ACHEST HSA activities in Africa region and globally At the Regional and Global level ACHEST will lead in coordinating African region advocacy, and contribute to international advocacy. Through direct and indirect membership in international and regional networks and platforms ACHEST will ensure visibility of the program at these levels. ACHEST Inception phase activities in Africa region and globally ACHEST is usually invited to African region fora such as EAC, ECSA, AU heads of state meetings, WHO regional committee for Africa and will take advantage of these slots to advocate for HSAP. At global level ACHEST will be attending the WHO World Health Assembly and take opportunities to advocate for HSAP Regional and Global activities in 2017 Quarter1 January - March- ACHEST participated and presented papers at international, regional and national levels: 1. . Presented a paper at the African Health Agenda International Conference from 7th-9th March 2017 in Nairobi 2. Attended the 1st International Symposium on Community Health Workers from 21st to 22nd March 2017 in Kampala. 3. Attended the Health and Scientific Conference and International Health Exhibition and Trade fair from 29th to 31st March 2017 in Bunjumbura, Burundi. The meeting was very well attended with many people from the region; DrEriki chaired a panel on Maternal and Child Health while I participated in a panel in health professions training in East Africa. Quarter 2 April - June 70th World Health Assembly 22-31 May 2017. The Executive Director together with Director Policy represented ACHEST at the 70th World Health Assembly . The 5th forum of the African platform on HRH, 19 – 21 April, 2017. ACHEST convened the 5th Forum of the African Platform on HRH in, Kampala, Uganda, bringing together a wide range of participants from across the African continent and several partners. The Forum was held under the theme: Positioning the African Health Workforce for Sustainable Development West Africa Health Organization 19th -20th June ACHEST attended the 8th Ordinary Assembly of Health Ministers of ECOWAS. premised on the theme: “One Health Approach; The Synergy Actions Required in Disease Control in West Africa” which ran from the 12th– 16th June, 2017 at ECOWAS Commission, Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria. During the Assembly, a policy strategic document on Task Shifting in the region was launched to address the fragility of Health Systems ACHEST mat with DG of ECOWAS discussed possible collaboration opportunities. Essential ACHEST documents were shared with the DG key among which was the Recommendations of 4th APHRH Congress, ACHEST brochures and the HSAP factsheets. The 1st African Health Forum Kigali 26th – 27th June. ACHEST ED, Directors Policy and Health Systems attended the 1st African Health Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, convened by the WHO’s Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) from 27 – 28 June 2017 ED ACHEST reminded the African leaders that: “Community Health workers are a part of the Integrated Health System, but should not be seen as a magic bullet that will achieve Universal Health Care (UHC) alone.” They should be promoted to be part of the integrated health system if better life for all is to be achieved. Quarter 3 July - September TOC workshop for Tanzania 20 - 22 September 2017 ACHEST had two representatives from ACHEST Hqtrs in the TOC workshop for Tanzania. Important issues relevant to the Tanzania Context were identified. Amref Health Africa Tanzania will lead this Context and work collaboratively with ACHEST and HAI to implement the project. TOC workshop for Malawi 26 -28 September 2017 One representative from ACHEST Hqtrs attended the workshop where important issues relevant to Malawi were identified. Amre Health Africa Malawi and ACHEST will work together in the implementation of the project in Malawi. AHCEST was invited to the Regional Committee for Africa meeting in August and was represented by ED and DHS. Lobby materials were distributed and the ED had a meeting with the DG of WHO. Quarter 4 October - December The 4th Global forum on HRH in Dublin 1. ACHEST with the Department for Global Health Workforce of WHO convened side event on Brain Drain, Brain Gain where the State Minister for Health from Uganda Hon Sarah Opendi spoke and pledged the government commitment in supporting the work and reporting on the Global Code on the Migration of Health Workers. 2. ACHEST convened a meeting for international CSOs to discuss issues on HRH and governance in countries and a CSO Coalition on HRH was formed. 3. ACHEST also convened a side event that brought together policy makers and CSOs in the African region to discuss issues of leadership and HRH in the region under the African Platform on HRH. The Board Meeting of the HRH was held at this side event where implementation issues for the African region were aligned in a business plan and a constitution. During January - march 2018, ACHEST developed and disseminated a policy brief highlighting priorities in Health that the Heads of States in the Africa region should focus on at the Heads of States meeting in Kampala ACHEST staff attended the African Region SDG Conference on Strengthening Accountability in African Health Systems in Kigali, Rwanda from 8th to 9th March 2018. The ACHEST ED chaired a session at the meeting. ACHEST presented at the Bellagio Global Health Education Initiative meeting in India with the theme;” International Perspectives on Global Health Education” from the 5th to 8th of February 2018. The topic of presentation was “African Health Professions Education Networks” ACHEST attended a meeting of the 65th ECSA Health Ministers’ Conference held at Kilimanjaro Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dar es Salaam, from 19th – 21st March 2018 organized by the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Tanzania (MoHCDEC) in collaboration with the ECSA Health Community. ACHEST made a presentation at the conference on the topic: “Building and Sustaining Leadership for Health”