Global health leaders, policymakers, and partners gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the International Conference on Primary Health Care (ICPHC 2025) to discuss digital transformation, sustainable public health infrastructure, renewable energy for healthcare, and system resilience across Africa.
Themed “Advancing Primary Health Care in the 21st Century: Putting People First,” the event brought together innovators committed to strengthening primary health care and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking at the conference, Executive Director of eHealth Africa (eHA), Atef Fawaz, said the theme aligns with the organisation’s mission to build human-centred solutions for underserved communities. “At eHealth Africa, we believe technology and data should serve people,” he said, highlighting interventions such as Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs), renewable energy for clinics, and smart digital tools for vaccination campaigns.
Speaking further, the Deputy Director for Supply Chain Management, Kazeem Balogun, emphasised the need for sustainability and local ownership of EOCs, calling them “integrated public health command centres” rather than polio-specific infrastructure. He noted that the goal is to build government-owned systems, not donor-dependent facilities.
Also speaking, Programme Manager for Public Health Emergency Management, Anthony Edozieuno, traced the evolution of EOCs from Nigeria to more than 24 African countries, describing the initiative as “a true testament to shared learning and partnership.”
During eHA’s roundtable sessions, Programme Manager for Climate Adaptation in Health, Temitayo Tella-Lah, showcased the Climate Health Vulnerability Assessment Tool (CHAT), which helps governments assess and address climate-related health risks.
Abubakar Shehu, Programme Manager for Disease Prevention and Monitoring, presented PlanFeld, a digital tool that cuts vaccination planning time from five days to ten minutes, while Project Manager Toju Ogele urged greater investment in renewable energy to power primary healthcare facilities sustainably.
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