Africa is at the forefront of a transformative digital health revolution, and the 2024 Digital Health Conference is set to be a defining event in this journey. Scheduled for Thursday, 28th November through Friday, 29th November 2024, this highly anticipated virtual conference will bring together key stakeholders from across the healthcare and technology sectors to discuss, collaborate, and innovate for the future of healthcare delivery on the continent.

Tackling the Compliance Challenge in a Rapidly Evolving Sector

As Africa’s healthcare sector continues to innovate, ensuring compliance with sub-national, national, and global regulations is becoming increasingly critical. Hospitals, private clinics, health tech startups, manufacturers, pharmaceuticals, and biotech companies face significant risks if they fail to adhere to established rules, regulations, and standards. Non-compliance can result from a range of issues, including inadequate skills, lack of technology, ignorance, or intentional disregard for regulations. The consequences of non-compliance are severe, exposing organizations to legal, financial, operational, and reputational risks, as well as potential loss of market access and ethical challenges.

The 2024 Digital Health Conference will address these pressing challenges by providing a platform for dialogue and action. The event will focus on innovative solutions that ensure compliance while fostering growth and development in Africa’s healthcare sector.

A Comprehensive Agenda to Shape the Future of Digital Health

The two-day virtual event will feature six detailed agenda tracks, each designed to explore the most critical issues and opportunities in digital health today. Participants will gain insights into regulatory challenges, emerging technologies, and best practices that are essential for navigating the complexities of compliance in the healthcare sector. By bringing together public health experts, regulators, health tech startups, telemedicine practitioners, big pharma, biotech companies, and other key stakeholders, the conference aims to bridge the gap between healthcare regulators and technology innovators.

Conference Goals: Driving Innovation and Collaboration

The primary goals of the 2024 Digital Health Conference are to:

Showcase and promote innovative healthcare regulatory initiatives across Africa.
Provide informative and qualitative healthcare regulatory technology content.
Develop and encourage health tech start-ups and entrepreneurial skills, with a special focus on female entrepreneurs.
Bridge the gap between healthcare regulators and technology innovators by fostering collaboration and dialogue.
Facilitate healthcare regulatory innovation through knowledge sharing and global best practices.
Encourage public-private partnerships to drive continuous improvement and innovation in the healthcare sector.

Join the Conversation: Who Should Attend

The Digital Health Conference is designed for a wide range of professionals, including public health experts, health informatics specialists, hospital administrators, health tech startups, clinicians, telemedicine practitioners, pan-African health leaders, pharmaceutical and biotech executives, regulators, legal experts, technology architects, cross-border innovators, diaspora health professionals, compliance officers, investors, academia, and media representatives.

This is a unique opportunity to engage with thought leaders and innovators who are shaping the future of healthcare in Africa and beyond.

A Vision for the Future

“Compliance is not just a regulatory requirement; it’s a catalyst for innovation. By bringing together diverse voices from across the healthcare and technology sectors, the 2024 Digital Health Conference will empower us to transform challenges into opportunities, driving progress that will impact lives across Africa and the globe,” said Graham Olusanmi Lawal, Director of Partnerships at REGTECH AFRICA HEALTH.

Register Now

Don’t miss out on this pivotal event. Register now to secure your place at the 2024 REGTECH AFRICA Digital Health Conference and be part of a movement that is transforming healthcare across the continent.

For more information on speaking opportunities, sponsorship, and partnerships, please visit the conference website: https://www.RegTechAfricadhc.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of RegTech Africa.

Contact
Email: info@regtechafrica.com

About REGTECH AFRICA HEALTH:
REGTECH AFRICA Health (www.RegTechAfrica.com/healthcare) is a leading platform dedicated to fostering innovation, compliance, and collaboration in the healthcare and technology sectors across Africa. Through the Digital Health Conference and other initiatives, REGTECH AFRICA HEALTH aims to drive progress and position the continent as a global leader in digital health.

