The 2020 Public Health Association of South Africa’s (PHASA) annual conference marked a special milestone, as PHASA celebrated its 20th Anniversary. PHASA was happy to partner with the University of Pretoria, who were also celebrating their 21st birthday, and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). As PHASA entered a new decade, the conference theme, “Keeping the promise: Closing the gap,” presented an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come in ensuring universal health coverage and the promise of a better and more sustainable future for all.
The 2020 PHASA conference was initially scheduled to be held in September 2020, in Tshwane, but given the status of the South African COVID-19 epidemic and levels of restrictions in the country, the PHASA 2020 Oversight Committee, with the support of the PHASA Board, the University of Pretoria, and the SAMRC, took the decision to postpone the conference. The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of engagement among the public health community and PHASA remain committed to hosting this event. The conference was rescheduled for February 2021, while the organizing committee closely monitored global and national developments around COVID-19, and ultimately took the decision to host the first online PHASA conference, in February 2021.