Report from the International Forum on AIDS and Emerging diseases and Tribute to Dr. Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba

The Society for AIDS In Africa, under a delegation led by Hon. Dr. David Pagwesese Parirenyatwa, SAA President, Dr. Meskerem Beleke Grunitzky, member of the SAA Board of Trustees and Mr. Luc Armand Bodea, ICASA Director and SAA Coordinator, Madam Clemence Assogba, Head of Administration and Finance and Mr. Gordon Tambro, Senior Programme officer attended the inauguration of the International Forum on AIDS and emerging diseases and Tribute to the Late Dr. Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba, Former First lady of the Republic of Congo, for her exceptional and exemplary commitment to the fight against AIDS with mother and child in Africa.

This event took place in Oyo, a northern town of the Republic of Congo in the heart of Congo basin. The event took place on 9^th March 2024 at the Dr. Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba Hospital under the auspices of H.E. Dénis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, special guest of honour.

The aim of the International Forum is to provide an overview of the challenges and prospects of the fight against AIDS and the emerging diseases in Africa within the global context and to call the Head of State of the Republic of Congo to be our port parole with the African Heads of State to address the efficiently, domestic financing of health systems.

Africa, currently home to 18% of the world’s population, has just 2% of the world’s doctors and fewer than 2 surgical, obstetric, and surgical specialist anesthetists per 100,000 inhabitants. Africa alone accounts for 25% of the global disease burden.

Over the past three decades, the African continent has made steady progress in improving population health. The general mortality rate fell by 37% between 2000 and 2015, and life expectancy increased by ten years between 2000 and 2019.

In reference to HIV/AIDS, the African continent is home to 65% of the total number of people living with HIV worldwide. Three quarters of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are now on antiretroviral treatment. The total number of infections has fallen by almost 60% in Southern Africa and by almost half in West Africa since 2010. African countries with the help of international cooperation, continue their efforts towards the achievement of the 95-95-95 targets.

Africa is in an epidemiologic transition with infectious diseases increasingly associated with significantly soaring rates of non-communicable diseases in a silent epidemic killing and crippling millions of Africans. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the weakness of health systems in most African countries.

3 panels were convened. The first panel was a scientific panel, followed by a panel of tributes and concluded with a panel from the Society for AIDS in Africa.

H.E. Dénis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, special guest of honour arrived at the event and exchanged pleasantries with invited guests.

Dr. Mpele invited panel of high level speakers to deliver their presentations on the scientific panel. The speakers were;
Cécile Mapapa Miakassissa, Director of the National AIDS Control Programme of the Congo, delivering her presentation on AIDS in the Congo- Current situation and outlook.

Michel Sidibé, Special Envoy of the African Union for the creation of the African Drug Agency since 2021, former Minister of Health and Social Affairs of Mali (2019-2020), former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNAIDS (2009-2019) delivered his presentation on The HIV/AIDS pandemic, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Magda Robalo Correia Silva: Former Minister of Health and High Commissioner for the COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea Bissau, Director General of Femme et Santé Mondiale, Portugal and member of the African group on COVID-19 of the Académie Nationale Médecine, France who presented on The COVID-19 pandemic in Africa: lessons to be learned.

Joseph Caboré, Director of WHO Africa Programs presented the challenge of non-communicable diseases in Africa.
Mars Gentilini, Honorary President of the Académie Nationale de Médecine, France, delivered his presentation on Health in the world: Development, globalization of diseases and their specificities.

Dr. Meskerem Bekele Grunitzy, member of the Board of Trustees for the Society for AIDS in Africa and former Regional Director for UNAIDS West and Central Africa gave the concluding remarks.

The second segment was the tribute to the late Dr. Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba. Dr. Mpele invited a new set of panelists with various tributes to the Late Dr. Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba. Dr. Meskerem Bekele-Grunitzky eulogized Late Dr. Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba’s leadership in the establishment of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).

Other panelists included Jacques Silou Massamba and Fortuné Mayanda, Lecturers at the Faculty of Medicine in Brazzaville. Léa Bertille Samba (Congo) and Ben Latoundji Mohamed (Benin), companions in medicine ‘Promotion 5 Février’. Angélique Ngoma (Former Minister) and Gabriel Malonga (Technical Representative at ELBO’s OAFLS): Companions in Libreville, Gabon. Marc Gentilini, President of the ELBO medical thesis jury and Assori Itoua Ngaporo, former Dean of the Brazzaville Faculty of Medicine and ELBO thesis supervisor.

Hon. Dr. David Pagwesese Parienyatwa, Former Minister of Health and Childcare of Zimbabwe, Senator, and current President of the Society for AIDS in Africa, and Luc Armand Bodea, ICASA Director and SAA Coordinator on behalf of the Society for AIDS in Africa delivered a tribute to Dr. Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba.

Dr. Parirenyatwa recognized the Head of State, H.E. Denis Sassou Nguesso, for hosting this High-level forum in commemoration of an HIV/AIDS icon in Africa. He stated that the forum aimed to further engage African leadership, emphasizing the approaching 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Celebrating the life and achievements of the late Dr. Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba served to reflect on progress, challenges, and achievements in the fight against HIV and healthcare in totality in Africa.

He acknowledged significant figures, both past and present, including the late Dr. Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba, Dr. Meskerem Beleke Grunitzy, Dr. Pierre Mpele and Mr. Michel Sidibe, just to name a few, for their contributions towards mitigating the impact of the epidemic on the continent with 65% of the disease burden.

At ICASA 2023 in Zimbabwe, Dr. Parirenyatwa eulogized the achievements of Dr. Edith Bongo Ondimba particularly noting the commitment of African First Ladies in the fight against AIDS and triple elimination in Africa. Dr. Parirenyatwa called on H.E. Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo to advocate for increased commitment by African Leaders on domestic financing for a healthier and developed continent for future generations.

Hon. Dr. David Pagwesese Parirenyatwa, SAA President with Mr. Luc Armand Bodea, ICASA Director and SAA Coordinator

Mr. Luc Armand Bodea, ICASA Director, announced the Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba (ELBO) award for the best female scientist 2025 to 2035 from the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA). The sample of the award was presented to H. E. Dénis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo.