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Paidamoyo Chipunza recently in Durban, South Africa
The 19th edition of the International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (ICASA) will be held in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire in December 2017. ICASA is a regional conference on HIV held after every two years as a precursor to the International Aids Conference (IAC). Handing over the hosting rights to the government of Cote D’Ivoire at a Press conference held on the sidelines of the just ended IAC, which was held in Durban, South Africa, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa congratulated Cote D’Ivoire and urged all stakeholders to support the country to enable it to successfully host the conference.

“We look forward to see Cote D’Ivoire successfully hosting ICASA 2017 and we have confidence that they are going to do it,” said Dr Parirenyatwa. He said one key area that came out of ICASA when it was held in Zimbabwe towards the end of 2015 was the issue of embracing prevention as a strategy to end Aids.

“After ICASA we are now spearheading the forth 90; we have added another 90. We will not win this war unless we stop new infections. We can only do that very aptly if we imply prevention methodologies. So that is what we are now pushing,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

Speaking at the same occasion, the Society for Aids in Africa (SAA) President Dr Ehab Ahmed whose organisation is the custodian of ICASA said he was confident that Cote D’Ivoire will successfully host ICASA.

Mr Ahmed said all stakeholders should now follow closely the unveiling of ICASA 2017 programme and lend support to the country whenever necessary. “I would like to appeal to all NGOs, private and public sector, the international community to support the upcoming ICASA 2017,” said Mr Ahmed.

Cote D’Ivoire won the bid to host ICASA ahead of South Africa, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana. According to a pre-selection process by the SAA registered members Cote D’Ivoire got 1 639 points, Kenya 1 555 points, South Africa 1 331 and Ghana 1 280 points. Code D’Ivoire Minister of Health Dr Raymonde Goudou Coffie said her government was pleased to host the 2017 ICASA.

She assured delegates of their safety during the conference saying that there were also many tourist attractions which delegates could visit during ICASA. Zimbabwe made history when it successfully organised the conference in half a year after SAA made a last minute shift of the conference from Tunisia over security issues.