On behalf of the entire OneWe Reach organization, it is with profound excitement that I welcome you to the 4th Global Conversations & Connections (GCC) Summit in Accra, Ghana. Following the success of our previous international convenings, we are honored to bring this movement to the African continent—a region that is not just an emerging market, but an essential partner in the global “Bio-Revolution.”
As a physician-scientist who has dedicated my career to pharmacoequity and inclusive research, I believe this summit marks a critical turning point. We are moving beyond the era of one-way global health assistance and into a new age of mutual partnership and co-creation.
To ensure we ground our dialogue in local reality, we have curated a comprehensive experience that extends beyond the conference room:
The Full Experience
• Pre-Summit Insight Visits (April 14–15): We will spend two days on the ground visiting centers of excellence that are defining the future of African healthcare:
» April 14 (AM): A visit to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana’s premier national referral center, Africa’s thirdlargest hospital, and the primary teaching facility for the University of Ghana Medical School.
» April 14 (PM): A tour of the Ernest Chemists manufacturing site in Accra to witness local production capabilities.
» April 15: A trip to Kumasi to visit the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine located at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
• The 4th GCC Summit (April 16–17): Two days of high-impact sessions held in Accra, including “The Investment Imperative,” “Regulatory Harmonization,” and “Sovereign Innovation”.
• Optional Cultural Immersion (April 18–19): Following the summit, join us for two days of exploration to experience the rich history and spirit of Ghana.
WELCOME toAccra
Themed From Exclusion to Essential: Co-Creating the Future of Global Health with Africa, our Summit is designed to move from theory into industrial reality. Highlights include:
• Sovereign Innovation & Leadership: Hear from the African Medicines Agency on regulatory harmonization and join CEOs of Africa’s leading biotech firms.
• The Genomic & Clinical Frontier: Explore why Africa’s genetic variation—greater than the rest of the world combined—is a “goldmine” for identifying novel therapeutic targets.
• High-Complexity Manufacturing: Learn about the strategic roadmap for scaling biologic manufacturing through partnerships utilizing Industry 4.0 digitization.
• Interactive Workshop: Participate in “AI Made Simple,” a hands-on session designed to provide you with a personalized toolkit for immediate productivity ROI.
Accra—a city vibrant with entrepreneurial spirit—serves as the perfect backdrop for these discussions. As a bridge between Africa and the global community, Ghana represents our collective responsibility to co-create solutions that are informed by local realities and strengthened by global expertise.
I am confident that your presence will make this GCC Summit an inspiring and productive experience. We eagerly anticipate a stimulating and memorable convening and thank you for being a part of this pivotal moment for OneWe Reach and the global healthcare community.
Warm Regards,
CHARLOTTE JONES-BURTON, MD, MS Founder and President, OneWe Reach
DAY ONE
MORNING SESSIONS
BREAKFAST
WELCOME
OFFICIAL OPENING
FROM AID TO CO-CREATION: THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL HEALTH
The era of one-way global health assistance is evolving into a new age of mutual partnership. This opening session sets the stage for the GCC Summit by exploring how leveraging African leadership, innovation, and expertise is not just a strategic choice, but a scientific necessity. The next generation of medical breakthroughs must be built upon a foundation of shared power and collaborative discovery.
PLENARY SESSION
THE INVESTMENT IMPERATIVE: ARCHITECTING A BANKABLE RESEARCH ECONOMY IN AFRICA
While Africa’s scientific potential is undisputed, achieving true health sovereignty requires a transition from grant-based models to a strategic “Research Economy” fueled by foreign direct investment (FDI) and public-private partnerships. This plenary session is designed to deconstruct the “Foreign Investment” perspective. By bringing together the institutional leadership of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and the operational heads of Africa’s leading biotech firms, this session explores how to unlock the capital necessary for the next generation of African-led innovation.
PODIUM TALK
BEYOND INCLUSION: AFRICAN GENOMES IN RESEARCH AS A SCIENTIFIC AND COMMERCIAL IMPERATIVE
For decades, the global “genomic gap” has relegated African populations to the sidelines of drug discovery, resulting in therapies that are often untested and unoptimized for the continent’s profound genetic diversity. This talk will illustrate how the immense genetic variation within Africa—greater than that of the rest of the world combined—is not just a variable to be managed, but a goldmine for identifying novel therapeutic targets. African-led genomic research de-risks global drug development, accelerates innovation, and creates a bankable ecosystem for the future of global life sciences.
