Your Excellency, Professor Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health of Benin,

Your Excellency, Mr. Hugues Oscar Lokossou, Minister, Delegate to the Minister of Finance, in charge of Mobilization of External Resources and Debt Management,

Dr. Anita Wadagni, Representative of the President of the Republic,

Dr. Aditie HOUDE, Executive Secretary of CNL-TP,

Dr. Aliou Sylla, Treasurer General of the Society For AIDS in Africa (SAA),

Mr. Luc Armand H. Bodea, Director of ICASA,

Your Excellencies, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Benin,

The United Nations family

Representatives of the national and international media,

Distinguished members of civil society,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Let me use this opportunity to sincerely thank my brother Professor Benjamin Hounkpatin for the kind hospitality extended to me and members of my delegation since our arrival in your most beautiful city of Cotonou.

 

We are representing the Board of Directors for the Society of AIDS in Africa (SAA). Our mission centers on the official announcement for hosting International Conference on AIDS and STI in Africa. Thus, on behalf of the Board of Directors and indeed on my own behalf would like to declare, here on Beninese soil, that Cotonou will host the 24th edition of the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa, ICASA 2027.

 

The Memorandum of Understanding that we are ratifying today once again demonstrates our collective determination to seek and promote home-grown solutions to the challenges facing our beautiful, rich, and great African continent.

Allow me, at this special moment, to express my deepest gratitude to the leadership of the State of Benin, His Excellency Mr Romuald Wadagni, President of the Republic of Benin, government and the people of Benin, for accepting the hosting of this most important event ICASA. I would particularly like to commend this commitment, because despite today being a public holiday throughout the territory of Benin, on the celebration of Maouloud, the Government chose to maintain Memorandum of Understanding signatory.

Permit me to applaud this commitment, demonstrating the seriousness that government attaches to the well-being of the people of Benin and the African people at large. Clearly this demonstrates the realization of Africa we want. All being equal, it is expected that Cotonou will be host to delegates from more than 152 countries.

 

My brother, Prof Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister for Health and ICASA 2027‘s Vice-President,

It is with immense pride that I announce that the 24th edition of ICASA, which you have the privilege of hosting in Benin, will not merely be a first in the history of your country. But, it will also be a first in the annals of the Society for AIDS in Africa, because, from this very moment, you are presiding over the launch of a new name and a new vision for our conference that is:

ICASA+ — ICASA Plus.

 

Your Excellency, Vice-President,

ICASA+ 2027 will take place in Benin, in Cotonou, from December 5 to 9, 2027.

ICASA+ reflects the complex and multidimensional nature of the health challenges facing our African community.

While HIV remains at the heart of our action, we cannot ignore the fact that there remain other threats affecting the health of our populations including, Malaria, tuberculosis, as well as emerging epidemics, represent major challenges and a real threat to our collective well-being.

Addressing all these issues in an integrated manner calls upon us to strengthen our health systems to move toward genuine global health, accessible to all without distinction. This objective can only be achieved if we renew our commitments and accelerate our efforts to end HIV by 2030.

 

I cannot conclude without reminding our distinguished delegates and the international community that this 24th edition of ICASA, First ICASA+ will be held in Benin, the world-renowned cradle of Vodun.

In this regard, during this historic edition, we must place particular emphasis on African traditional medicine.

 

Excellency Vice President of ICASA+, ladies and Gentlemen,

Under your leadership, ICASA+ 2027 should become a forerunner of an Africa that fully embraces its heritage of traditional medical knowledge, regulates it, promotes it, scientifically evaluates it, and takes it to scale.

 

This ambition is also part of our pursuit of health sovereignty.

ICASA+ 2027 must therefore be much more than a conference.

It must be a platform for dialogue, innovation, experience-sharing, and, above all, the development of African solutions to Africa’s health challenges.

Together, let us make Cotonou 2027 the gathering of an Africa that innovates, unites, and takes charge of its health future.

Long live Benin!
Long live Africa!
Long live African solidarity!
Long live ICASA+ 2027!

Thank you for your kind attention.