Ghana has been selected to host the 23rd edition of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), which will take place from 3rd to 8th December 2025 at the Accra International Conference Centre.
This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in Accra.
The prestigious event will convene global leaders, community members, researchers, advocates, and healthcare professionals to further the continent’s fight against HIV/AIDS, STIs, Hepatitis, Malaria, TB, and emerging viral infections, and to strengthen Africa’s health systems.
Speaking to the Press the Executive Board Member of the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA), Mr. Luc Armand Bodea, who is also a director for ICASA, said the selection process for the country to host the conference was highly competitive but at the end, Ghana was given the nod.
The President of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, said the conference will provide significant impetus to achieving the target of ending new HIV infections by 2030 as Ghana lags behind in the global target.
He said it will also provide the platform that will bring the spotlight on Ghana’s HIV response in order to mobilize international and local experts, donors, and partners of HIV/AIDS to support Ghana and Africa.
Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene noted that African governments must go beyond the Abuja declaration which states that 15 percent of government revenue should be invested in health.
This is because the HIV/AIDS budget is shifting from donor to government so there is the need for more domestic resources to finance the HIV/AIDS response.
Dr. Atuahene said the conference will be a major injection of investment as key aspects of the National response remain unfunded.
The Press statement highlighted that since its inception in 1989, SAA has been at the forefront of, providing a global platform for Africa’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
ICASA has become a landmark event, bringing together thousands of delegates from across the globe to share insights, research, and strategies to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic and emerging viral diseases on the African continent.
Over 8,118 delegates from more than 105 countries attended ICASA 2023 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Ghana’s selection marks its first time hosting the conference.
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This 23rd edition of ICASA will be hosted in West Africa to mark the 35th anniversary of the Society for AIDS in Africa.
ICASA 2025 in Accra will be a pivotal moment in advancing Africa’s health systems towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the global goal of ending new HIV infections by 2030, and advancing the AU Agenda 2063.
ICASA 2025 promises to build on the successes of previous editions and further mobilize Africa and the international community in the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The first International Steering Committee meeting of ICASA 2025 will be held from 28th to 29th November 2024 at the Alisa Hotel, Accra Ghana.
BY: KWEKU BOLTON
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