MARKET IMPERATIVE, REGULATORY MOMENTUM, AND AFRICAN LEADERSHIP
AFTERNOON SESSIONS
LUNCH
PANEL DISCUSSION SPONSORED BY NOVO NORDISK FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION: CATALYZING INNOVATION AND INVESTMENT IN GLOBAL HEMOGLOBINOPATHY CARE
The global sickle cell disease (SCD) landscape is at a critical inflection point. While scientific breakthroughs are accelerating, the “unmet need” for millions in Sub-Saharan Africa remains tied to systemic gaps in early diagnosis, sustainable treatment access, and long-term disease management. This panel discussion will explore how to transition from fragmented philanthropic aid to sustainable, integrated healthcare models.
PANEL DISCUSSION
SCIENTIFIC NECESSITY: OPTIMIZING DRUG DEVELOPMENT FOR AFRICAN POPULATIONS WORLDWIDE
Achieving true pharmacoequity requires that we move beyond mere enrollment targets to ensure that safety and efficacy data are grounded in the genetics and epigenetics of diverse populations. By exploring the unique requirements of adult and pediatric development, our panel will discuss how integrating robust pharmacovigilance with inclusive research is the only way to ensure therapies are safe and optimized for African people worldwide.
PANEL DISCUSSION SPONSORED BY SANOFI ARCHITECTS OF EQUITY: REIMAGINING
THE CLINICAL TRIAL LANDSCAPE IN AFRICA
This session convenes a distinguished group of global health leaders to address the structural barriers and transformative opportunities within African clinical research. As the continent moves toward self-reliance in healthcare innovation, our panelists will explore how to design inclusive research models that prioritize local leadership, ethical participation, and sustainable infrastructure. By “reimagining” the landscape, this discussion moves beyond traditional charitable models to highlight the “architects” building a future where Africa is a central hub for global health equity and medical breakthroughs.
FIRESIDE CHAT
THE NEW INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: SCALING HIGH-COMPLEXITY BIOPHARMA
MANUFACTURING
IN AFRICA
African pharmaceutical manufacturing is evolving beyond basic fill-and-finish toward high-complexity bioproduction. This shift is headlined by MiKO Pharma’s landmark partnership with Siemens, which utilizes Industry 4.0 digitization to establish a sophisticated, self-sufficient “Bio-Economy.” In this executive fireside chat, MiKO Pharma’s CEO will discuss the strategic roadmap for scaling biologic manufacturing in Africa.
DAY 1 CLOSING
MORNING SESSIONS
BREAKFAST
KEYNOTE AND FIRESIDE CHAT
REGULATORY HARMONIZATION—THE AMA IMPERATIVE
Dr. Delease Mimi Darko will deliver an address on the strategic priorities of the African Medicines Agency and the momentum toward continental regulatory harmonization.
PLENARY SESSION
BRIDGING WORLDS: DIGITAL HEALTH AS
A CATALYST FOR INNOVATION
This plenary session explores the critical intersection of technology, equity, and pharmaceutical evolution. As digital health moves beyond the “pilot phase,” this session examines how integrated data ecosystems can close the health equity gap, particularly for women of color leading global health transformation, while navigating the unique regulatory and infrastructural landscapes of both Western and African markets.
FIRESIDE CHAT
THE ESSENTIAL PARTNER: WHY AFRICA IS THE FUTURE OF INNOVATION
The next frontier of medical breakthroughs won’t be found by looking in the same old places. In this forward-thinking fireside chat, Dr. Charlotte Jones-Burton joins a renowned healthcare futurist to explore why Africa is the “essential partner” for the global Bio-Revolution. They will move beyond outdated aid narratives to discuss how African data, leadership, and infrastructure are becoming the primary engines for the next generation of precision medicine. Join us to discover how cocreation is replacing exclusion to build a more resilient—and equitable—global health ecosystem.
PANEL DISCUSSION
THE CRM+O NEXUS: BRIDGING CARDIORENAL, METABOLIC, AND ONCOLOGIC CARE FOR HEALTH EQUITY
The intersection of Cardiovascular disease, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and Metabolic disorders—the Cardiorenal Metabolic (CRM) syndrome—presents one of the most significant challenges to global health. However, the paradigm is shifting. Emerging clinical evidence and the rise of “CardioOncology” demonstrate that cancer and its treatments are deeply intertwined with these metabolic and renal pathways.
