The EPN Biennial Forum

Theme: Sustainable and Resilient Health Systems for Last-Mile Access in Africa

Date: 5th – 9th October 2026

Co-Hosted by: Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ) & Pharmaceutical Systems Africa (Pharma Connect Africa)

Venue: Lusaka, Zambia

The 9th edition aims at providing a platform for key stakeholders and members to address the systemic challenges that hinder access to healthcare through knowledge exchange and sharing of best practices as well as lay a foundation for collaborative action in prioritizing the needs of the most vulnerable populations.

This will ensure strengthened health systems that are resilient, equitable and efficient as well as advancing the principle of leaving no one behind.

The forum will constitute:

• • a) A Pre-Conference

A closed two-day Policy Dialogue and Lobbying Think-Tank Workshop, bringing together selected CHA and DSO Chief Executive Officers alongside advocacy experts. The workshop will equip participants with practical tools for active engagement in national health governance, focusing on budget mapping, stakeholder power analysis, and advocacy strategies to ensure that faith-based health systems are fully integrated into national UHC frameworks and government financing mechanisms.

• • b) Main conference

The main conference will convene policymakers, regulators, faith-based health leaders, EPN members, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and development
partners to explore practical strategies for strengthening sustainable and resilient health systems. Sessions will include high-level plenaries, thematic breakout discussions (World Café format), expert panels, and poster presentations. The conference will also feature the formal launch of key EPN documents including the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, and a Call to Action on Sustaining the Last Mile.

• • c) Annual General Assembly

The EPN Annual General Assembly is reserved exclusively for EPN member organizations. The AGM will review institutional performance, approve financial statements, adopt key resolutions aligned with Forum outcomes, and set the governance direction for the coming biennium

FORUM OBJECTIVES

The 10th Biennial Forum is guided by the following strategic objectives:

1. Empower faith-based health leaders and networks to secure reliable domestic funding, engage in pre-budget dialogue, and influence national health policy and planning processes.
2. Prioritize and advocate for the scale-up of primary health care systems to ensure that essential pharmaceutical services and technologies reach the most marginalized and remote communities.
3. Identify, share, and institutionalize sustainable health financing models including Drug Revolving Funds, health insurance integration, and public-private partnerships to replace declining external aid.
4. Share experiences and catalyze partnerships for advancing local pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthening regulatory collaboration, and improving medicine quality assurance across the continent.
5. Explore and accelerate the adoption of digital health tools, electronic dispensing and management systems, and climate-smart technologies to ensure supply chain continuity during emergencies and shocks.
6. Highlight and codify best practices in clinical stewardship, rational medicine use, antimicrobial resistance containment, and patient safety across faith-based health facilities.
7. Facilitate peer-to-peer learning and South-to-South exchange to share evidence-based solutions and strengthen collaboration across the EPN network and the broader faith-based health ecosystem.
8. Formally launch EPN’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan and galvanize member institutions around its vision, pillars, and implementation priorities.

METHODOLOGY

The Forum will employ a participatory, multi-format methodology designed to maximize engagement,
knowledge exchange, and actionable outcomes. Methods will include:

1. Pre-Conference Policy Think-Tank
2. High-Level Plenaries
3. World Café Breakout Discussions
4. Poster Presentations
5. Networking Sessions and Exhibition
6. Document Launches and Panel Discussions
7. Annual General Assembly (members only)

TARGETED PARTICIPANTS

1. EPN Members
2. Government & Policymakers
3. Regulatory Authorities
4. Development Partners & Donors
5. Pharmaceutical Industry
6. Academic & Research Institutions
7. Faith & Civil Society Leaders
8. Technology & Innovation Partners
9. EPN Scholarship Beneficiarie
10. Media