Canon’s Miraisha Programme (https://en.Canon-CNA.com), launched in 2014, has educated over 7000+ future professionals across Africa through skills workshops, training programs, and enterprise support, helping them gain qualifications, secure employment, and establish their own businesses; Canon made a special announcement of awarding 10 scholarships to hand-picked African students and unveiled a coffee table book documenting the Miraisha program’s ten-year journey of empowering young talent.

Canon Central and North Africa, a global leader in imaging solutions, proudly commemorated the 10th anniversary of its Miraisha programme, celebrating a decade of transformative impact and achievements across Africa. The milestone event, titled “10 Years of Miraisha”, highlighted the programme’s remarkable journey and the impact it has had on aspiring photographers, filmmakers, and creative professionals throughout the continent.

During the exclusive media event held at KCA University on 3rd September 2024, Canon made a special announcement of awarding 10 scholarships to hand-picked students from across Africa. These students, selected by the Miraisha team, trainers, and partners, represented the diverse nations where the programme has been actively nurturing talent. The scholarships will support a one-year course at prestigious institutions, including KCA University in Kenya, PEFTI Film Institute in Nigeria, and IFCPA/CRTV (Institut De Formation Et De Conservation Du Partrimoine Audiovisual) in Cameroon.

A significant highlight of the event was the launch of a visually stunning coffee table book, which chronicles the journey of Miraisha from its inception to its status as a cornerstone of empowerment. This comprehensive journal showcased the outstanding work of trainers and students, highlighting success stories from the previous scholarship programme and offering an account of the last 10 years.

“We are incredibly proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Miraisha programme, a decade that has seen remarkable transformations and inspiring stories from across Africa. The Miraisha initiative embodies Canon’s commitment to nurturing talent and creating opportunities in the creative industry. By providing scholarships and launching the coffee table book, we continue to invest in the future of African photographers and filmmakers, ensuring their stories are told and their voices heard. This celebration is not just about reflecting on our past achievements but also about looking forward to a future filled with limitless possibilities for the talented individuals we support.” said Somesh Adukia, Managing Director of Canon Central and North Africa.

A keynote address delivered by Timothy Owase, CEO, Kenya Film Commission, highlighted the importance of the Miraisha programme in empowering African talent. He also lauded Miraisha’s efforts in providing invaluable opportunities and resources to aspiring photographers and filmmakers across the continent.

Canon’s guests for this momentous occasion comprised a distinguished gathering from diverse sectors, including key representatives from KCA University and partner organizations: the Kenya Film Classification Board, Film Lecturers and Trainers Association of Kenya (FLETA-K), The NRB Bus, Ishara Mara, Zebra Productions Kenya Ltd, and Elimu Project. Our dedicated trainers and talented students also graced the occasion with their presence. This impressive turnout underscored the widespread impact and recognition of the Miraisha program.

The event also featured a photography exhibition displaying student work. Attendees had the opportunity to interact with the students and gain insights into their creative processes. Canon honoured the invaluable contributions of the programme’s trainers with certificates and speeches. Additionally, a training session on the topic of “How to make a successful photography business” enriched the day’s program for KCA University and Miraisha alumni students. The session, led by Canon Certified Trainer Georgina Goodwin, covered essential topics such as building your brand presence, effectively presenting and introducing yourself to clients, crafting compelling elevator pitches, and understanding client expectations for portfolio reviews.

Since its inception, the Miraisha Programme has reached significant milestones, including establishing 33 partnerships with various organisations, training over 7,000+ participants, and setting a target to train 10,000 participants by 2027.

Since 2014, the Miraisha Programme has collaborated with a diverse array of organisations across Africa. These include Kenyatta University, Kenya Film Commission (KFC), Kenya Photography Awards, Yaba College of Technology in Nigeria, Uganda Press Photo Award (UPPA), The NRB Bus, Zebra Productions Kenya LTD, Lens on Life, PEFTI Film Institute in Nigeria, and the National Film&TV Institute of Ghana (NAFTI), among many other institutions and events.

In alignment with Canon’s corporate philosophy of Kyosei, which means living and working together for the common good, the Miraisha Programme promotes job opportunities in Africa by providing workshops for photographers, videographers, filmmakers, and print business owners. The name ‘Miraisha’ is a fusion of Japanese and Swahili, symbolising the programme’s cross-cultural approach.

