Quality care and expansion on the agenda for Africa Health

Busy exhibition floor at Arab Health 2011, sister event to Africa Health.

The African healthcare sector is increasingly showing signs of improvement in its overall quality and availability of care and, as a result, Arab Health will be extending its global presence with the launch of the three-day Africa Health Exhibition and Congress (9-11 May 2011) at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, South Africa. The continent has, over the past years, taken measures to modernise and restructure its healthcare system and is taking steps to move towards increased efficiencies and cost-effectiveness.

"Active government support in recent years means a continued focus on healthcare expansion and Africa Health will attract thousands of healthcare professionals, exhibiting companies and speakers from around the world to its doors," Simon Page, divisional director, IIR Middle East & Asia, the organiser of Arab Health and Africa Health, commented. "Continuing in the tradition of the extremely successful Arab Health Exhibition and Congress that saw more than 65 000 visitors from over 100 countries descend on Dubai in January, this new show is set to enhance private sector investment and to provide a platform for the world's leading manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors to meet the medical community from the Southern African region and beyond."

Comprehensive, multi-track conference

Africa Health will run a comprehensive, multi-track conference providing a diverse range of topics relating to healthcare in Africa. The Africa Health Congress has 10 CPD accredited conferences and will include the 1st International African Imaging and Radiology Conference, 1st International African Surgery Conference and Leaders in Healthcare Conference Africa, to name just three of the 10 conferences.

"With South Africa being the financial and industrial hub on the African continent it is a certainty that all healthcare providers and government representatives from Africa will attend this exhibition and congress," commented Gert Botes from the Terumo South Africa Representative Office. "South Africa and the sub-Saharan Africa market is central to Terumo's growth plans and exhibiting at Africa Health is key."

Recent government strategy in Africa has seen a move towards quality improvement and accreditation The Council for Health Services Accreditation for Southern Africa (COHASA) carries out internal and external assessments using international standards and now offers an international accreditation service for Botswana, Rwanda, Swaziland, Nigeria and Lesotho, as well as South African hospitals. Expertise and support from the international healthcare community will be required to implement this transformation successfully.

SA device industry... highly competitive, dynamic

The African medical device industry, spearheaded mainly by the South African government, is highly competitive and dynamic with approximately 95% of all devices imported from overseas. According to Tanya Vogt, COO of the South African Medical Device Industry Association (SAMED) current challenges, such as the introduction of innovative technology and the debate surrounding the introduction of the National Health Insurance scheme in South Africa, will determine the future of the industry and increase the level of foreign investment further.

Research and development into the eradication of infectious diseases such as TB and HIV/AIDS demand continued private and foreign investment in order to contain and decrease the spread of disease. Commenting on the importance of the Pan-African Symposium on Infectious Diseases, which will take place during Africa Health, Dr Kasongo, coordinator, South African HIV Clinicians Society and chair of the conference, said: "The most important and compelling reason for attending the conference is that the burden of diseases in Africa is eminently dominated by infectious diseases."

Venue: Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec

Date: 9-11 May 2011

Time: 10am - 6pm

Entrance fee: Free entry to the exhibition

For further information about Africa Health Exhibition and Congress, go to www.africahealthexhibition.com or e-mail az.oc.rii@htlaehacirfa or call +27 11 771 7151 / +971 4 3365161.

About IIR Middle East:

For more information about IIR Middle East, go to www.iirme.com.

About Arab Health:

For more information about Africa Health, go to www.arabhealthonline.com.

About Terumo:

For more information about Terumo, go to www.terumo.com.