Africa faces diverse public health challenges that require tailored, localised solutions. These challenges include amongst others the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (diabetes, cancers, obesity and hypertension), infectious diseases such as (malaria and HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis), increase of maternal and infant mortality rates, mental health, drug and substance abuse crisis.Furthermore, the impact of climate change continues to pose a threat on positive health outcomes in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole. Further compounding the situation is the global shift in development aid policies as espoused by the United states of America’s stance on development aid. This development poses a threat to third world countries whose health financing programs were heavily reliant on donor aid. Implicitly these developments present an urgent need for Africa to introspect the question of sustainable development. The abrupt change in policy requires urgency in finding solutions to sustain and build upon the progressive development achieved and solutions that are evidence-based and context specific to our settings.

In the context of the above, the 3rd edition of the Public Health Symposium, themed “Heritage and Evidence- Based: A New Frontier in Africa’s Public Health,” seeks to provide a platform for stakeholders in the public health value chain to discuss, share and exchange information on shaping the future of public health in view of both emerging and contemporary public health challenges in Zimbabwe and Africa.The symposium will focus on the need for integrating heritage and evidence-based programming with a view to find solutions embedded in Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems, proving that the two can thrive hand in hand, while fostering sustainability and self-reliance in public health.

The 3rd Edition of the Public Health Symposium is scheduled from the 29th -31st of October 2025, at the Sango Conference Center, Cresta Lodge Hotel, Harare Zimbabwe.The Minister of Health & Child Care Hon. Dr. D. Mombeshora will be the guest of honour.