Africa’s well being techniques are beneath growing pressure because the continent faces a rising burden of non-communicable illnesses (NCDs), climate-related pressures on meals techniques, and widening inequalities in accessing nutritious meals. These challenges are deeply interconnected, but typically addressed in isolation, highlighting the necessity for extra built-in, prevention-focused approaches to well being.
As leaders collect in Nairobi, Kenya, for the World Well being Summit Regional Assembly 2026, PAN South Africa is asking for stronger integration of diet into well being techniques discussions and decision-making throughout the continent.
Hosted by Aga Khan College from 27 to 29 April on the United Nations Workplace in Nairobi, the summit will convene greater than 2,000 contributors from over 50 international locations. Attendees embody heads of state, well being ministers, policymakers, researchers, and well being practitioners, with contributions from H.E. Dr William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya; Professor Mohamed Janabi, Regional Director, World Well being Organisation Africa (WHO Africa); H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Director Normal, Africa-Centres for Illness Management and Prevention (Africa CDC); and the President and CEO of the South African Medical Analysis Council (SAMRC), Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, amongst many different esteemed friends.
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The assembly goals to speed up African well being priorities beneath the theme “Reimagining African Well being Techniques: Innovation, Integration, and Interdependence.” Its aims embody strengthening collaboration throughout sectors, addressing urgent public well being challenges, and advancing options which can be grounded in regional and native realities and desires.
Whereas these discussions don’t all the time adequately spotlight diet, PAN South Africa stresses that it’s a key element in stopping illness, strengthening resilient well being techniques, and supporting long-term public well being outcomes.
Pierrette Nhlapo, MPH, RD, Tasks Supervisor at PAN South Africa, mentioned, “Whereas diet is commonly handled as a secondary consideration in well being system strengthening, it’s a elementary determinant of well being, and bettering diet at a inhabitants stage presents a significant alternative to handle a few of right this moment’s most urgent challenges throughout public well being, environmental sustainability and social justice.” Nhlapo provides: “This summit presents an necessary alternative to strengthen collaboration throughout Africa and to make sure that diet is meaningfully built-in into how we design, finance, and ship healthcare.”
A crucial a part of this dialog is the spine of our well being techniques — the well being workforce. To make sure efficient prevention and administration of illness, well being employees should be adequately outfitted with the data and abilities, significantly in diet. This aligns with one of many summit classes centered on “Well being Workforce, Financing and System Constructing,” together with the transformation of well being professionals’ training to satisfy the evolving inhabitants well being wants.
PAN South Africa is contributing to this effort by actively advocating for the mixing of diet training into medical coaching and scientific observe. By means of its PAN College Programme, the organisation equips future docs and well being professionals with sensible, evidence-based diet data and abilities.
PAN South Africa can be a part of the Dietary Pointers Initiative, advocating for wholesome, culturally inclusive, and sustainable food-based dietary tips. In 2025, the organisation contributed to analysis printed within the South African Journal of Science, exploring how dietary tips throughout Africa may be strengthened to higher align with well being and local weather objectives.
On the summit, PAN South Africa will interact with policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to advance multi-stakeholder collaboration in a bid to embed diet extra successfully inside well being techniques throughout the continent. The organisation is asking on stakeholders to work collectively to align meals and well being techniques in a manner that improves each human and planetary well being.
Meals as a part of the answer: Sensible diet in motion
As a part of its broader work in culinary medication, PAN South Africa highlights the position of conventional African plant meals in supporting each environmental sustainability and human well being. Bambara beans, used within the recipe beneath, are a climate-resilient legume that requires minimal water and enriches soil well being via nitrogen fixation. Nutritionally, they’re wealthy in plant protein, fibre, and important micronutrients, supporting blood sugar management, intestine well being, and total well-being.
Created by Chef Mokgadi Itsweng, this recipe was featured in a Diabetes Summit Pre-Summit Workshop: Meals is Drugs Cooking Class, designed to equip healthcare professionals with sensible abilities to assist affected person diet literacy.
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Tomato Stewed Bambara Beans — Serves 6–8
Substances: 40ml oil, ½ onion (chopped), 1 garlic clove (chopped), 1 teaspoon ginger (grated), 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 cup canned tomatoes (chopped), 1 teaspoon honey, 2 cups cooked Bambara beans, 1 cup vegetable inventory, handful of parsley.
Technique: Warmth oil in a big saucepan over medium warmth. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook dinner for two minutes. Add paprika and cayenne pepper, stirring constantly for an additional 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and honey and cook dinner for five minutes. Add Bambara beans and vegetable inventory, cowl, and simmer for half-hour till the liquid is absorbed. End with chopped parsley and serve.
ENDS
About PAN South Africa: Physicians Affiliation for Vitamin (PAN) South Africa is the regional workplace of a worldwide medical non-profit organisation advancing diet in healthcare and medical training. By selling evidence-based nutritious diet practices for private and planetary well being, PAN works to scale back hundreds of thousands of diet-related deaths.
