Presidential Adviser and Special Aide to the President, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, has announced that Ghana’s First Lady, H.E. Lordina Dramani Mahama, is hosting a high-level event in Accra this week, bringing together several African First Ladies to intensify the continental fight against Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of infectious diseases.
According to Mrs. Mogtari, the meeting, which is being held on the sidelines of the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), focuses on the critical goal of achieving the Triple Elimination of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B in Africa.
The convergence underscores the political will being mobilized by women in leadership to address “persistent public health threats facing the continent’s most vulnerable populations.”
The President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone, and H.E. Fatoumatta Bah Barrow, First Lady of The Gambia, have already arrived in Accra to participate in the event scheduled for Thursday.
They are set to be joined by the First Ladies of Kenya and Liberia, as well as a former First Lady of South Africa.
“The core agenda for Thursday’s high-level session is a comprehensive strategy for Ending Mother-to-Child Transmission of major infectious diseases.
“This crucial meeting moves beyond the traditional focus on HIV alone to include Syphilis and Hepatitis B – a reflection of the growing need for integrated and sustainable health responses reaffirmed at the ICASA 2025 conference being hosted by Ghana”
Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Presidential Adviser and Special Aide to the President
A significant portion of the engagement will center on the role of women in leadership in combating the persistent social barriers that undermine public health efforts. The expected discussions will focus heavily on “strategies to fight stigmatisation, abuse, and neglect of victims,” particularly women and children, and concrete steps to protect their fundamental rights in society.
These social factors are widely recognized as primary obstacles to achieving elimination targets, as stigma often prevents women from accessing essential testing and treatment services.
Decade of Advocacy
Mrs. Mogtari explained that the choice of First Lady Lordina Dramani Mahama to host this pivotal meeting is rooted in her extensive and internationally recognized history of health and humanitarian advocacy through her Lordina Foundation.
“Mrs. Mahama’s focus on integrating HIV and sexual and reproductive health services has been a cornerstone of her humanitarian work since the beginning of her tenure as First Lady”
Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Presidential Adviser and Special Aide to the President
In 2013, she was appointed a Health Ambassador to support the “Heart-to-Heart” campaign, championing the cause of HIV/AIDS patients in Ghana and advocating for widespread testing and early treatment. Her Foundation is widely recognized for its consistent efforts to boost healthcare delivery in underserved regions through the donation of essential medical equipment.
Her leadership was further cemented in 2015 when she was elected President of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA). In that capacity, she frequently engaged global leaders on the elimination of new HIV infections among children.
In February 2016, Mrs. Mahama, then as President of OAFLA, delivered an emotional message on the need for a proactive response to HIV and the sexual and reproductive rights of young people at the 7th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights, held in Accra.
Mrs. Mogtari added that the First Lady’s consistent efforts in high-level advocacy secured her recognition from UNAIDS, which awarded her a Certificate of Appreciation in 2017 for her leadership in ending AIDS in Ghana.
The Accra meeting is expected to harness the collective influence of these leaders to propel the continent toward the global health goal of ending new HIV infections by 2030, an ambition that requires strong political commitment and integrated, community-led interventions.
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