Press release
The 7th edition of the Galien Africa forum Tuesday commenced in Dakar, Senegal, with the Youth Pre-forum, a flagship event with the theme “Leadership and Artificial Intelligence: Catalysts for Effective Health Actions in Response to Climate and Environmental Crises in Africa.”
This pre-forum marks the beginning of several days of discussions and reflection on the health and environmental challenges facing the continent.
The event was inaugurated by Prof Awa Marie Coll Seck, President of Galien Africa and former Minister of Health of Senegal, in the presence of renowned personalities such as Dr Magda Robalo Correia de Silva, Co-chair of the International Scientific Committee of the Galien Africa Forum (Guinea-Bissau), and Dr Chris Elias, President of Global Development at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Young participants from 16 African countries presented artificial intelligence-based solutions to address climate and health challenges. Topics of their presentations covered air pollution, malaria, waste management, mental health, and innovations in artificial photosynthesis.
These solutions, praised by trainers and partners, highlighted the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration in building resilient health systems in Africa.
“Innovation and artificial intelligence are essential in addressing climate crises,” said Prof. Awa Marie Seck, chair of the Gallen Africa, in an address at the opening of the forum on Tuesday, attended by over 100 participants, mostly university students in sciences, medicine, pharmacy, medical technology, and health science, as well as British experts across the world.
Prof Awa Seck called on young leaders to unite “beyond borders and cultures” to transform climate challenges into opportunities. She also emphasised that “each of us is directly concerned or involved with climate change,” encouraging participants to be not just witnesses but actors of change.
A forward-looking program
The Youth Pre-Forum precedes Wednesday’s Youth Forum, which also focuses on “Youth Innovations Addressing Climate and Environmental Crises in Africa.”
The forum is structured around three major axes, all focused on public health and climate crises. Innovators and leaders, including the head of the Kofi Anna Foundation, were invited from Ghana, Uganda, Madagascar, Kenya, Benin, and Senegal to share their innovative interventions in their various countries to address the problem of climate change and its impact on health.
The Wednesday event will conclude with the presentation of the 4th Galien Africa Prize, a prestigious distinction for innovations in healthcare. This 2024 edition places particular emphasis on training young African leaders, providing them with a platform to share and present their work on current public health issues in the context of climate crises. Among the solutions presented, the “One Health” approach, an interdisciplinary collaboration strategy, was proposed as a response to antimicrobial resistance and health crises.
A promising future for African Youth
The day concluded with conferences focused on the future of climate health leadership in Africa and a synthesis of key learnings. Prof Awa Marie Coll Seck reaffirmed the importance of this sustainable collaboration between young leaders and multidisciplinary experts in building more resilient health systems in Africa.
The Galien Africa Forum will continue until Friday, October 25, 2024, featuring discussions, panels, and the participation of numerous influential personalities from the health and development sectors.
The Forum will see the participation of over 3,000 stakeholders from the health, policy, and research sectors, including Nobel Prize laureates.
