The Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) is set to host its 28th Annual Conference at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra from Sunday, August 23 to 27, 2026, bringing together medical regulators and healthcare stakeholders from across Africa and beyond.

Speaking on JoyFM's Super Morning Show on Thursday, August 20, Registrar for the Medical and Dental Council, Dr Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, explained that AMCOA brings together medical regulatory authorities across the continent to strengthen the regulation of doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals.

He said the association’s work focuses on ensuring that healthcare professionals are properly trained, registered and licensed, possess the required competencies, and uphold ethical standards while remaining accountable to patients.

The conference is being held under the theme “Regulation for Safer Communities Towards Universal Health Coverage.”

According to Dr Banyubala, effective healthcare regulation is critical to achieving universal health coverage because access to healthcare alone is not enough.

“People must have access, but also access to basic quality and safe healthcare,” he said, stressing that expanding access without guaranteeing quality and patient safety would have limited value.

He explained that regulators play a critical role in setting educational and professional standards, determining who can enter the healthcare profession, monitoring professional conduct and establishing mechanisms to hold practitioners accountable.

The conference will also focus on the increasing movement of healthcare professionals across African countries and beyond.

A key area of discussion will be the African Healthcare Practitioner Regulatory Policy Outlook, which examines how regulatory systems can respond to the mobility of healthcare workers while protecting patients.

Dr Banyubala said professional mobility is not inherently a problem but must be properly managed to ensure that practitioners who cross borders meet appropriate regulatory requirements.

The issue is particularly relevant to Ghana, where the government has been working on managed migration policies for healthcare professionals in collaboration with relevant institutions.

“Whilst practitioners may cross borders, patient safety must cross with them,” Dr Banyubala stated.

High-level participation

Dr Banyubala disclosed that the conference will attract significant high-level participation, with President John Dramani Mahama expected to perform the opening ceremony on Monday, August 24.

“We are privileged to have His Excellency the President, who has been kind enough to do the opening ceremony for us on the 24th,” he said.

He also announced that the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA) and the World Health Organisation African Region will participate in the conference.

According to Dr Banyubala, their participation is particularly significant because it marks the first time the two institutions will attend an AMCOA conference in this manner.

“Historically, we are having the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities and the WHO Afro-Region also coming to Ghana, and this is the first time that that is happening in any of our AMCOA conferences,” he said.

The conference will also be closed by the Right Honourable Speaker of Parliament on August 27.

Dr Banyubala said the gathering will provide Ghana with an opportunity to showcase its health sector reforms and its contribution to healthcare regulation on the continent.

“We are looking forward to an exciting, very rigorous scientific programme, but also a great opportunity for us to showcase Ghana, our role on the continent, and the leadership that our state is providing in general health sector reforms,” he said.

He said the discussions will cover a broad range of issues, including health sovereignty, innovative approaches to managing health worker migration and ensuring that healthcare professionals receive appropriate training.