50 years after the first Union Africa Region conference was held in Accra, Ghana, the 20th Union Africa Region Conference is again being held there, between 10-13 July 2017.
The Union Africa region is 50 years old. The first Union Africa Region conference was held in Accra, Ghana in 1967, and the 20th Conference of The Union Africa Region will again be held in Accra, between 10-13 July 2017. Now, as then, the challenge is to develop and implement the essential strategies that will move the tuberculosis (TB) community further towards the final eradication of TB in 2030.
José Luis Castro, Executive Director, The Union, said "It is a vital and historic time for all those involved in the fight for lung health to gather together in Africa. We will mark the 50th anniversary of the Union Africa Region - reaffirming the outstanding commitment and passion of Union members to end TB, HIV, tobacco and related non-communicable diseases.
“And as we gather together, the first World Health Organization's Director General from Africa takes office bringing new leadership and inspiration for our onward journey. Against this backdrop, we will come together to form new collaborations and share ideas to achieve the ambitious 2030 targets of the Sustainable Development Goals."
This year's conference agenda includes wide-ranging clinical, scientific and programmatic topics. Particular focus is given to TB and co-morbidities; data management for TB control; case detection and case finding; challenges in tobacco control; and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).
The conference will feature daily panel discussions that will bring specialists together to share expertise on the following topics:
Tuesday 11 July: access to optimal diagnostics and new treatment for TB/HIV: what are the threats to implementing the new Global Fund policy?
Wednesday 12 July: research to implementation: coordinating and efficiently using collaborators from within the region to control TB/HIV and related NCDs
Thursday 12 July: reducing the effect of stigma on TB/HIV
There will also be a civil society and advocacy corner supporting community engagement and human rights. A number of supporting activities will include the display and demonstration of an X-ray machine, the Africa TB Caucus pre-conference parliamentarian meeting and the ‘Every Breath Counts’ walk that will raise awareness of lung health issues across the continent.
“The Union’s regional conferences are an important opportunity for hundreds of participants to coordinate their responses to existing – and new – challenges in global lung health and connect the science community with broader networks and audiences. I hope to meet many of you in Ghana doing just that,” said Dr. Jeremiah Chakaya Muhwa, President of The Union.
Visit the conference website for more information