Accra, Ghana, has become the focal point for a critical health initiative as Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone and President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), and Her Excellency Fatoumatta Bah Barrow, First Lady of The Gambia, arrived for a high-level event.
The meeting is being hosted by Ghana’s First Lady, H.E. Lordina Dramani Mahama, as a side event to the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA 2025), which is taking place in Accra from December 3 to 8, 2025.
The core agenda for this gathering of influential women leaders is to intensify efforts on ending mother-to-child transmission (eMTCT) and achieving the triple elimination of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B across the continent. Additionally, the First Ladies will focus on advancing women’s leadership in the crucial fight to tackle stigma, abuse, and rights violations faced by persons affected by the diseases.
The ICASA conference, founded by African scientists and advocates, serves as a vital platform to mobilize leadership, scientific, and community action to ensure progress made in the fight against HIV/AIDS is not reversed, particularly amid global shifts in health funding. The First Ladies’ meeting underscores the commitment of Africa’s female leadership to achieving global health targets, including the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