As the Miraisha Programme enters its second decade, Canon is committed to expanding its reach and empowering an even greater number of young people across Africa to pursue their passions and build successful careers in the imaging industry. This next phase will see an increase in partnerships with educational institutions, government bodies, and industry leaders to provide more comprehensive training and development opportunities.

By fostering a new generation of talented photographers, videographers, filmmakers, and print business owners, Canon aims to contribute significantly to the economic growth of the continent, ensuring that the creative voices of Africa continue to thrive and inspire globally.

Click here to learn more: https://apo-opa.co/3z3czoR

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

Media enquiries, please contact:
Canon Central and North Africa
Mai Youssef
e. Mai.youssef@canon-me.com

APO Group – PR Agency
Rania ElRafie
e. Rania.ElRafie@apo-opa.com

About Canon Central and North Africa:
Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (Canon-CNA.com) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2016 was a strategic step that aimed to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region – by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus. CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market.

Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region. CCNA ensures the provision of high quality, technologically advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, CCNA manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa.

Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei (https://apo-opa.co/3z5eYzu) – ‘living and working together for the common good’. CCNA pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its own environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions and services. At Canon, we are pioneers, constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and our spirit of innovation, we push the bounds of what is possible – helping us to see our world in ways we never have before. We help bring creativity to life, one image at a time. Because when we can see our world, we can transform it for the better.

For more information: Canon-CNA.com

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), brought together key stakeholders in Abidjan to align Africa’s climate action priorities ahead of the COP29 conference.

The meeting, the Twelfth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa, opened on 30 August on the sidelines of the Tenth Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN).

Cote d’Ivoire’s Minister for Environment, Sustainable Development, and Ecological Transition welcomed participants. In his opening remarks, he stressed the disproportionate impact of climate change on Africa despite its minimal contribution to global emissions.

“Africa emits less than 4 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is the most affected by the harmful consequences of climate change,” the minister noted. He urged participants to develop concrete outcomes during the conference, which should serve as a platform for actionable recommendations to strengthen Africa’s participation in upcoming international negotiations including COP29.

Ambassador Josefa Sacko, AUC Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment made opening remarks. She said, “Without urgent adaptation and mitigation efforts, climate change will lead to an equivalent of 5 percent annual loss in GDP on the continent by 2040, with the poor, women, and the most vulnerable and marginalised populations, predominantly in Africa, bearing the brunt of the impacts.”

She urged participants to join forces ahead of COP29, with an emphasis on mobilising climate finance at scale for the continent. “We must anchor our negotiations, deliberations, and common position on securing grants rather than debt or loans, scaling finance for projects, and enhancing carbon markets,” Sacko added.

Prof. Anthony Nyong, African Development Bank Director for Climate Change and Green Growth, called on meeting participants to do more. “We need to continuously increase our support and financing for Africa to address the growing impacts of climate change on national economies, societies, and ecosystems,” he said.

Nyong said that Africa faces a  significant climate financing gap. “The current global climate finance falls far short of African countries’ needs and expectations, with less than 3 percent reaching sub-Saharan Africa annually.” He reaffirmed the African Development Bank’s commitment to doubling climate finance to reach $25 billion by next year and increasing Africa’s share of global climate finance from 3 percent to 10 percent.

The Twelfth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa is expected to build consensus around African countries’ position on climate action and align priorities with the outcomes of the 2023 global stocktake, a key process under the Paris Agreement that assesses global progress on climate goals to guide future actions and policies. Key objectives include developing robust frameworks for nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and identifying financing needs for climate adaptation and resilience-building.

The Tenth Special Session of AMCEN and UNCCD COP 16 Regional Consultation (http://apo-opa.co/3XdLk37) will be held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 30 August to 6 September 2024, under the theme “Raising Africa’s Ambition to Reduce Land Degradation, Desertification, and Drought.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
Sonia Borrini
Communication and Knowledge Management Specialist
Climate Change and Green Growth Department
African Development Bank
s.borrini@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

African nations rich in hydrocarbon resources are revamping regulatory frameworks and introducing new licensing rounds, creating a more favorable environment for global oil and gas firms seeking high-return investments. State-owned energy company the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company launched an international bid round offering 12 blocks for exploration to boost reserves and hydrocarbon production in August 2024. Similarly, Zanzibar extended the deadline for its first offshore licensing round – offering eight oil and gas blocks – until September 2024 while Nigeria unveiled a licensing round in May 2024, featuring 12 deep offshore and shallow water blocks. 

To showcase the diverse opportunities and regulatory changes advancing the growth of Africa’s energy industry, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) – serving as the voice of the African energy sector – participated in the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) annual conference in Houston last week. Led by Verner Ayukegba, Senior Vice President of the AEC, the Chamber delivered a presentation titled Africa Energy Diversity of Opportunity and the Regulatory Attractions for Investors, showcasing burgeoning opportunities within Africa’s upstream sector. 

Licensing Rounds and Growing Prospects 
Several new licensing rounds are scheduled for 2024 and beyond in Africa, all of which aim to significantly increase commercial prospects for American firms operating across Africa. Notably, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) is set to launch a licensing round offering blocks in the Murzuq, Ghadames and Sirte basins towards the end of 2024 and early 2025. Algeria will also offer between 10 and 12 onshore blocks in its 2024 Bid Round to bolster its gas and LNG production while Angola plans to launch its 2025 Bid Round in the first quarter of 2025, offering 10 offshore blocks in the Kwanza and Benguela basins. With oil and gas projected to comprise over 50% of global energy consumption by 2050 – according to a report distributed by energy major ExxonMobil -, Africa’s vast and largely untapped resources offer a significant opportunity to enhance U.S.-Africa energy cooperation to meet this growing demand. 

Regulatory Revamps and Africa-US Collaboration 
During his presentation, Ayukegba underscored Africa’s improved operating environment and the opportunities emerging for American geologists, explorers and investors in the upstream sector. Nigeria, for example, enacted the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021, leading to the creation of specialized regulators – including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) – as well as greater fiscals that have significantly improved the industry environment for investors. Angola has also embarked on continuous reforms to maintain its competitive edge, creating the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency in 2019 which simplified the process of awarding new licenses through multi-year bid rounds. With Africa’s policy and upstream environments rapidly improving, American geologists and companies stand to play an even greater role in advancing exploration and kickstarting industry-changing projects.  

Beyond seismic firms, U.S.-based E&P companies are making great strides towards maximizing Africa’s oil and gas resources through frontier exploration and incremental production. ExxonMobil, for example, drilled the Likembe-01 research well in Angola’s Block 15 in May 2024, discovering hydrocarbons as part of a broader multi-well program aimed at increasing reserves and production. The company announced that it could invest up to $15 billion in exploration and production in Angola’s Namibe basin through 2030 following commercial success at ongoing drilling campaigns. The find follows another discovery made by the company at the Bavuca Sul-1 exploration well in November 2022. 

Meanwhile, Chevron signed contracts for ultra-deepwater Blocks 49 and 50 in Angola’s Lower Congo basin in June 2024 and entered into production sharing agreements for offshore Blocks EG-06 and EG-11 with Equatorial Guinea’s National Oil Company GEPetrol. In May 2024, Chevron acquired an 80% operating working interest in the PEL 82 exploration license offshore Namibia, aligning with its efforts to expand its presence in the highly prospective Namibian basin. Additionally, Chevron is conducting its first oil and gas exploration well in the Red Sea concession area offshore Egypt as part of a $50 million capital injection this year. In Nigeria, Chevron is engaged in a $1.4 billion exploration campaign with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, drilling 37 wells in the offshore and onshore Escravos area of the Niger Delta from 2022 through 2026. 

These are just some of the examples of U.S.-based energy companies advancing oil and gas development in Africa. The AECs participation at the AAPG event comes ahead of the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference – taking place November 4-8 in Cape Town. As African hydrocarbon markets enhance their respective regulatory frameworks, the AEW: Invest in African Energy will connect African energy regulators, industry leaders and American and global investors to facilitate deal signings and strategic partnerships.  

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit http://www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.