Diane Gashumba, Ambassador of Rwanda to the Nordic Countries, shared on LinkedIn:
“It was a pleasure to host the CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) Norway team at the Rwandan Embassy in Sweden.
Women often bear a disproportionate burden during epidemics, both as caregivers and as those whose health, livelihoods and wellbeing are most affected. This makes investing in women’s health, research and innovation not only a matter of equity, but also a critical part of strengthening epidemic preparedness and resilience. These were important considerations in our discussion with CEPI, as we explored how research, technology and innovation can help build stronger and more inclusive systems for epidemic preparedness.
We discussed how to advance greater self-sufficiency for African countries, from vaccine development and manufacturing to clinical trials and the capacity to conduct high-quality research on the continent. Building these capabilities is essential to creating a more resilient Africa, one better equipped to anticipate, prevent and respond to future epidemics.
We also discussed the forthcoming African Nordic Health Summit in Kigali 9-10 Feb 2027 and the strong connection between its main theme; « Women’s Health « and research and innovation as well as the lessons we continue to learn from epidemics.
The shared vision is clear:
We must strengthen our health systems, emphasize on translational research and innovation to make our systems more resilient, responsive and capable of protecting communities when crises arise.
A resilient Africa requires strong systems, local capacity and meaningful investment in research and innovation, with women at the centre of that agenda.
We look forward to bringing together voices, ideas and partnerships from across Africa , the Nordic region and beyond in Rwanda- Kigali.
There is a place at the table for everyone committed to advancing women’s health, including through enhanced research – for Impact and innovation , and we warmly invite you to be part of this important conversation.
Africa CDC will be there with Dr. Jean Kaseya as a Co-host. International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Institut Pasteur University of Rwanda Aarhus University Chalmers University of Technology Benjamin Mkapa Hospital University of Global Health Equity will be there. Will you?
For more details, join our webinar : 17th Sept 3.30-5pm Stockholm time.
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