From 27-28 May 2026, leaders, policymakers, IT executives, medical practitioners, investors, and health tech startups across Africa will convene in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the Healthcare Innovation Summit (HISA) 2026 - a high-level gathering focused on shaping the future of healthcare delivery across the continent. The summit is hosted by IT News Africa under the theme : “Connected Care, Smarter Systems: Building a Digitally Resilient African Health Ecosystem”.

Discussions will span digital health transformation, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, smart healthcare systems, health financing, data-driven care, and scalable technologies that strengthen access and outcomes.

Through keynote sessions, panel discussions, innovation showcases, and networking engagements, the summit will examine how partnerships, investment, and technology can build more resilient healthcare systems across Africa.

Why This Matters

Africa’s healthcare system is facing continued workforce shortages, disease outbreaks and unequal access to care. At the same time, the continent is experiencing rapid growth in digital health, AI, telemedicine and supply chain innovations. As Africa emerges as a growing hub for health innovation, there is an urgent need for scalable, locally driven solutions capable of transforming healthcare delivery and strengthening system resilience across the continent.

Hosting HISA in Africa comes at a pivotal moment for the continent’s health sector. With growing momentum around innovation, technology, and locally driven reforms, the summit offers an important platform to continue elevating African-led solutions, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and advance more resilient, inclusive, and future-ready health systems.

Register Here To Attend Healthcare Innovation Summit Africa 2026

Cape Town, South Africa will host the 18th World Congress on Public Health (WCPH) from September 6–9, 2026, convening more than 2,000 public health professionals, policymakers, and advocates from around the world. The Congress is organised by the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) in partnership with the Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA).

It is the first time the World Congress on Public Health has been held in Southern Africa, and its first return to African soil in nearly three decades, a reflection of Africa’s growing voice in global health.

With its breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage, Cape Town provides a fitting setting to confront today’s most pressing global health challenges under the Congress theme: “Health Without Borders: Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainability.”

The programme features plenaries, World Leadership Dialogues (WLD), symposia, workshops, poster sessions, and oral presentations - formats designed to foster substantive, cross-disciplinary discussions.

Why This Matters

Africa faces an unprecedented surge in health emergencies even as foreign aid declines sharply. The Congress arrives at a pivotal moment, placing the continent at the centre of global public health conversations and decision-making.

For Africa, hosting the Congress will strengthen partnerships, attract investment in health research and infrastructure, and amplify African perspectives in global health governance, reinforcing the continent’s readiness to move from crisis response to solution leadership.

Register to attend the 18th World Congress on Public Health — Cape Town, September 6–9, 2026

Convened annually by the World Health Organization, the World Health Assembly, will bring together ministers of health, diplomats, researchers, multilateral agencies, civil society organisations, and global health leaders in Geneva, Switzerland, for its seventy-ninth session (WHA79).

Holding from May 18–23, 2026, delegations from all WHO Member States gather during the Assembly to shape policies and priorities that influence health systems across the globe.

What to Expect at the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly

This year’s Assembly convenes against a backdrop of shifting donor commitments and mounting pressure on health systems, with high-level debates, technical sessions, and strategic roundtables tackling the world’s most urgent public health challenges.

Proceedings from the Assembly will be webcast live in six official languages — Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish — expanding access to audiences around the world.

Why This Matters

The Assembly is where global health policy is made. Resolutions adopted here set the direction for WHO’s work, shape donor financing, and bind Member States to commitments on pandemic preparedness, disease elimination, and access to medicines.

For African countries, the stakes are higher this year. With traditional donor flows contracting and the continent pushing for local vaccine manufacturing, stronger primary healthcare, and a louder voice in global health governance, WHA79 is a chance to convert long-standing positions into binding outcomes.

What gets negotiated in Geneva over six days will shape health budgets, supply chains, and policy choices across African capitals for years to come.

Africa Health Dispatch: Live from Geneva

Africa Health Watch will be on the ground in Geneva, bringing timely insights and on-the-ground reporting through our Africa Health Dispatch series.

Through these updates, we will follow key conversations as they unfold, unpacking what global decisions and debates mean for African health systems, institutions, and communities.

For more information, visit the World Health Assembly official page for proceedings and explore related events through the WHA79 side events page.

From April 27–29, 2026, global health leaders, policymakers, researchers, and advocates will convene in Nairobi, Kenya, for the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026, placing Africa at the center of conversations shaping the future of health systems worldwide.

The 2026 Regional Meeting, hosted by the Aga Khan University in Kenya, marks the second time the convening will be held in East Africa and on the African continent, signaling a growing recognition of the region’s role in shaping global health discourse.

Key Theme: Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems: Innovation, Integration, and Interdependence

The meeting will bring together more than 2,000 participants from over 50 countries and will span high-level plenaries, ministerial and leadership roundtables, technical sessions, youth forums, and community dialogues, creating space for both formal deliberation and cross-sector exchange.

Why This Matters

As African health systems navigate complex challenges ranging from emerging health threats to longstanding structural gaps, this meeting comes at a critical moment. With support from institutions such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO Regional Office for Africa, the convening reflects a broader shift toward more inclusive and regionally grounded global health conversations.

For Kenya, hosting the meeting presents an opportunity to reaffirm its leadership in health system transformation and universal health coverage. More broadly, it offers a platform to amplify Africa’s collective voice in shaping global health policy and priorities.

Africa Health Dispatch: Live from Nairobi

Africa Health Watch will be on the ground, bringing timely insights through our Africa Health Dispatch series.

Through this coverage, we will track key conversations as they happen, moving beyond headlines to unpack what they mean for health systems across the continent.

Readers can expect:

• Real-time updates from major plenaries and high-level sessions

• Key takeaways from discussions across core thematic areas

• Voices and perspectives from policymakers, experts, and emerging leaders

• Contextual analysis connecting global conversations to African realities

By sharing real-time updates, the Africa Health Dispatch keeps readers connected to the conversations unfolding on the ground.

Register to attend the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026