Nairobi, Kenya – The World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 will convene more than 2,000 delegates from over 50 countries at the United Nations Office in Nairobi from 27 to 29 April. Hosted by Aga Khan University, the summit will focus on “Reimagining African Health Systems: Innovation, Integration, and Interdependence,” aiming to strengthen cross‑sector collaboration and accelerate solutions to the continent’s most pressing public‑health challenges.
Africa’s health systems are confronting a rising burden of non‑communicable diseases, climate‑driven pressures on food supplies and widening gaps in access to nutritious food. While these issues are interlinked, they are often addressed in isolation. Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) South Africa is using the summit to call for nutrition to be integrated more fully into health‑system discussions and decision‑making across the continent.
Key speakers include H.E. Dr William Samoei Ruto, President of Kenya; Professor Mohamed Janabi, Regional Director of WHO Africa; H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC; and Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, President and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council. The agenda features a session on “Health Workforce, Financing and System Building,” which will examine how health‑professional education must evolve to meet emerging population‑health needs, including nutrition.
“Nutrition is a fundamental determinant of health and a critical lever for disease prevention, health‑system resilience and sustainable development,” said Pierrette Nhlapo, MPH, RD, Projects Manager at PAN South Africa. She emphasized that the summit offers an opportunity to embed nutrition into the design, financing and delivery of health services.
PAN South Africa is advocating for the inclusion of nutrition education in medical curricula and clinical practice through its PAN University Programme, which provides evidence‑based training for future doctors and health professionals. The organisation also participates in the Dietary Guidelines Initiative, promoting culturally appropriate, sustainable food‑based guidelines. In 2025, PAN contributed research to the South African Journal of Science on strengthening African dietary guidelines to align with health and climate objectives.
During the meeting, PAN will engage policymakers, researchers and practitioners to advance multi‑stakeholder collaboration aimed at aligning food and health systems for improved human and planetary health. As part of its broader work in culinary medicine, PAN highlighted traditional African plant foods such as Bambara beans, a climate‑resilient legume that supports soil health and provides protein, fibre and micronutrients. A recipe for Tomato Stewed Bambara Beans, developed by Chef Mokgadi Itsweng, was showcased in a pre‑summit workshop that trained healthcare professionals in practical nutrition counseling.
The summit’s outcomes are expected to shape regional health policies and reinforce the role of nutrition in preventing disease and building resilient health systems throughout Africa.
