In a world gripped by cascading crises – climate shocks, shrinking fiscal space, and geopolitical instability – the promise of better health for women and children, risks being deprioritized just when it's most urgent. But what if adversity isn't the end of the road – but the opportunity to build something better?
This session explores how countries across Sub-Saharan Africa are not waiting for perfect conditions. They're acting now – leveraging the tools of today, from Artificial Intelligence (AI) to digital dashboards, and locally-driven innovation to solve old problems in new ways. But innovation here isn't just about gadgets. It's about different thinking: adaptive execution, not five-year plans. Building while moving. Listening to the frontline – especially to women – rather than defaulting to top-down blueprints.
What if we used the power of AI to leverage three decades of insight and wisdom buried in grey reports, untold stories, and lived experience? What if we reimagined frontline and community health workers – 70% of whom are women – not as unpaid volunteers, but as skilled professionals, vital to the system's resilience and inclusion?
And what if we redefined leadership – not as charisma or title – but as a collaborative, courageous act? Especially for those long kept out of power: women, youth, and communities at the margins. Grounded in lived experience and leadership insights from Nigeria, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Ghana and far beyond, this inspiring panel brings together bold, visionary leaders who are reimagining what's possible when we stop managing around adversity – and start building through it.
