ICASA 2025 and ICASA 2027 Bid Officially Launched in Ghana.

Accra: The Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) has officially launched the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2025) with a call on African countries to strengthen health systems. The conference, which will be held in Ghana from 3-8 December 2025, is themed 'Unity in Action: Catalysing Integrated and Resilient Health Systems for Sustainable Responses to HIV, Other Infectious Diseases, and Emerging Threats'.According to Ghana News Agency, the conference aims to catalyse Africa's progress towards triple elimination and sustainable resilient health systems through innovation and digital technologies. It also seeks to promote cooperation among governments, civil society, the private sector, and international organisations to enhance health security and improve pandemic preparedness and response.The event will focus on strengthening capacity and facilitating knowledge exchange for healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers. It also aims to empower communities and promote h uman rights and gender equality in the context of HIV/AIDS, as well as emerging and re-emerging diseases. Furthermore, it will mobilise domestic resources and political commitment to sustain Africa's progress towards achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets and global health security goals.Dr David Pagwesese Parirenyatwa, the President of SAA and ICASA 2025, made this known during the closing of the ICASA 2025 first International Steering Committee meeting in Accra. He stated that with the theme, objectives, and the unveiling of the ICASA 2025 logo, SAA, together with its partners, is ready to host the conference in Ghana come December 2025.Additionally, Dr Parirenyatwa launched the ICASA 2027 call for bids during the meeting. He invited African countries wishing to host the 24th ICASA in 2027 to send their application bid documents to the SAA Secretariat in Accra-Ghana by Thursday, July 31st, 2025.Dr Parirenyatwa outlined the criteria for selection, which include strong government support, financial commi tment, and political will to host the conference. The bidding country must have standard hotels to accommodate up to 10,000 participants, standard conference venues, a good transportation network, a reliable telecommunication network, and links to other African countries and international communities.He emphasised the need for a cohort of scientific, leadership, civil societies, organised groups of persons living with HIV (PLHIV), private sector, and youth organisations oriented towards HIV/AIDS-related activities, and easy access by air and road where needed. The bidding country must also have a government body responsible for HIV/AIDS coordination, a good security network, easy visa facilities, political stability, and non-discriminatory government policies based on gender, HIV status, and religion.Dr Parirenyatwa urged interested countries to submit detailed bid documents backed with evidence to the SAA Secretariat by email, attachments, and courier services to the SAA President. Mr Luc Armand Bodea, I CASA Director and SAA Coordinator, encouraged individuals and institutions wishing to participate in ICASA 2025 to visit the SAA website for registration and more information. He noted that participation at the conference is free for the media and urged journalists, especially in Ghana, to take advantage.The meeting also agreed on the draft preliminary programme and the ICASA 2025 key dates and roadmap, with participants encouraged to take note of the dates respectively.