Written by admin• August 31, 2026• 10:35 am• Uncategorized

Apply for CPHIA 2026 – 5th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

Application Deadline: September 15, 2026

About the Conference

The 5th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2026) will take place from 23–27 November 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing together public health leaders, researchers, policymakers, governments, private-sector actors, innovators, programme implementers, and partners from across Africa and the wider global health community. The conference is co-hosted by the Government of Ethiopia and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). CPHIA is Africa CDC’s flagship annual public health conference and has grown into an important continental platform for discussing the health challenges facing Africa, sharing scientific evidence and innovations, building partnerships, and turning research into policies, health products, programmes, and practical action. Theme for 2026: “Africa’s Health Security and Sovereignty: Transformation from health dependency and vulnerability to ownership and resilience.” More than 30,000 attendees are expected to participate in five days of high-level policy dialogue, scientific sessions, research presentations, innovation showcases, partnership development, networking, awards, exhibitions, and side events.

Why Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2026) Matters

The conference has evolved substantially since its first edition in 2021. The inaugural 2021 edition attracted more than 12,000 virtual participants. The 2022 conference in Kigali recorded more than 14,000 in-person and virtual participants, the 2023 event in Lusaka recorded more than 35,000, and the 2025 Durban edition attracted more than 17,000 participants across virtual and physical formats. CPHIA 2026 in Addis Ababa is expected to welcome more than 30,000 attendees.

CPHIA’s Mission:

Share knowledge
Build partnerships
Catalyse action
Strengthen African health security
Advance universal health coverage
Promote locally driven solutions
Strengthen continental solidarity

Conference Tracks

The scientific programme is structured around six major tracks addressing central public-health and health-security issues affecting Africa.

Track 1: Elevating Africa as a Leader in a Reformed and Inclusive Global Health Architecture

This track focuses on strengthening Africa’s role in continental and global health priority-setting. It reflects growing debates about African leadership in global health, governance of global health institutions, representation, equity, decision-making power, health sovereignty, and international partnerships. The emphasis is on positioning Africa not merely as a recipient of global health interventions but as an active leader shaping priorities and solutions.

Track 2: Institutionalisation of Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in Africa

The second track focuses on strengthening systems for preventing, preparing for, and responding to major health emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola outbreaks, mpox, cholera, and other health emergencies have emphasized the importance of surveillance, emergency preparedness, public-health institutions, laboratory capacity, workforce preparedness, cross-border collaboration, and rapid response systems. CPHIA frames pandemic preparedness as directly connected with continental health security.

Track 3: African Stakeholders’ Empowerment and Predictable, Innovative and Blended Financing

The third track addresses financing for health. Its focus is on strengthening self-reliance through innovative and sustainable health financing approaches, including financing connected with universal health coverage. The track reflects the conference’s broader emphasis on moving from dependency toward greater African ownership and financial sustainability.

Track 4: Primary Health Care, Digital Transformation and AI-Enabled Health Systems

The fourth track addresses one of the fastest-growing areas of contemporary healthcare: the intersection of primary healthcare, digital technology, and artificial intelligence. It explores how digital transformation and AI can support evidence-based healthcare delivery at primary-care level. Potential areas of interest include digital health, artificial intelligence, health data, primary healthcare, digital diagnostics, health information systems, and technology-enabled service delivery.

Track 5: Unlocking Opportunities for Local Manufacturing in Africa

Local production of health commodities has become an important health-security priority. Track 5 focuses on building Africa’s ability to manufacture the health products it requires. This connects directly with the conference theme of health sovereignty and reduced dependence on external supply chains.

Track 6: Climate, Health Security and African Resilience

The final major track examines the connections between climate change, One Health, health security, and African resilience. Climate change increasingly affects disease patterns, food systems, water security, extreme weather, displacement, vector-borne disease, and health-system demand. This track brings environmental and public-health concerns together under a broader resilience framework.

