Accra, Ghana – 30 June 2026 – In a landmark in health diplomatic engagement, the leadership of the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) paid a courtesy call on Her Excellency Mariana Madeira, Brazil’s Ambassador to Ghana, to explore strategic collaboration ahead of the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro.

The SAA delegation, led by ICASA Director Mr. Luc Armand Bodea alongside Mr. Clemence Adjossi Assogba (Head of Administration and Finance) and Mr. Chris Kwasi Nuatro (Senior Marketing and Partnership Officer), briefed the Ambassador on the Society’s 35-year legacy as the organizer of the biennial International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA)—a premier gathering that convenes between 5,000 and 10,000 delegates from across the continent and beyond.

The discussion centered on a pivotal opportunity: SAA President and former Namibian Health Minister, Dr. Richard Nchabi Kamwi, will lead a delegation, alongside Prof. Jeanine Condo, SAA Secretary-General, to AIDS 2026 in Rio and seek to engage Brazil’s Minister of Health on fostering health collaboration between communities of African descent and African nations. Ambassador Madeira gave a warm reception to the proposal, expressing keen interest in potential partnerships—including the possibility of hosting ICASA in Brazil in the near future.

This engagement signals a new chapter in South-South cooperation in health diplomacy, building on the growing momentum in Brazil-Ghana and Brazil-Africa relations. By uniting Africa and Brazil in the shared fight against HIV/AIDS and health system strengthening, the Society for AIDS in Africa continues to champion cross-border solidarity and equitable health outcomes for all.