THE CHALLENGE

The Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC), held biennially by Amref Health Africa, brings together global leaders, policymakers, and healthcare professionals to address Africa’s health challenges. 

AHAIC 2025 focused on the social determinants of health, driving discussions on universal health coverage, innovation, and policy reforms. The conference serves as a key platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration to advance sustainable health solutions. 

Our task was to translate this focus into a strong, impactful campaign for AHAIC 2025—one that drives brand recognition and aligns seamlessly with Amref’s communications strategy, ensuring maximum visibility and engagement.

THE STRATEGY

Rather than just a static emblem, the Flags of Unity were designed as an interactive, participatory symbol of collaboration. AHAIC is attended by African policymakers, global health leaders, NGOs, local communities and the private sector so ‘Connected For Change’ was woven through the conference topics as well as the overarching ambition of bringing AHAIC to life. By making the flags a physical part of AHAIC 2025, we ensured they would not only be seen but also experienced, carried, and discussed. The flags served as touchpoints for dialogue, reinforcing Amref’s leadership in health diplomacy and cross-border policy collaboration. By integrating the flags into both public activations and virtually in the conference program, the campaign bridged the gap between community engagement and institutional advocacy, ensuring broad, multi-stakeholder impact beyond the event itself.

THE EXECUTION

The Flags of Unity were first introduced during the "Walk for Change", where health leaders, policymakers, and participants carried them through the streets of Kigali, turning them into a living demonstration of solidarity and collective action. This act symbolised the theme Connected for Change and set the stage for their presence at the AHAIC 2025 Conference. 

Inside the conference centre, the flags were prominently displayed, reinforcing the message of cross-border collaboration. Digital animations and the AHAIC opening film further showcased the Flags of Unity. These dynamic elements created a consistent and immersive experience, ensuring that the symbolism of unity remained at the forefront throughout the event. The presence of the flags within the conference environment underscored the need for regional cooperation in healthcare and provided a tangible representation of the discussions taking place, making Connected for Change an enduring and memorable concept.

THE OUTCOME

The Flags of Unity theme "Connected for Change" strengthened Amref’s reputation as a leading voice in African healthcare collaboration, reinforcing trust and credibility among key stakeholders, including governments and NGOs. Over 7,000 people participated from all over the world – 60 countries and 42 organisations participated in 50+ collaborative sessions and 5 plenary sessions. We also attracted 50+ journalists resulting in 150+ articles, reaching 18.1M people. Our overall reach was approx 64 million and achieved 11.5k engagements on social media & 2.6k posts.