The IAPHL side meeting at the Global Health Supply Chain conference was attended by 72 people from countries including Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Zambia, Pakistan, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Botswana, Fiji, Tanzania, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia, Kenya, and Namibia.
Andrew Brown opened the meeting with a presentation of IAPHL’s vision and strategies for achieving it. He was followed by IAPHL Tanzania chapter administrators Richard Silumbe and Farhan Yussuf, who discussed their activities since the chapter was established in 2014. Audience members asked questions about legal requirements for registering a chapter, and exchanged strategies for overcoming challenges to the process.
Ricardo Missihoun of IAPHL’s recently established Benin chapter spoke about the importance of identifying a local partner when establishing a chapter. Partnership ensures a chapter’s sustainability and mitigates legal requirements of registering a chapter, which delegates from some countries described as a stumbling block in the process.
Participants also discussed the importance of selecting an appropriate communication platform for an individual chapter, as what works for one country may not meet the needs of another. There was a palpable sense of camaraderie in the room and throughout the conference. We extend our thanks for the energy and enthusiasm of all who attended!