Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Government of the Ethiopia have officially launched the Conference on Public Health in Africa 2026 (CPHIA 2026), recognised as Africa’s leading public health conference.

Scheduled to be held in Addis Ababa from November 23–27, 2026, the conference will bring together governments, scientists, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and development partners to discuss solutions aimed at transforming public health systems across Africa.

The event will be organised under the theme, “Africa’s Health Security and Sovereignty: Transformation from health dependency and vulnerability to ownership and resilience,” with a focus on strengthening Africa-led healthcare solutions, resilient health systems, and continental cooperation.

“The launch symbolises our determination to build a healthier and more resilient Africa, fully aligned with the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” said Hadera Abera, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. “CPHIA 2026 is necessary. It will help advance Africa from dependency to self-reliance, from vulnerability to resilience, and from fragmentation to coordinated continental action.”

 Raj Tajudeen, Acting Deputy Director General of Africa CDC, said the conference would serve as an important platform to shape evidence-based health policies for Africa’s 55 African Union member states. He noted that participation is expected to grow significantly, from 2,500 attendees during the inaugural edition in 2021 to nearly 30,000 participants in 2026.