2025 Conference: Making Connections to Cure HBP Cancer Across Africa

More than 300 clinicians, researchers and health advocates convened in August 2025 for the 4th Africa HepatoPancreatoBiliary (HPB) Cancer Consortium (AHPBCC) Annual Conference. For five days, Johannesburg, South Africa, became a hub of multidisciplinary collaboration as specialists from 29 countries came together to advance cancer care, education, and research. They all had one shared goal: to address Africa’s disproportionate burden of liver, biliary tract, and pancreatic cancers through research, training and clinical innovation.

“Many of us are making progress on our own, but when we band together, we achieve more than we ever could individually,” says Lewis Roberts, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., President of the Africa Institute For Liver and Digestive Diseases (AILDD), which organizes the conference. 

This annual conference is a key part of the consortium’s strategy to keep this invaluable collaboration and research alive. They accomplish this by building research networks, training the next generation of African healthcare professionals, strengthening research capacity, and creating mentorships and partnerships that turn shared vision into sustainable progress.

A launchpad for early-career professionals

Dr. Mohamed El-Kassas
Dr. Mohamed El-Kassas
Conference attendees
Conference attendees
Conference attendees
Conference attendees
Conference attendees
Conference attendees

For early-career conference attendees, the conference offered opportunities to make connections to advance both their research and their careers. 

“Meeting in person with collaborators I had previously only engaged with virtually strengthened our relationships and created space for deeper scientific exchanges,” said Yvonne Nartey, M.B.Ch.B., M.Sc., M.Phil., a physician scientist at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in Ghana.

The conference featured hands-on workshops, plenary sessions and discussions led by international experts, as well as learning and networking opportunities designed with early-career professionals in mind. The goal was to help them expand their networks and spark fresh ideas for them to integrate into their own practice and research. 

Dr. Nartey presented her team’s work on a Hepatitis C awareness and treatment campaign. She found it encouraging to hear how their work had inspired other colleagues to replicate it in their own communities and countries to advance viral hepatitis elimination and reduce the burden of HPB cancers.  

Just as important is the wealth of opportunities she’s carrying home. These include opportunities to collaborate on research, mentorship connections, and new partnerships with experts in bioinformatics in cancer and genomics. These relationships will position her to contribute more effectively to collective efforts to advance clinical research in Africa and reduce liver cancer incidence and mortality. 

Impact across borders

Dr. Lewis Roberts (second from left) and conference attendees Dr. Emmanuel Nweke, Tayla Brooks, and Dr. John Devar
Cultural performance
Group photo of attendees

AHPBCC 2025 highlighted something vital: the power of African leadership and cross-sector collaboration. For Wendy Spearman, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., Ph.D., F.C.P., F.R.C.P., Head of the Division of Hepatology at the University of Cape Town and a founding member of the consortium, this focus on African leadership and collaboration makes AHPBCC unique. 

“Its strength lies in harnessing the expertise of African clinician scientists and advocacy groups, highlighting the capacity we already have on the continent,” she explained. 

The way the conference is structured, with one single track, ensures that epidemiologists, clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates have the chance to learn directly from one another. It’s a rare forum for discussing successes and challenges in managing HPB cancers in Africa. 

Dr. Spearman also emphasized that the meeting provides fertile ground for collaboration for investigators at all levels. Looking forward, she sees enormous promise in opportunities to engage in basic and translational science in genomics, metabolomics, and proteomics at regional labs in Africa to further the understanding of HPB cancers and develop targeted therapies.

Making sustainable progress

As the conference drew to a close, the message was clear: Sustainable progress in HPB cancer care could only be achieved through a shared effort and long-term commitment. 

Every year, Dr. Roberts comes away from the conference inspired by the young investigators in Africa who are eager to learn and make a difference. What they need most are resources to sustain their work. This is the focus of AILDD’s fundraising. 

How to support this work

  • For researchers, the invitation is open: Share your knowledge and research at the 2026 conference (details will be announced soon on the consortium’s website) and join a network that is advancing vital work on HPB cancers in Africa. 
  • For institution collaborators, there are opportunities aplenty. We invite you to co-develop workshops, help us strengthen our training programs, and shape the next generation of health care professionals trained to succeed in this important work.
  • For donors and sponsors: The impact of your investment is tangible and unmistakable. You can help fund travel grants for early-career investigators, provide seed funding for research with the potential to grow, and fuel capacity building needed to transform cancer care and research across Africa.

To learn more, please contact AILDD, visit the AILDD website, and please contribute using our online donation link.

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Dr. Mitchell Mah’moud, MD, DTh, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD

Founder and Treasurer, Board of Directors, AILDD
Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University School of Medicine

Mitchell Mah’moud is a Professor of Medicine and a faculty member in the Division of Gastroenterology at Duke University School of Medicine. From 1997 to 2000, he served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and held the positions of Director of Clinical Hepatology and Associate Program Director of the GI Fellowship in the Division of Digestive Diseases at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Prior to that, he was a Clinical Instructor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and an Attending Gastroenterologist at the West Haven VA Medical Center, a teaching affiliate of Yale.

He is a recognized thought leader in the management and translational research of liver diseases, with additional expertise in pancreatic pathobiology. For more than two decades, he has been actively involved in mentoring and training the next generation of physicians around the world. His passion lies in disseminating cutting-edge medical knowledge and technology to the developing world through education and mentorship.

As one of the four founding members of the AILDD and chair of its training committee, he oversees the education of GI fellows and practicing physicians at the CELDH, AILDD’s flagship medical facility. In addition, as a member of the executive team, he plays a key role in strategic decision-making to ensure the institute’s overarching goals are met.

Erika de la Garza

Executive Director

Erika de la Garza serves as Executive Director of the Africa Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases (AILDD) Foundation, where she leads the organization’s efforts to expand access to liver and digestive healthcare, training, and research across Africa. With a background in international policy and nonprofit leadership, Erika brings decades of experience building partnerships that drive impact and sustainability.

She is also a Senior Advisor at Rice University’s Baker Institute Center for the U.S. and Mexico and previously served as Program Director of the Institute’s Latin America Initiative. During her 20-year tenure, she developed and led research programs, organized high-level policy dialogues, and built lasting partnerships across the Americas on issues ranging from democratic governance to regional economic integration. Erika holds master’s degrees from Columbia University in International Affairs and the University of Costa Rica in Foreign Service and Diplomacy.

Her leadership at AILDD reflects her deep commitment to global health equity and to advancing solutions that improve lives in underserved communities.

Amoah Yeboah-Korang, MD, MPH

University of Cincinnati

Lionel A. Kankeu Fonkoua, M.D.

Mayo Clinic

Dr. Lionel A. Kankeu Fonkoua is an Assistant Professor of Oncology and Senior Associate Consultant within the Department of Medical Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He specializes in the treatment of Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Cancers, with a research focus on the development of novel combinatorial immunotherapeutic strategies. In addition to his clinical and research activities, Dr. Kankeu Fonkoua is also committed to improving equitable access to care for ALL cancer patients, including the underserved and at-risk populations. In his role as Advisory Board Member of the Africa Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases (AILDD) Foundation, he provides strategic advice, guidance, and support to the Board of Directors and staff.

Jecinta Scott, PhD. CCRP

Exact Sciences Corporation, Blaine, MN

Dr. Jecinta Scott is Associate Director Medical Science Liaison at Novartis specializing in Radioligand and radiopharmaceutical cancer therapy. With 17 years of experience in clinical and translational research focused on hematology and oncology, she supports healthcare providers with clinical and scientific information. Dr. Scott holds a PhD in Health Sciences focused on cancer risk factors and a master’s degree in Biology Medical Sciences. As a member of AILDD’s board, Dr. Scott brings both passion and strategic insight to the committees she serves on and leads, helping drive meaningful progress in the organization’s mission.

Akwi W. Asombang, MD, MPH

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Dr. Akwi W. Asombang is an interventional gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Director of Global Health Programs in Gastroenterology at Harvard Medical School. She completed advanced endoscopy training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and fellowships in gastroenterology and global health at Washington University in St. Louis. She holds an MPH from Saint Louis University and an MD from Kasturba Medical College in India.

