Presidential dialogue on high-threat pathogens

On 25 September 2026, a presidential dialogue took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to discuss high-threat pathogens. The event aimed to explore cross-border collaboration, AI-assisted preparedness intelligence, and financing strategies for Africa's regions.

The dialogue was scheduled from 13:30 to 15:00 EDT, lasting 90 minutes in the Delegates Dining Room. It was intended to help countries anticipate threats, forecast impacts, and direct investments before a local event escalates into a regional emergency.

Three main topics were addressed in 90 minutes: political trust, responsible AI, and the financial resources required for upstream investment. Leaders sought to establish agreements that enable fast sharing of preparedness information across borders, transform border communities into the first line of regional preparedness, and prevent national surveillance from being the last point of defense.

The conversation also focused on innovation, with discussions on where AI delivers value, the combination of epidemiological, climate, mobility, genomic, and animal-health data responsibly, and how Africa can avoid dependence on externally controlled algorithms.

Lastly, the dialogue explored partnerships for financing intelligence before emergencies. Development banks, donors, philanthropy, and the private sector were encouraged to move investment upstream, creating a federated, trusted ecosystem. This ecosystem would allow countries to maintain control over their data while generating the collective intelligence necessary for regional security.