The CCA Health Initiative's Meetings Program

CCA's Health Initiative hosts regular roundtable discussions and meetings that address timely topics and allow CCA members and public sector counterparts to discuss the rewards and challenges facing the private sector's participation in health systems in Africa. Themed “Investing in Health,” the objective of CCA's roundtable-style forums is to identify and advance private sector opportunities in Africa that are both commercially viable and positively impact health.

The 2011 meeting series featured a wide range of topics, covering issues such as healthcare delivery and the development of medical devices appropriate for rural settings, corporate investments geared toward neglected tropical diseases and other diseases of poverty, and technology solutions to combat counterfeit pharmaceuticals and gender-based violence in Africa.

CCA was pleased to host many senior guest speakers. Lois Quam, executive director of the Global Health Initiative (GHI) at the U.S. Department of State, updated members about GHI's Africa agenda, including GHI's focus on creating public-private partnerships with nongovernmental organizations and private corporations. Anita McBride, co-director of the RAND Corporation's Africa First Ladies Initiative and former chief of staff to First Lady Laura Bush , discussed how companies involved in corporate responsibility activities in Africa, particularly those in health and education, could benefit from collaborating with the first ladies to advance their programs.

The 2011 health forums included:

• "Working with Africa's First Ladies on Corporate Responsibility Programming" (sponsored by member APCO Worldwide)
• "Innovative Solutions for Rural Healthcare" (sponsored by GE healthymagination)
• "A Briefing on the U.S. Global Health Initiative's Africa Agenda"
• "A Conversation with Sproxil CFO and Strategist Alden Zecha"
• " Unlocking Africa's Market Potential: Investing in Consumers Through Low-Cost Health Interventions" (sponsored by the Global Network on Neglected Tropical Diseases)
• "DNA Technology and Forensics: Innovative Solutions for Enhancing Judicial Systems in Africa" (special program on gender-based violence sponsored by Bode Technology)

In September 2011, CCA's health team also co-convened a special luncheon program at the Ford Foundation in New York City, NY, "A Luncheon to Celebrate Africa's Prosperity Through Women's Leadership," in partnership with the RAND Corporation's Africa First Ladies Initiative and the U.S. Department of State's African Women's Entrepreneurship Program. This luncheon was generously sponsored by CCA member Symbion Power and brought together six First Ladies from Africa and the Caribbean, 40 dynamic female entrepreneurs from the African continent, CCA members, friends and partners.

Health forums at CCA are by invitation only, but we welcome your inquiries for further information about upcoming topics. Please contact Elizabeth Bachini at for questions and more information.

Please check CCA's Events Page for future forum dates.