Prof. John Idoko (right) handing over the leadership mantle to Dr. David Pagwesese Parirenyatwa.
The Society for AIDS in Africa, (SAA) has held an inauguration ceremony for its newly elected leadership to continue with the effective running of the organisation.
The ceremony, which took place in Accra, saw the transfer of authority from the outgoing council headed by Prof. John Idoko to the incoming council headed by Dr. David Pagwesese Parirenyatwa after successful four-year tenure.
Outgoing Secretary-General, Prof. Tandakha Ndiaye Dieye, gave an account of some major activities and programmes organized by SAA over the period.
He said the organisation held Symposium of Zika Virus and Lassa Fever, supported the Ghana AIDS Commission in organizing the 4th National HIV/AIDS Research Conference (NHARCON 2018), held blood donation exercise, community outreach programmes during World AIDS day as well as SAA’s numerous community outreach programmes in Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia.
Outgoing Executive Board and President, Prof. John Idoko stated that in the last four years, the outgoing board had kept accountability adding that all audit reports, financial procedures and will be handed over to the ICASA Director/SAA Coordinator for onward transition to the incoming Executive Board.
He noted that even though SAA was the custodian of its flagship ICASA programme, ICASA is more visible than the SAA and thus urged the incoming executive board to work towards enhancing the visibility of SAA.
“The outgoing board had made significant financial gains over the past 4 years and I encouraged you to follow in that stead,” he said.
He also impressed on the incoming board to make the project of the building of the new SAA office a reality.
Prof. Idoko also recommended that SAA should take up leading role in promoting advocacy in the area of emerging diseases and vaccine production as SAA is strategically placed to promote this agenda.
The newly elected SAA President, Dr. Parirenyatwa said the new board would develop a new strategic plan that will help strengthen the organization in its advocacy role in Africa and will continue to work with all its partners and forge new partnerships in the future.
He also stated that the new board will ensure continuous collaboration with research institutions and civil society partners.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri