must Lead
With global funding declining, the Vice President stressed that Africa must rethink how it finances its health systems.
“Financing remains our most difficult test,” she said. “With global support shrinking, Africa must refuse to let hard-earned gains unravel. This is our chance to rethink, redesign, and rebuild a sustainable financial foundation for the next generation of health security.”
She outlined five key pillars of Ghana’s strategy to strengthen health sovereignty:
- Domestic Financing for HIV to ensure accountability and sustainability.
- Strengthening Universal Health Coverage, supported by the government’s decision to uncap the NHIS to expand fiscal space for essential services.
- Mahamacares, a national lifeline supporting citizens living with chronic and lifelong conditions through the Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund.
- Free Primary Health Care, scheduled for launch in January 2026, aimed at decentralizing care and removing financial barriers for all communities.
- Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, supported by an ongoing feasibility study to produce HIV commodities, vaccines, and essential medicines locally.
“Africa cannot outsource her health security,” she stressed. “This is a long-term strategy to build a self-sustaining, technology-driven, data-enabled, and equitable health system.”
Prevention and Community Leadership Key
The Vice President emphasised that prevention must remain central to Africa’s strategy.
“We must scale up HIV self-testing, expand targeted programmes, and prepare to adopt long-acting injectables,” she said. “These innovations can change the trajectory of the epidemic, but only if Africa strengthens regulatory and delivery systems.”
She added that communities remain “the engine of our progress” and called for stronger support for youth-led organisations and civil society groups.
Private Sector and Regional Collaboration
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang also called on the private sector to play a greater role in manufacturing, logistics, digital health and financing, noting that Ghana remains a champion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and is committed to deepening regional collaboration in health and innovation.
Africa’s Critical Window
Looking ahead, she said the continent has a narrow opportunity to meet the 2030 target of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
“The next five years are the critical window,” she noted. “We possess the science, the knowledge, the leadership and the resilience. What we need now is unity, consistency, and the courage to prioritise sustainable solutions over short-term fixes.”
The Vice President ended with a reaffirmation of Ghana’s commitment and hospitality:
“On behalf of the government and the people, I welcome all of you to ICASA 2025,” she said, adding humorously, “and I want to thank my fellow Africans and Nigerians who are here for admitting that Ghana is the best.”
Participants in Attendance
This year’s ICASA conference brought together heads of government delegations, health ministers, global health agencies, UN representatives, leading researchers, civil society groups, PLHIV networks, youth organisations, donor partners, community advocates, and private sector actors from across Africa and beyond.
Also in attendance were continental health institutions, regional economic blocs, pharmaceutical stakeholders, and signatories to major global health initiatives, all reaffirming their commitment to strengthening Africa’s health security and ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