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

1. Launch of the EPN 2026–2030 Strategic Plan
2. Adoption of the EPN Position Paper on Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
3. Endorsement of the “Sustaining the Last Mile” Declaration
4. Development of country-specific advocacy and action plans
5. Launch of AMR and Quality Assurance Toolkits
6. Establishment of a peer-to-peer learning repository
7. Strengthened partnerships and institutional collaborations
8. Increased media engagement and Forum visibility
9. Enhanced knowledge sharing and innovation exchange
10. Strengthened advocacy for resilient pharmaceutical systems and last-mile healthcare access in Africa

About the Co-Hosts

Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ)
CHAZ is Zambia’s leading faith-based health network, representing over 150 church-owned health facilities across all provinces of the country. CHAZ plays a critical role in delivering primary health care, pharmaceutical services, and health promotion in remote and underserved communities. As co-host, CHAZ will provide local coordination support, country-level stakeholder engagement, and facilitate field visits to member facilities.

Pharmaceutical Systems Africa — Pharma Connect Africa
Pharma Connect Africa is a premier continental platform that connects pharmaceutical stakeholders including manufacturers, regulators, policymakers, and health system actors to strengthen pharmaceutical systems across Africa. As co-host, Pharma Connect Africa will contribute to the Forum’s industry engagement dimensions, including the exhibition, manufacturer engagement sessions, and local manufacturing dialogues.

EVENT DATES: October 5-6

Topic 1: Positioning CHAs & DSOs for Influence in Health Governance and Sustainable Financing

This closed workshop will equip CHA and DSO leaders with evidence-based advocacy frameworks, budget analysis tools, and stakeholder engagement strategies. Participants will develop institution-specific advocacy roadmaps for integration into national UHC budgeting cycles, health insurance frameworks, and government health planning processes.

The session will also explore coalition building among FBOs to amplify collective influence at national and sub-national levels.

Topic 2: To be determined

.

EVENT DATES:  7-8 October

Topic 1:  Rethinking Health Systems in a Shifting Global Landscape
High-level opening plenary: Where are we and how do we move forward? This session will map the current state of Africa’s health and pharmaceutical landscape including successes, persistent gaps, and emerging vulnerabilities and chart a strategic course for faith-based health systems in the
post-donor era.

• . State of health systems in SSA: financing, access, and equity
• . Implications of the changing global health funding architecture
• . Faith-based health systems as strategic partners for self-reliant and sustainable health systems
• . Alignment with AU, G20, and UN SDG health priorities
• . Positioning EPN’s new Strategic Plan in the global health agenda

Topic 2: Strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) to Drive Equitable Universal Health Access
This topic will focus on health systems strengthening by shifting innovation, resources, and capacity-building to lower-level facilities and communities. It will highlight challenges and best practices in primary-level pharmaceutical service delivery.

• • Integrated services for NCDs, RMNCH, AMR, NTDs, HIV/AIDS at the last mile
  • Community health worker integration and pharmaceutical task-shifting
  • Quality assurance and rational medicine use at PHC level
  • Case studies from EPN member institutions in rural and peri-urban settings
  • Digital innovations for community health (mHealth, telemedicine, EDMS)

Topic 3: Local Manufacturing, Regulatory Self-Reliance & Quality Assurance
This topic will explore strategies for empowering regional pharmaceutical production and ensuring medicine safety across the faith-based supply chain.

• • Launch and discussion of EPN’s Faith-Based Position Paper on Local Manufacturing
  • Industrialization, regulatory harmonization, and technology transfer
  • QA screening tools Minilab and NIR for post-marketing surveillance
  • Regulatory collaboration with NMRAs and Pan-African regulatory bodies
  • Market incentives and IP frameworks to reduce import dependence
  • Engagement with manufacturers and supply chain partners

Topic 4: Sustainable Financing, Domestic Resource Mobilization & Advocacy
Integrating key learnings from the pre-conference, this session focuses on replacing shrinking donor support with self-sustaining, resilient financing models that can support last-mile access to essential medicines.