What to Expect at 5th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2026)

Africa CDC describes CPHIA 2026 as five days of discussions, research presentations, networking, innovation, and collaboration. The conference experience is expected to include six particularly prominent components.

1. High-Level Policy Dialogue: CPHIA will bring participants into discussions involving Heads of State and Government, Ministers, global health leaders, and members of the diplomatic community. This gives the conference a significant policy dimension alongside its scientific programme.

2. Scientific Sessions: The conference is expected to feature more than 100 sessions presenting research and innovations designed to contribute to evidence-based policies and action. Researchers whose abstracts are accepted may have opportunities to present their work through oral, poster, or electronic presentation formats.

3. Innovation, Financing and Investment: CPHIA 2026 will provide opportunities to showcase health products, technologies, and innovations, with particular attention to African solutions. This reflects the conference theme’s emphasis on reducing health dependency and strengthening the continent’s capacity to own and sustain health solutions.

4. Networking: With tens of thousands of delegates expected, CPHIA provides an opportunity to connect with people working across government, academia, public health, international organizations, health technology, civil society, research, pharmaceutical and health manufacturing, health financing, community health, and development cooperation.

5. Awards and Recognition: CPHIA 2026 will recognize achievements in African health research and innovation, including recognition of young scientists. The abstract programme identifies several awards, including Best Oral Presentation, Best Poster Presentation, Young Investigator Award, and Innovation in Public Health Award.

6. Partnerships and Collaboration: The conference also seeks to support strategic partnerships that can advance health security and health sovereignty across Africa.

Call for Abstracts

Researchers have an opportunity to submit original research findings that align with the conference tracks. The official CPHIA 2026 call for abstracts opened on 5 August 2026. The submission deadline is 15 September 2026. Notification of acceptance is scheduled for 15 October 2026. Accepted presenters are expected to upload their final presentations by 30 October 2026.

Important Step Before Submitting an Abstract: The conference instructs researchers to complete conference registration first. Once registration is approved, applicants receive confirmation and can then sign in to submit an abstract. Researchers who plan to submit should therefore avoid waiting until the final day to begin registration.

Abstract Submission Requirements: The official guidelines set a maximum abstract length of 300 words, excluding the title and author information. The abstract should contain Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. The abstract title should be concise and no longer than 20 words, and applicants should provide three to five keywords.

Research Must Be Original: Submitted work should be original and not previously published. Applicants must also list all authors and affiliations, declare conflicts of interest, and indicate their preferred presentation format. Presentation preferences can include oral or poster formats.

Abstract Review Criteria: Submitted research will be assessed according to factors including scientific merit, originality, relevance to the CPHIA themes, methodological rigor, and potential impact on African public health. This means applicants should not merely describe technically strong research but should also explain why their findings matter for African public health.

Abstract Presentation Formats

Oral Presentation: Oral presentations are allocated 12 minutes for presentation and 3 minutes for questions and answers.
Poster Presentation: Posters should be A0 size (841 × 1189 mm) in portrait orientation. Dedicated poster sessions will be included during the conference.
E-Poster: Electronic posters can be displayed digitally on conference screens. The specified format is PowerPoint with a maximum of five slides. E-posters are expected to remain available during the conference.
Important Abstract Rules: The presenting author must register for the conference. Late submissions will not be accepted. Each presenting author may submit a maximum of three abstracts. Accepted abstracts are expected to be included in the conference proceedings.

Travel Scholarships: The conference homepage identifies a scholarship pathway connected with abstract submission. Researchers submitting high-quality abstracts may be considered for travel scholarships to attend CPHIA 2026. The deadline is 15 September 2026. However, abstract acceptance does not guarantee funded travel. Researchers interested in travel support should monitor the official CPHIA website for additional scholarship guidance.

Registration Timeline

Early-bird registration opened on 3 August 2026. The early-bird registration deadline is 22 August 2026. Regular registration opens on 23 August 2026. Because early-bird registration is time-sensitive, participants planning to attend should complete registration promptly if they wish to use the early registration period.

