Background

When the SOPHA Program started in 1985, only one public health association was in existence in Africa. CPHA collaborated with that pioneer association in Tanzania as well as with the Commonwealth Health Secretariat to create new associations in the East, Central and Southern Africa regions. In addition, CPHA, along with the PHA of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), held the first-ever meeting of key public health leaders in Francophone West Africa. There are now at least 16 PHAs throughout Africa.

In the Americas, SOPHA has collaborated with emerging PHAs in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Peru. The program has also worked with PHA partners in Asia, the Middle East, Russia and in Central and Eastern Europe.

In the mid-1990s, in consultation with its partners, SOPHA began to sharpen its geographic focus.  The current program phase (2006-2011) involves eight core PHA partners from: Cameroon, Congo, Haiti, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Niger.

Since 1985, SOPHA has supported PHAs in 30 countries and SOPHA continues its work to build public health capacity around the world. Together with partners and volunteers, the SOPHA Program carries on CPHA’s mission of two decades ago – achieving health for all.