8th Galien Africa Forum 2025: How Proper Communication Drives Health Sovereignty in Africa, According to REMAPSEN

In the quest for health sovereignty in Africa, effective communication emerges as a foundational pillar. At the 8th Galien Africa Forum in Dakar, Senegal, REMAPSEN’s President Youssouf Bamba urged African leaders to prioritize media partnerships for accurate health messaging. This event underscores how women’s empowerment, gender equity, and strategic media roles intersect to bolster continental health independence.

Introduction

The 8th Galien Africa Forum, held in Dakar from October 2025, serves as a premier platform for advancing healthcare innovation and health sovereignty across Africa. On its third day, discussions centered on women’s leadership, business ownership, and equality as drivers of health autonomy. Organized under sub-themes addressing Africa’s control over its health needs, the forum featured parallel plenary sessions.

A pivotal session, the Women’s Forum, examined the media’s influence on health originality and sovereignty. With over 40 African countries represented, networks like REMAPSEN highlighted journalism’s role in bridging information gaps. This introduction sets the stage for understanding how communication, equity, and mentorship converge to transform African health systems.

Analysis

The forum’s deliberations revealed interconnected themes: media as a budget partner in health governance, women’s equity for inclusive health strategies, and data-driven interventions for maternal and child health.

REMAPSEN’s Emphasis on Media Communication

REMAPSEN, the African Media Network for the Promotion of Health and the Environment, operates in West and Central Africa through partnerships with governments, international bodies, and civil society. President Youssouf Bamba asserted that “health sovereignty cannot be achieved without proper communication.” He positioned media as vectors of accurate information, warning against outsourcing messaging, which risks misinformation. As a leading Africa-wide media group, REMAPSEN focuses on public awareness, health governance dialogues, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience.

Equity and Mentorship in Health Systems

Moderated by Professor Ndioro Ndiaye of the Alliance for Migration, Leadership and Development, and James Wanki of UNFPA, the panel on “Correcting Inequalities for Health Sovereignty in Africa” stressed equity beyond medical investments. Prof. Ndiaye called for mentorship and transformative media use. Mr. Wanki cited stark statistics: a pregnant woman dies every four minutes, and a newborn is lost every 17 seconds globally, urging political will for gender equality and positive masculinity.

Contributions from Key Experts

Dr. Amina Aminu Dorayi from Pathfinder International in Nigeria advocated centering equity in health system strengthening. Prof. Christine Ouinsavi from Benin’s Ouagadougou Partnership Women Leadership Accelerator (OWLA) emphasized mentorship for women’s health originality, noting progress in health indicators over 20 years and the need to engage youth through intergenerational networking. UNICEF’s Mrs. Ulrike Gilbert highlighted disaggregated data for community health and increased funding for women’s health workforce participation. Dr. Cheikh Saad Bou Sarr of Senegal’s ADEMAS addressed affordability, stating quality health products must be accessible. Dr. Namrata Singh of Empower School of Health defined empowerment as agency beyond access.

Summary

The third day of the 8th Galien Africa Forum spotlighted women’s roles in health sovereignty in Africa. REMAPSEN’s Youssouf Bamba led with a call for media as partners in communication, preventing mis messaging. Panels explored equity, mentorship, data, affordability, and empowerment. The event culminates on October 31, 2025, with the 5th Galien Prize Awards at Dakar’s King Fahd Hotel, honoring innovators in African healthcare.

Key Points

Practical Advice

To implement forum insights, African leaders and media can adopt these strategies for health sovereignty in Africa:

Enhance Media Partnerships

Collaborate with networks like REMAPSEN to co-create health campaigns. Train journalists on health governance, ensuring messages align with state priorities without external distortion.

Promote Women’s Leadership

Establish mentorship programs like OWLA, linking generations for business ownership in health. Integrate equity metrics into national health plans, as advised by Pathfinder International.

Leverage Data and Funding

Use disaggregated data from UNICEF models to target interventions. Allocate budgets for women’s health workforce training and affordable services, reducing barriers highlighted by ADEMAS.

Drive Political and Social Change

UNFPA-style advocacy can reset norms for positive masculinity. Forums like Galien should transition discussions into actionable policies with measurable health indicators.

Points of Caution

Speakers issued critical warnings to safeguard progress:

• Miscommunication Risks: Outsourcing messaging leads to distorted trends, undermining sovereignty (REMAPSEN).
• Inequity Persistence: Without equity and mentorship, health advances stall (Prof. Ndiaye).
• High Costs: Unaffordable services exclude women, hindering access (ADEMAS).
• Data Gaps: Lack of disaggregated data hampers targeted community health (UNICEF).
• Talk-Shop Avoidance: Key actors must act decisively, not just discuss (Prof. Ndiaye).

These cautions emphasize proactive, inclusive approaches over rhetoric.

Comparison

Compared to prior Galien Forums, the 8th edition uniquely integrates media communication with women’s empowerment for health sovereignty. Earlier events focused on innovation awards; this one expands to equity sub-themes.

Vs. Global Health Forums

Unlike WHO assemblies emphasizing funding, Galien prioritizes African-led communication and mentorship. REMAPSEN’s model contrasts global media silos, fostering continent-specific journalism. OWLA’s youth focus mirrors but localizes UN Women’s intergenerational strategies, tailoring to African health indicators’ 20-year progress.

Regional Perspectives

Nigeria’s equity centering (Pathfinder) aligns with West Africa’s affordability push (ADEMAS), while Benin’s mentorship echoes Central Africa’s resilience needs, unified under REMAPSEN’s 40-country reach.

Legal Implications

No direct legal mandates arose from the forum, but discussions reinforce existing frameworks like the African Union’s Agenda 2063 for health sovereignty and gender equity. Compliance with international treaties, such as UNFPA-supported maternal health protocols, is implied. Leaders should align national policies with these to avoid equity gaps, though no new litigation risks were specified.

Conclusion

The 8th Galien Africa Forum crystallized that health sovereignty in Africa hinges on proper verbal exchange, women’s equity, and media synergy. REMAPSEN’s clarion call, echoed by diverse experts, charts a path from discussion to action. As awards honor innovators on October 31, 2025, the continent stands poised for empowered, communicative health futures. Stakeholders must heed these insights to correct inequalities and sustain progress.

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