The proceedings of the National Annual Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases (NACNDC) and 19th Joint Annual Scientific Health (JASH) Conference 2025

The inaugural National Annual Communicable and Non-Communicable Disease Conference (NACNDC) and the 19th Joint Annual Scientific Health (JASH) Conference convened from 3-7 November 20225, with the theme “Unified Action Against Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases.” Organised jointly by the Uganda Ministry of Health, Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), and Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS), the conference brought together more than 500 delegates, including researchers, policymakers, health practitioners, civil society, development partners, and private sector actors. Over the week-long event, participants engaged in a rich program of keynote lectures, scientific sessions, workshops, and networking forums, all designed to foster integrated, people-centred approaches to Uganda’s dual disease burden.
A key focus of the conference was on building health system resilience, improving diagnostics, and strengthening epidemic preparedness. The scientific tracks addressed a wide range of priority areas: integrated diagnostics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), digital health and innovation, community engagement, policy and financing, One Health, and care, treatment, and rehabilitation. In her opening remarks on 5th November, Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero emphasised the need for renewed commitment to prevention, innovation and partnership, warning that challenges remain – such as low uptake of new vaccines, regional inequities in access to care, and growing rates of obesity that heighten non-communicable disease risks. She called for cross-sector collaboration, arguing that disease control must go beyond health and involve sectors like education, transport, sanitation, and local government.
Pre-conference activities kicked off on 3rd November, with a notable symposium on mental health in schools and universities under the theme “Breaking the Silence.” At this session, Dr. Racheal Nuwagaba delivered a keynote urging a break from siloed approaches, calling instead for mental health services to be fully integrated into primary healthcare and for evidence-led policy grounded in Uganda’s youth demographic and social realities. The conference concluded on 7th November with the 23rd Matthew Lukwiya Memorial Lecture and adoption of a Kampala Declaration, signalling a renewed national commitment to aligning research, policy, and community action to tackle both communicable and non-communicable diseases in a unified way.