Organon Advances Women's Health at WHX Summit
Organon Sub-Saharan Africa has reaffirmed its commitment to women’s health and family planning, playing a key role at the recent WHX Leaders’ Summit held in Accra.
The Summit, a major gathering for healthcare investment and innovation in Africa, brought together Heads of State, Health Ministers, and leaders from global institutions and the private sector to chart a course for a healthier future for the continent.
Organon SSA actively participated in the Summit, joining a high-level panel discussion on ‘Advancing Women’s Health in Africa’ and hosting a dedicated session focused on securing sustainable financing for reproductive health. These engagements underscored the organisation’s dedication to prioritizing women’s health within national development plans, budgetary allocations, and healthcare system improvements.
According to Organon, their presence at WHX was deliberate, aligning with the Summit’s core objective of fostering evidence-based policies, innovation, and investment in the health sector. Discussions centered on the critical need to integrate women’s health and family planning into Universal Health Coverage (UHC) strategies.
Stakeholders at the session explored avenues for incorporating family planning into broader development agendas, unlocking innovative financing mechanisms, and strengthening partnerships between governments and the private sector to enhance affordability and access. A key takeaway was the vital role of family planning in reducing maternal mortality and preventing unintended pregnancies.
This builds on Organon’s existing work in the region, including a recent collaboration with FP2030 and Uganda’s Ministry of Health to explore sustainable financing models for family planning. The Uganda workshop demonstrated the effectiveness of locally-driven solutions, multisectoral collaboration, and evidence-based approaches in reducing unintended pregnancies and improving the efficiency of health systems.
Organon stated that its focus across Africa is evolving from advocacy to tangible implementation, with new initiatives focused on innovative financing, expanded community health programs, and stronger policy alignment for women’s health. Global leaders at the side event emphasized the importance of collaboration in expanding access, improving affordability, and directing resources to underserved communities.
“Women’s health is central to national development,” Prof. Tlou stated during the event. Dr Macharia added, “We need to scale up family planning access for young people and vulnerable groups.” Organon affirmed that these perspectives reinforce their strategy of building robust systems through innovation, partnerships, and financial investment.
Beyond the side event, Mokgadi Mashishi represented Organon on the official Summit panel, further advocating for sustainable financing and public-private partnerships as essential components of universal access to reproductive health. She later explained that Organon’s partnerships across the continent are expanding, citing their collaboration with Amref Health Africa in Uganda to co-design and strengthen Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) implementation.
A recurring theme throughout WHX was the necessity of sustainable financing for reproductive health. Speakers consistently highlighted the lessons learned from Organon’s Uganda convening, emphasizing that investment in SRHR not only saves lives but also strengthens economies. Organon’s contributions were instrumental in shaping the policy discussions and forging partnerships expected to drive the next phase of health transformation in Africa.
The Summit concluded with a powerful reminder of a core African principle: “If you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” Organon echoed this sentiment, adding that prioritizing women’s health is equally crucial – when women have access to quality care, communities flourish, economies grow, and nations prosper.
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