This session brings together four distinguished leaders from clinical medicine, academia, and industry to dismantle the silos between these disciplines. In this peer-to-peer dialogue, the panel will explore an integrated model of care that moves beyond reactive treatment toward a proactive, holistic approach to patient health.
DAY TWO
AI, CARDIORENAL METABOLIC, AND FUTURE OF HEALTH AND SUSTAINABLE IMPACT
CEO ROUNDTABLE SOVEREIGN INNOVATION: THE CEO MANDATE FOR AFRICAN CO-CREATION
The paradigm of global health is shifting from charitable aid to industrial co-creation. In this roundtable discussion, the CEOs of Africa’s leading biotech firms discuss the realities of building a bankable, sovereign life sciences economy. Moving beyond “access” to “architecting,” these leaders explore why African-led innovation is no longer optional, but a prerequisite for the next generation of global medical breakthroughs. By moving from dependency to collaborative partnership, this panel defines the new mandate for global health equity.
AFTERNOON SESSIONS
LUNCH
INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP AI MADE SIMPLE: BOOST YOUR PRODUCTIVITY TODAY
Stop the AI overwhelm and start seeing results. This hands-on session strips away the jargon to focus on what actually matters: getting your time back. In this interactive workshop, we’ll move beyond the “magic” of AI and dive into practical, high-impact workflows you can use the moment you leave the summit. Whether you’re looking to automate tedious tasks, brainstorm better content, or organize your workday, you’ll walk away with a personalized AI toolkit designed for immediate ROI
CLOSING SESSION
Ghana Experiences
PRE-SUMMIT / (APRIL 14-15)
HEALTHCARE/BIOTECH SITE VISITS
Tuesday, April 14th
Korle Bu & Ernest Chemists Tours
Explore Ghana’s healthcare ecosystem through visits to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Ernest Chemists (locations subject to change).
Participants will gain insight into public health research, large-scale hospital operations, private sector clinical innovation, and pharmaceutical access in Ghana. This tour highlights how clinical care, research, and industry intersect to advance health outcomes across the region.
PRICING INFO | $249 USD
Transportation is included from the host hotel. Meals are not included. All fees are non-refundable.
Wednesday, April 15th
Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) Visit
Visit the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR), a global leader in tropical medicine and infectious disease research. Participants will explore its role in global health security and tour BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratory facilities.
PRICING INFO | $149 USD + ESTIMATED FLIGHT COST OF $250 USD
This is a same-day round-trip experience from Accra. The ticket includes ground transportation to and from the airport from the host hotel. Meals are not included. Group flight details will be shared separately. All fees are non-refundable.
POST SUMMIT / (APRIL 18-19)
CULTURAL IMMERSION: ACCRA & CAPE COAST
Saturday, April 18th
Accra City Tour - A Journey Through History and Culture
Embark on a comprehensive city tour of Accra for a fascinating glimpse into Ghana’s rich history, vibrant culture, and modern life. Your dedicated driver will ensure seamless transportation between the various sites.
Potential highlights of the tour include:
• W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture: Visit this important cultural landmark honoring the life and PanAfrican legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois. Explore the museum, library, and his final resting place.
• National Museum of Ghana: Discover Ghana’s cultural heritage through exhibits featuring traditional artifacts, historical relics, archaeological finds, and contemporary art.
• Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park: Explore the mausoleum and museum dedicated to Ghana’s first President and a key leader in the Pan-African movement, set within beautifully landscaped gardens.
• Makola Market: Experience the lively atmosphere of one of Accra’s largest traditional markets, offering an authentic glimpse into local commerce and daily life.
• Accra Arts Centre: Conclude your tour at this vibrant cultural hub, where you can browse handmade crafts and participate in an interactive Ghanaian drumming experience.
PRICING INFO | $200 USD
Includes Transportation & Lunch
Sunday, April 19th
Cape Coast Excursion - Echoes of the Slave Trade
This day trip to Cape Coast explores a historically significant region approximately three hours from Accra, focusing on the history and impact of the transatlantic slave trade.
Key sites include:
• Assin Manso Slave Market & River Site: Visit this pivotal inland site where enslaved Africans were held before being sent to the coast. See the Slave River, where captives took their final bath before the journey to the castles.
• Cape Coast Castle: Explore this UNESCO World Heritage site, including the dungeons, and learn about the brutal realities of the slave trade through a guided tour.
• Elmina Castle: Visit the oldest European structure in subSaharan Africa and a major slave trading post. Witness the Door of No Return and reflect on the lasting legacy of the trade.
