DAI Global Health Presents at Africa Health 2019

February 28, 2019

Andrew Kitua, Africa Regional Director for the Preparedness and Response (P&R) project, will participate in Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) in Kigali, Rwanda, March 5–7, to make the case for integrating global health security with Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Set to be one of the largest health convenings in Africa in 2019, with more than 1,500 participants expected, AHAIC will serve as a platform to foster homegrown solutions to the continent’s most pressing health challenges. The focus will be on mapping a pathway from commitment to action on UHC, and building momentum among diverse stakeholders including public, private, and civil society sectors.

Andrew Kitua presenting at the Salzburg Global Seminar last year. Photo courtesy of Salzburg Global Seminar.

It is a key moment as momentum for UHC in Africa is at an all-time high and most countries have already integrated UHC into their national health strategies. But many countries in Africa still have the highest rates of maternal and child mortality in the world, with HIV/AIDS the leading cause of death for adults in Africa and over 90 percent of all malaria deaths occurring on the continent.

Presenting a poster, Kitua suggests that while there is consensus on the need for strong health systems, there is less agreement on how to go about strengthening systems in resource-constrained settings that experience multiple or sustained stresses. He proposes that broadening the definition of the health system to explicitly include health security and strengthening capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats, as stipulated by the International Health Regulations (IHR), rather than addressing it separately, is an effective way to approach this challenge.

This work builds on DAI Global Health’s record as a leader in global health security, specifically pandemic preparedness, One Health, and health systems strengthening. DAI’s deep technical experience across sectors and in health is bringing countries to closer to UHC—including community engagement, governance, using data, health financing options for the future, working with the private sector and investment facilitation.

Kitua will also present in a SwitchPoint Exchange side event: Health Data, Activism, Art, Communication, and Unusual Collaborations on March 6, hosted by DAI Global Health’s affiliate, IntraHealth International. Attendees will hear from artists, activists, and global health professionals who are expanding the definition of health and the players who can help make UHC a reality.