Dr. Asombang’s clinical interests include endoscopy (ERCP/EUS), gastrointestinal cancers, medical education, and global health. She is the founder of the Pan-African Organization for Health, Education and Research (POHER) and the African Association of Future Gastroenterologists (AAFG), both of which support mentorship, education, and collaboration across Africa’s medical community.

A passionate advocate for equity in healthcare, Dr. Asombang brings deep expertise and global perspective to AILDD’s mission. She plays a key role in strengthening the organization’s training programs and expanding access to specialized care across the continent.

Bubu Banini, MD, PhD

Yale University, New Haven, CT
Dr. Bubu Banini, MD, PhD, received her undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Biology at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, during which she spent time at Oxford University in the United Kingdom on an Honors Study Abroad program. She then received combined MD and PhD degrees from Sidney Kimmel Medical College / Thomas Jefferson University, and subsequently completed Internship, Residency and Chief Residency in Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital. Thereafter, she completed an NIH-funded Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Subsequently supported by an NIH T32 training grant, Dr. Banini completed Research and Clinical Fellowships in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), followed by Fellowship in Transplant Hepatology at VCU. Dr. Banini is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Digestive Diseases) at the Yale School of Medicine, where she also serves as Translational Research Director of the Metabolic Health and Weight Management Program, and Associate Director of the Clinical and Translational Core of the Yale Liver Center. Her research interests in steatotic liver diseases, liver cancer and population health span the T1 through T4 translational spectrum. Dr. Banini has board certifications in Gastroenterology, Obesity Medicine, and Transplant Hepatology.

Thomas D. Amankonah, MD FACP FAASLD

VA Medical Center, Jackson, MS
Dr. Thomas D. Amankonah is a transplant hepatologist and founding member of AILDD. He completed his medical training in Poland and the U.S., with a hepatology and liver transplant fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Over his career, Dr. Amankonah has played key roles in developing and improving liver transplant programs across several states, including California, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Washington. He was instrumental in establishing the liver transplant program at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle and currently serves as Chief of Hepatology and Director of the GI Endoscopy Lab at the VA Medical Center in Jackson, MS. Known for his compassionate care, leadership, and dedication to liver disease patients, Dr. Amankonah’s research interests include viral hepatitis and liver cancer. He enjoys soccer, photography, and traveling.

Dr. Victor Ankoma-Sey

Founder and Vice President, Board of Directors, AILDD
Director, Liver Transplant Program, Houston Methodist Hospital & Director, Liver Associates of Texas, Houston

Dr. Victor Ankoma-Sey is the Director of the Liver Transplant Program, Houston Methodist Hospital & Director, Liver Associates of Texas in Houston. He is a renowned hepatologist with over three decades of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of complex liver diseases. Dr. Ankoma-Sey has played a leading role in the advancement of liver transplant medicine and has made significant contributions to patient care, education, research, and medical training in hepatology. Throughout his career, he has mentored numerous physicians and has been deeply involved in initiatives aimed at expanding access to liver disease prevention and treatment, particularly in underserved communities.

Dr. Ankoma-Sey is a co-founder of the Africa Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases (AILDD) Foundation and currently serves as Vice President of its Board of Directors. His expertise and passion for improving liver health continue to guide AILDD’s efforts to build sustainable healthcare solutions across Africa.

Dr. Lewis R. Roberts

Founder and President, Board of Directors, AILDD
Peter and Frances Georgeson Professor in Gastroenterology Cancer Research, Mayo Clinic

Dr. Lewis R. Roberts is the Peter and Frances Georgeson Professor in Gastroenterology Cancer Research and a consultant in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. A globally recognized leader in hepatology, Dr. Roberts has dedicated his career to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of liver and digestive diseases, with a special focus on hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and viral hepatitis B. 

As one of the founding members of the Africa Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases (AILDD) Foundation, Dr. Roberts brings decades of clinical and research expertise to advance the organization’s mission. In his role as President of the Board of Directors, he provides strategic guidance and oversight to ensure that AILDD’s programs reflect the highest standards of medical care, research, and capacity building across the African continent.