Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire – The African Media Network for Health and Environment Promotion (REMAPSEN) is preparing to host the continent’s fourth annual African Media Forum on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), a groundbreaking event slated for November 25–27, 2025, in Abidjan. At a press conference held Friday, May 30, REMAPSEN announced plans to welcome journalists from 35 African countries, drawn from Francophone, Anglophone, Lusophone, Hispanophone, and Arabophone regions, to deepen their understanding of NTDs a category of diseases that continue to impact millions but remain largely overlooked.
With the theme “Media Contribution to Positioning the Fight Against Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa,” the forum aims to spotlight the crucial role journalists play in shifting NTDs from the shadows into the mainstream of public discourse.
“We want to make NTDs a media priority,” said Mr. Bamba Youssouf, Chairman of REMAPSEN’s Board. “This forum is an opportunity to end the silence and bring NTDs out of obscurity.”
Adding to the urgency, Mr. Coulibaly Zié Oumar, Executive Director of REMAPSEN, emphasized, “Our goal is to break the media silence surrounding these diseases. Journalists are key to advocacy, awareness, and influencing policy.”
Present at the press launch were Coordinating Directors of Côte d’Ivoire’s national NTD control programs, including Dr. Djè Ngoran Norbert (Preventive Chemotherapy) and Dr. Dizoé (Leprosy Elimination), who detailed the local NTD situation and expressed support for the forum’s focus.
REMAPSEN’s partners, notably Speak Up Africa and Sightsavers reaffirmed their technical and financial backing for the event. Both organizations are prominent players in the fight against NTDs across the continent.
On the sidelines of the forum, REMAPSEN will host the 4th edition of its prestigious REMAPSEN Awards, honoring excellence in health and environmental journalism. These awards are named after Michel Sidibé, AU Special Envoy for the African Medicines Agency. Line Renée Batongué, CRTV journalist and Awards Director, noted that the event also recognizes the most active countries implementing REMAPSEN’s programs.
Brands on a Mission, led by Professor Myriam Sidibé, continues to support the awards both technically and financially.
In a symbolic endorsement of the event’s growing stature, Mr. Cissé Ibrahima Bacongo, Minister-Governor of the Autonomous District of Abidjan, has been named President of the REMAPSEN Awards evening, scheduled for November 27, 2025.
Closing the event, Mr. Agnéro Alphonse Renaud, on behalf of the Ministry of Health, conveyed Minister Pierre N’Gou Dimba’s enthusiasm for hosting 70 foreign journalists in Abidjan, underlining the government’s commitment to advancing public health messaging.
From neglect to the spotlight, REMAPSEN is scripting a new media chapter for NTDs in Africa one headline at a time. -30-