Side Events and Exhibition

Side Events: Organizations can also apply to organize a side event during conference week. Side events are intended as satellite sessions that complement the main conference programme and give organizations an opportunity to engage ministers, researchers, partners, and other public-health stakeholders. Applications opened on 7 August 2026. The deadline is 15 September 2026. Review and notification will take place by 15 October 2026. Final programme details are due by 30 October 2026. Side event week runs from 23–27 November 2026.

Side Event Requirements: Organizations should submit a clear proposal describing the session theme, target audience, and expected outcomes. Applicants must also demonstrate organizational capacity to host and promote their event. The proposed side event should align with CPHIA and broader African public-health priorities.

Exhibition: Organizations developing health products, technologies, services, research, and innovations can apply for exhibition space. CPHIA describes the exhibition programme as a platform for organizations to showcase solutions to scientists, policymakers, health leaders, and advocates. Applications opened on 7 August 2026. The deadline is 15 September 2026. Notification of approval will be given by 15 October 2026. The payment deadline is 31 October 2026. Booth setup begins on 1 November 2026. Exhibition days run from 23–27 November 2026.

Corporate Sponsorship

CPHIA 2026 also provides corporate sponsorship options. The conference lists seven partnership categories, including Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Targeted sponsorship, Customized sponsorship, and other negotiated arrangements. Published sponsorship values include Platinum at USD 250,000, Gold at USD 150,000, Silver at USD 75,000, and Bronze at USD 35,000–50,000. Other packages are negotiable. Corporate sponsorship is reviewed on a rolling basis.

Awards for Researchers

Researchers participating through the abstract pathway may be considered for conference recognition. The current call lists Best Oral Presentation, Best Poster Presentation, Young Investigator Award, and Innovation in Public Health Award. These awards create an additional opportunity for early-career and established researchers to gain visibility for work with strong relevance to African public health.

Addis Ababa as Host City

Addis Ababa will host the conference from 23–27 November. The official venue information describes November conditions as generally mild, with temperatures around 10–25°C. Addis Ababa operates on East Africa Time, UTC+3. Amharic is Ethiopia’s official language, while English is widely used in business and tourism.

Getting to Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is one of Africa’s major air hubs. Ethiopian Airlines serves more than 125 destinations. The airport-to-venue journey is approximately 15 kilometres or 30–45 minutes by car.

Transportation: Shuttle services will be provided between official conference hotels and the venue. Local ride-hailing services and Addis Ababa’s light-rail system are also identified as transport options.

Visa Information for International Participants: International attendees should check Ethiopia’s entry requirements well in advance. Ethiopia offers electronic visa services for citizens of many countries. CPHIA delegates may potentially be eligible for visa-on-arrival facilitation through official conference channels. Conference invitation letters are available following registration. E-visa processing is estimated at approximately three to five business days, but travelers should always verify their individual immigration requirements through official Ethiopian channels before travelling.

Who Should Attend CPHIA 2026

The conference is relevant to a broad community working in health and development, including public-health professionals, medical researchers, epidemiologists, clinicians, health-policy specialists, government officials, health ministers and policymakers, public-health students, academic researchers, early-career scientists, digital-health specialists, AI and health researchers, health-financing professionals, pharmaceutical and manufacturing stakeholders, One Health specialists, climate and health researchers, NGO professionals, civil-society organizations, community-health actors, international organizations, development partners, health entrepreneurs, technology companies, universities, and research institutes.

Why Young and Early-Career Researchers Should Consider CPHIA

CPHIA can be particularly relevant for emerging African researchers because it combines scientific presentation with a broader ecosystem of policymakers, institutions, and health leaders. Accepted researchers may gain opportunities to present research, participate in scientific discussions, receive feedback, meet researchers from other countries, connect with policymakers, explore collaborations, compete for presentation awards, and potentially be considered for travel scholarship support. The conference explicitly highlights recognition for young scientists and includes a Young Investigator Award in the abstract programme.

Key Dates