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A weekly development news platform published by UrgeDevWire, produced by Urge Communications. Covering wider East African region.

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Ethiopia to Host WHO Africa's 76th Regional Committee Session

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — 4 August 2026

Ethiopia will host the 76th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC76) in Addis Ababa from 24–28 August 2026, bringing health ministers, senior officials and development partners together for the African region's principal annual health-policy forum.

WHO Ethiopia announced the meeting on 4 August, with more than 600 delegates expected to participate. The Regional Committee brings together representatives of all 47 WHO African Member States to review regional health priorities, adopt strategies and provide direction for WHO's work across the continent.

The five-day meeting will address health-system strengthening, Universal Health Coverage, health security and emergency preparedness, alongside emerging public-health challenges.

Technical side events, exhibitions and bilateral meetings are also expected to form part of the programme, creating a platform for governments and development partners to discuss policy, financing, innovation and implementation.

For Ethiopia, hosting RC76 provides an opportunity to showcase its health-system reforms and experience in responding to public-health emergencies.

For East Africa, however, the meeting has significance beyond its host country. Health workforce shortages, financing constraints, cross-border disease threats and emergency preparedness remain shared regional challenges. Policy decisions emerging from the meeting could therefore shape the priorities of governments and development partners across the region.

The meeting also comes at a time when African countries are under pressure to strengthen health systems while managing competing development and financing demands.

The importance of RC76 will ultimately depend on how effectively regional commitments translate into national implementation, particularly in areas such as health financing, workforce capacity, surveillance and emergency preparedness.

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa

Urge Inside Health| East Africa. Urge- DevWire