Hope Mafaranga

 In Africa, women are endlessly creative when there’s no umbrella, she simply slices a calabash in half and voilà, a custom-made sun shield to save her child from the scorching sun. Picture By Hope Mafaranga.

  IAS announces Geneva as host city for IAS 2027 By Hope Mafaranga GENEVA, Switzerland The International AIDS Society (IAS) has announced that Geneva will host the 14th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2027), scheduled for July 11–15, 2027. The conference will take place in person in Geneva and virtually, drawing an estimated 5,000 participants from more than 130 countries. IAS President-Elect and IAS 2027 International Co-Chair Prof. Kenneth Ngure said the meeting comes at a critical moment in the global HIV response, marked by major scientific advances but persistent barriers to access. “We now have a game-changing toolkit that includes long-acting treatment and prevention options that could end the HIV pandemic. But for many of the people who need them the most, these innovations remain behind a door locked by abiding access issues and shrinking funding ,” Ngure said. Ngure, an associate professor of global health and former dean of the School of Public Health at...

  A new era dawns for GAVI, as board underlines strategic shift towards country   ownership and increased support for the most vulnerable     B y Hope Mafaranga   The Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance today concluded its final meeting before the start of Gavi’s next strategic period from 2026 to 2030 (Gavi 6.0), taking a series of decisions that will further place country ownership at the heart of the Gavi model, increase focus on protecting the most vulnerable despite financial constraints, and support expanding equitable access to key vaccines.    In a major strategic shift that further centers country ownership, nearly 90% of the budget available to Gavi for vaccine procurement in its next strategic period will be allocated directly to countries through “country vaccine budgets”.   In a time of financial constraints, countries will have full control of how to optimise and prioritise immunisation programmes per their national strategies a...

  Helen Clark named as new Chair of the Gavi Board    The Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance  on October 6, 2025  appointed  Rt Hon Helen Clark  as its new Chair, beginning in January 2026.   Helen Clark served as Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008. Following her departure from the New Zealand Parliament in 2009, she served two terms as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, completing her tenure in 2017. She is currently a President of the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London and has served on a range of other public good boards and commissions.   The appointment follows an eight-month search process that considered a total of 240 candidates for the role. The Gavi Board’s Search Committee cited Clark’s deep experience at the top of national and international government, her experience chairing multistakeholder organisations similar to Gavi, as well as her track ...

  Gavi’s immunisation programmes deliver a major economic boost to countries, with nearly US$20 billion in economic benefits generated in 2024 alone By Hope Mafaranga    Vaccination programmes in lower-income countries supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance saved at least 1.7 million lives in 2024, the highest number recorded in a single year, according to Gavi’s Annual Progress Report published today.   The number of lives saved 400,000 more than in 2023 was one highlight in a strong year for immunisation across Gavi-supported countries, with significant progress also made in immunising children in some of the world’s most conflict-afflicted countries.   The impact generated by immunisation extended beyond public health. In 2024, Gavi countries garnered nearly US$20 billion in economic benefits as a result of having healthier populations, reduced healthcare costs and more productive communities. Since Gavi was established in 2000, immunisation has generated a ...

Democratic Republic of the Congo declares Ebola virus disease outbreak in Kasai Province By Hope Mafaranga  Kinshasa – Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Kasai Province where 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths, including four health workers, have been reported as of 4 September 2025. The outbreak has affected Bulape and Mweka health zones in Kasai Province where health officials have been carrying out investigations after the cases and the deaths reported presented with symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and haemorrhage. Samples tested on 3 September at the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research in the capital Kinshasa confirmed the cause of the outbreak as Ebola Zaire caused by Ebola virus disease.    A national Rapid Response Team joined by World Health Organization (WHO) experts in epidemiology, infection prevention and control, laboratory and case management has been depl...