East African Mental Health Summit Program 2026

Day One

8:00 | Arrival and Registration of Delegates

Anthems (Uganda & East Africa)

08:00 | Arrival and Registration of Delegates

09:00 – 09:15 | Anthems (East African Community & Uganda)

09:15 – 09:30 | Voice of Lived Experience | Ms. Barbara Joyce Abang (author, blogger, mental health advocate)

10:00 – 10:15 | Welcome Remarks | Ms. Milly Katana, Board Chairperson, StrongMinds Uganda

10:15 – 10:30 | Remarks | Dr. Charles Oyoo, Commissioner NCDs, M.o.H. Uganda Or Prof. Olaro Charles-, Director General Health Services

10:30 – 10:45 | Opening Remarks |Dr. Kasonde Mwinga, WHO Country Representative, Uganda

10:45 – 11:00 | Remarks | Hon. Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, Minister of Health, Uganda

11:00 – 11:15 | Remarks | Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, Minister of East African Affairs, Uganda

11:15 – 11:45 | Guest Speaker Address: Shaping the Future of East Africa. Mental health and well-being as the foundation of human capital and regional progress | [Speaker TBC]

11:45 – 12:00 | Mental Health Break | East African Dance Medley performed by the Ndere Troupe

12:00 – 12:30 | Keynote Address: Making Mental Health a Development Priority in the East African Region: Delivering on the Commitments for EAC Vision 2050 and AU Agenda 2063 | Prof. Vincent Sezibera, Director, Centre for Mental Health, University of Kigali, Rwanda

12:30 – 14:00 | Session 1: State of Mental Health in the East African Region. Each panelist shares an update on the mental health burden in their country, its key determinants, and progress on the WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030 | Session Chair: [Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, TBC]

• Uganda – Dr. Hafsa Lukwata, Assistant Commissioner Mental Health and Substance Use, MoH Uganda
• Kenya – Dr. Mercy Karanja, Head of Mental Health Division, Ministry of Health Kenya
• Tanzania – Dr. Erasmus Mndeme, National Coordinator and Head for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, MoH Tanzania
• Burundi – Dr. Leopold Ndikuriyo, Head of the Mental Health and Epilepsy Unit, Burundi
• Rwanda – Dr. Darius Gishoma, Mental Health Division Manager, Rwanda Biomedical Centre
• South Sudan – Ms. Regina Ossa Lullo, Director General Social Welfare, South Sudan
• Somalia – Dr. Zeynab Ahmed Noor, Head of the Mental Health and Substance Use Section, Federal Ministry of Health and Human Services, Somalia
• DRC – Dr. Gedeon Samba Nkanda, MD, MPH, MPA, Director General Health Services, DRC

13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch Break and Networking

14:00 – 15:30 | Session 2: MHPSS in Public Health Emergencies, Refugee Response, and Climate Change: Rights-centric, trauma-sensitive care in humanitarian settings | Session Chair: Dr. Atek Kagirita, Director and Deputy Incident Commander, Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), Uganda

• The place of mental health in the regional NCDs response – Dr. Jones Kaponda Masiye, Manager, Non-Communicable Diseases, Mental Health, Food Security and Nutrition, East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC)
• How public health research is helping the region plan, prepare, and respond during emergencies – Dr. Innocent Yusuf, Senior Public Health Researcher, Africa Academy for Public Health (AAPH), Tanzania
• Policy safeguards for mental health in conflict-affected communities: South Sudan’s experience – Mr. Nhial Abraham, Deputy Director for Social Welfare, Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, South Sudan
• Risks of poorly coordinated MHPSS in emergency response: lessons from the DRC – Dr. Kpanda Mbongosi Marie Louise, Focal Point, Technical Working Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, DRC
• Mental health integration in the refugee context amid declining donor support – Mr. Peter Okwi, Executive Director, TPO Uganda
• Climate and health: adaptation strategies for climate-induced mental health issues – Dr. Herbert Nabaasa, Commissioner of Environmental Health, MoH Uganda

14:00 – 15:30 | Session 3: Task Sharing as a Lever for Scaling Mental Health Services at Community Level: Community models, task sharing, and lived experience | Session Chair: Dr. Richard Kabanda, Commissioner for Health Promotion, Education and Strategic Communication, MoH Uganda

• Task sharing in community-based mental health services: what has worked and what has not – Ms. Stella Waruinge, Head of the Mental Health and Substance Use Program, Nairobi County Health Services, Kenya
• Task sharing in community-based mental health services: what has worked and what has not – Dr. Allan Katamba, District Health Officer, Buikwe District, Uganda
• Experiences and lessons from providing community-based care in Uganda – Ms. Nayiga Esther Faith, Community Health Extension Worker, Luweero District, Uganda
• Experiences and lessons from providing community-based care in Kenya – Ms. Ria Juma Kumbe, Community Health Promoter, Kenya
• Experiences and lessons from providing community-based care in Rwanda – Mr. Philbert Kalisa, Founder and Director, REACH Rwanda
• The role of peers and people with lived experience in community-based care – Peer Support Worker, You Belong Uganda [name TBC]

15:40 – 17:00 | Session 4: Mental Health as a Private Sector Priority: How the private sector can help close the mental health gap and bring mental health into its CSR and ESG agenda | Session Chair: Mr. Patrick Onyango Mangeni, Chief Executive Officer, REPSSI

• How media brands can reduce stigma and promote help-seeking – Mr. Kin Kariisa, Group Chief Executive Officer, Next Media Uganda
• The private sector’s role in closing the mental health gap, and mental health in the ESG agenda – Mr. Paul Mwirigi, Managing Director, Capital One Group, and Chairman, Board of Directors, StrongMinds Kenya
• The role of the insurance sector in addressing the mental health burden – Insurance Company of East Africa (ICEA) [speaker TBC]
• The role of the banking sector in fast-tracking mental health – Equity Group Holdings [speaker TBC]
• Balancing staff mental wellness with performance goals – Mr. Paul Rumanda Rugambwa, Chairman, Human Resources Managers’ Association of Uganda

17:00 | Closure of Day One