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The development and testing of health technologies in Africa is often undermined by an interaction of various factors including: limited involvement of a wide range of key stakeholders in Africa in the technology development, testing or piloting efforts; limited knowledge among many Africans on these technologies; opposition to the development of some of the technologies; and low priority and inadequate investments by African governments in the development of these technologies. To respond to this challenge, the Platform for Dialogues and Action on Health Technologies in Africa (Health Tech Platform) has been established to promote and facilitate informed, objective, open and balanced discussions on development and use of emerging transformative tools and technologies to address health challenges in Africa.
On 18 November 2021, the Health Tech Platform will host a symposium on emerging health technologies at the 8th East African Health and Scientific Conference. The symposium will take place virtually between 11am – 1.00pm (EAT).
The main objective of the symposium is to explore the role of emerging health technologies in Africa. Specifically, the session will:
- Present and discuss results of a recent landscape and political economy study on emerging health technologies in Africa
- Introduce the Platform for Dialogue and Action on Health Technologies in Africa in order to create awareness among stakeholders on how they can interact with the Platform
- Zero in on one of technologies being developed for Malaria control, the bene drives technology
- Present the ongoing efforts to address gaps in the regulatory framework and capacity for gene drive research
- Present and discuss recent research on hopes and concerns of stakeholders in Uganda about gene drive mosquitoes for Malaria control
The symposium will be moderated by Dr. Rose Oronje, Director of Public Policy and Knowledge Translation, and Head of Kenya Office at AFIDEP and will feature presentations as follows:
- Landscape and political economy analysis of emerging health technologies in sub-Saharan Africa by Carol Mukiira – Research and Policy Associate, AFIDEP
- Platform for dialogue and action on emerging health technologies in Africa by Elizabeth Kahurani – Policy Engagement and Communications Manager, AFIDEP
- Regulatory framework development and capacity building to facilitate gene drives research in Africa by Barbara Glover – Programme Officer, African Union High Level Panel on Emerging Technologies, AUDA-NEPAD
- Ugandan stakeholder hopes and concerns about gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control: new directions for gene drive risk governance – Dr. Chris Opesen – Lecturer, Department of Sociology and Anthropology Makerere University and Gene Drive Post Doc Fellow, Exeter University-UK
- Research exploring the potential of gene drives for Malaria control in Africa – Dr. Jonathan Kayondo – Principal Investigator, Target Malaria
About the 8th East Africa Health Scientific Conference (EAHSC)
EAHSC is a biennial event convened in East Africa by the East African Health and Research Commission (EAHRC) in collaboration with a rotational EAC host Partner State. EAHSC contributes towards strengthening regional cooperation in health in line with Article 118 of the Treaty for the establishment of EAC as well as other relevant provisions of the EAC Common Market Protocol.
The 8th EAHSC will be hosted by Kenya and takes place between 17 – 19 November 2021 in Nairobi, under the theme ‘East African Community Sustainable Development Goal on Health: Reflection and Path Ahead to 2030.’
Conference sub-themes include:
- Reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health
- Infectious Diseases
- Non-communicable diseases, mental health and environmental risks, substance abuse including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol, tobacco, global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents.
- Universal Health Coverage
- COVID-19 Pandemic
EAHSC will bring together health stakeholders from EAC (EAC Secretariat, East African Legislative Assembly, East African Court of Justice, members of the EAC council of ministers, members of the summit and EAC institutions), EAC Partner States that include ministers of health, finance, higher education, science and technology, members of parliament from national assemblies, government officials, researchers, scientists, practitioners, civil society, media, donors and development partners and the public at large.
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