• • Operationalizing Drug Revolving Funds (DRF): models, governance, and performance
  • Expanding Pooled Procurement Initiatives (PPI) to improve affordability
  • National health insurance advocacy: integrating FBO facilities into coverage frameworks
  • Public-private partnerships for pharmaceutical financing
  • Domestic resource mobilization strategies: from Abuja commitments to action
  • Advocacy capacity building for FBO health leaders and non-health champions

Topic 5: Supply Chain Innovation & Climate-Resilient Technologies

This topic will explore how digital and climate-smart innovations can strengthen delivery systems to withstand future shocks and ensure sustainable, uninterrupted access to medicines.

• • Integration of digital health and Electronic Dispensing/Management Systems (EDMS)
  • Solar-powered cold chain and climate-resilient storage solutions
  • Emergency preparedness and business continuity for climate-related disruptions
  • Innovation scouting: next-generation supply chain technologies for low-resource settings
  • Leveraging pharmacies, distributors, manufacturers, insurers, fintech, and digital health ecosystems
  • One Health approaches to supply chain resilience

Topic 6: Integrated Clinical Stewardship & Patient Safety

This topic will strengthen the evidence base and practical tools for patient-centered pharmaceutical services across EPN member institutions.

• • Antimicrobial stewardship: implementing AMR NAPs at facility level
  • Medicine safety and pharmacovigilance systems in low-resource settings
  • Evidence-based prescribing and rational medicine use (RMU) for NCDs and NTDs
  • Gender-responsive access to RMNCH medicines and health technologies
  • Launch and discussion of EPN’s AMR Sermon Guide and Minilab Advocacy Toolkit
  • Patient safety culture and reporting systems in faith-based facilities

We invite you to express interest to attend the EPN Forum by filling and submitting your registration details in the form below.

Registration fee

Details will be provided soon.

How to pay

You can use the following options for payment

Option 1 – Online payment

     a). Visit our online donation page (https://training.epnetwork.org/ donation) where we accept online payments.

     b). Under Online Donations

     c). Select one-time and select a predefined amount or other to specify your amount

     d.) Under 'select a cause', choose Forum 2026

    e). Click 'Donate' and follow the rest of the processes

Option 2 – Direct transfer to EPN Kenya Account

Name of Account-holder: Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network

Bank Account Number: 6780420024

Type of Account: Current Account (USD) / Compte Courant (USD)

Name of Bank: NCBA Bank

Branch Name: Westlands Branch

Swift Code : CBAFKENX

Equitable access to quality healthcare is a fundamental human right that should be available to everyone, regardless of geographic location or socio-economic background. However, deep-seated structural challenges, shifting global financing landscapes, and environmental vulnerabilities continue to hinder equitable primary healthcare and pharmaceutical service delivery across Africa, leaving the most vulnerable communities at risk. Across the continent, faith-based and community health systems stand at the front line of service delivery in the most remote and under-resourced settings , yet they remain persistently under-represented in national health planning, financing frameworks, and policy dialogue.
The global health financing landscape is shifting rapidly. Declining external aid, climate-related disruptions to pharmaceutical supply chains, and unfinished domestic resource mobilization agendas demand a new generation of solutions grounded in evidence, anchored in community, and built for sustainability.
To confront these pressing issues, EPN will convene its 10th Biennial Forum in partnership with its members CHAZ and Pharmaconnect under the central theme: "Sustainable and Resilient Health Systems for Last-Mile Access in Africa." It will convene policymakers, faith-based health leaders, regulators, pharmaceutical professionals, industry partners, and researchers to exchange evidence-based solutions, foster regional partnerships, and chart a transformative course toward a self-sustaining health ecosystem.
In advancing this vital agenda, we invite individuals from across diverse fields to submit their abstracts for oral or poster presentations aligned with the following conference sub-themes:

SUBTHEME 1 : Health systems transformation, sustainable financing & Resilience

This track invites submissions that examine how health systems can restructure, self-finance, and sustain operations amid shrinking donor support and shifting global aid architecture. Authors are encouraged to present evidence, models, and lessons from efforts to mobilize domestic resources, reform health financing mechanisms, and build institutional resilience.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• a)UHC financing models
• b) Drug revolving funds models/strategies
• c) Domestic resource mobilization
• d) Public-private partnerships
• e)Health insurance advocacy,
• f)Efficiency & value for money in health systems

SUBTHEME 2: Primary Health Care, Equity & Last-Mile Access

This track focuses on strengthening the capacity of primary health care systems to reach underserved, rural, and peri-urban communities through integrated service delivery and community-centred approaches. Authors are encouraged to share research, programme experiences, and innovations that advance equitable access across disease areas, with attention to the populations most likely to be left behind. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• a) Patient-centered delivery and integrated management for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), and infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria)
• b) Community health workers optimization /community system strengthening
• c) Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD) Models
• d) Intergrated last mile supply chain systems
• e) Equity and Inclusion in Service Delivery (gender-responsive care)

SUBTHEME 3: Medicines Access, Local Manufacturing & Regulatory Systems

Africa's continued dependence on imported medicines and limited local manufacturing capacity poses a systemic risk to pharmaceutical sovereignty and health security. This track calls for submissions that explore pathways to a self-reliant pharmaceutical ecosystem through local production, regulatory harmonisation, and quality assurance innovation. Authors may present findings from research, policy analysis, or implementation practice. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• a) Local manufacturing
• b) Pooled procurement initiatives
• c) Regulatory harmonisation,
• d) Cost-effective screening technologies for quality control of medicines e.g Minilab , NIR e.t.c)
• e) IP & market incentives
• f) Track & trace systems
• g) Suppy chain security & anti-counterfeit systems

SUBTHEME 4: Digital Innovation, Health Supply Chain & Climate-Smart Technologies

This track advances the use of digital tools, data systems, and climate-resilient infrastructure to future-proof pharmaceutical supply chains and health service delivery in the face of growing environmental and operational shocks. Submissions are welcome from practitioners and researchers working at the intersection of technology, supply chain, and climate adaptation. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• a) Emergency preparedness & response
• b) AI in healthcare
• c) Telemedicine
• d) EDMS (Electronic document management system)/ mHealth(Mobile Health)
• e) Solar powered cold chain
• f) One Health approaches
• g) Climate change and Health
• h) Digital health for community health workers

SUBTHEME 5: Clinical Stewardship, Patient Safety & Rational Medicines Use

Safe, rational, and evidence-based pharmaceutical care is the foundation of trustworthy health services. This track strengthens the evidence base and institutional capacity for clinical stewardship across facility types and health conditions, with a focus on practical implementation in resource-limited settings. Authors are encouraged to share research findings, programme innovations, and policy recommendations. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• a) Strategies for AMR Control;
  -Antimicrobial Stewardship,
  -Surveillance
  -Community-based initiatives/strategies
  -Infection Prevention and Control practices in healthcare settings (HAI tracking)
• b) Pharmacovigilance (Monitoring & reporting of Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) & Quality of medicines
• c) Rational medicine use
• d) Quality Improvement (QI)

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The forum will accept abstracts in two formats: Scientific generated data from research or project and Best Practices (programme/ project). Abstracts must be submitted in English or French and the abstract text should not exceed 500 words. The submitting author will receive an email confirming receipt of the abstract. Abstracts will be accepted for either oral or poster presentations.

ABSTRACT STRUCTURE

IMPORTANT DATES

• Call for Abstracts: May 29, 2026
• Abstracts submission deadline: July 10, 2026
• Notification of acceptance: August 30, 2026
• Poster submission deadline: September 13, 2026

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

Submit your abstract to: https://forms.gle/5gSGhM1tjtJ1M7aR9

In case of any questions, please send us an email via abstract@epnetwork.org.

The program will be available soon.

These will be available after the Forum.