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Call For Abstracts

About the Conference

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The Africa Bioethics Network invites submissions to the ABN Annual Conference 2026 — a platform for applied bioethics that bridges multiple sites of ethical practice across research, health systems, public health, technology, environment, and policy.

The conference brings together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and community representatives for ethical dialogue grounded in real-world practice. The conference welcomes engagement across African and global ethical traditions, knowledge systems, and practice contexts.

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Submissions should show how ethical analysis informs concrete decisions, governance processes, or responsibilities across diverse contexts.

 

​Key Dates ​​

Milestone
Date
Call for Abstracts Open

25 May 2026

Abstract Submission Deadline

31 July 2026 (11:59 PM EAT)

Review Period

1–27 August 2026

Acceptance Notifications

5–10 September 2026

Final Programme Published

September 2026

Presenter Registration Deadline

30 September 2026

Early Bird Registration Closes

30 September 2026

Standard Registration Deadline

26 October 2026

Conference

24–25 November 2026

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Conference Pillars

​We welcome submissions across five intersecting pillars:

1. Research Ethics & Governance

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​​​​Research Ethics Committees, consent processes, regulatory frameworks, policy implementation, community engagement in research, data sharing and ownership

2. Health Systems & Clinical Ethics
Resource allocation, quality of care, health equity, end-of-life decision-making, informed consent in clinical settings, traditional medicine and biomedical interface, mental health ethics, pandemic response, community health worker ethics

3. Emerging Technologies & Science

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Genomics, artificial intelligence in healthcare, reproductive technologies, data governance, digital health platforms, telemedicine ethics, biotechnology applications

4. Climate, Environment & Health Ethics

Environmental justice, planetary health, indigenous and local ecological knowledge, health impacts of climate change, one health approaches, extractive industries and community health, water and sanitation ethics

5. Knowledge Production & Epistemic Justice

Publishing, peer review, authorship, research partnerships, open science, knowledge translation, community-based knowledge systems, decolonizing methodologies

Who Should Submit

 

We welcome submissions from researchers and practitioners of all backgrounds. We particularly encourage:

  1. Early-career scholars and practitioners

  2. Researchers and practitioners from underrepresented African regions

  3. Community-based organisations and practitioners

  4. Clinical ethics practitioners and health system actors

  5. Traditional healers and knowledge holders

  6. REC members and research ethics practitioners

  7. Environmental and climate justice advocates

  8. Technology ethics practitioners and developers

  9. Public health officials and programme managers

Submisson Types

 

  • Oral Presentations (15 minutes + 10 minutes discussion) - Original research, case studies, policy analysis, or practice-based reflections demonstrating applied ethics.

  • Interactive Workshops (60–90 minutes) - Skill-building sessions, framework application, or collaborative problem-solving around real ethical challenges.

  • Poster Presentations - Work in progress, innovative approaches, community-based projects. Available for in-person and virtual participants.

  • Story Circles (30 minutes) - Narrative and dialogue-based approaches to ethics education, transmission of ethical knowledge, or narrative-based case presentations.

Selection Creteria

 

All submissions are reviewed by the Conference Scientific Committee. Abstracts are assessed on:

  • Applied ethics focus — how the submission connects ethical analysis to real decisions, policies, practices, or governance processes

  • Contextual grounding — relevance to African and/or global practice contexts

  • Solution orientation — practical tools, frameworks, insights, or implementable approaches

  • Methodological rigour — appropriate to submission type

  • Clarity of communication — accessible to interdisciplinary audiences

  • Engagement with diverse knowledge systems — academic, practitioner, community, and traditional

 

Submissions should go beyond description by making clear their ethical question, analysis, or practical relevance.

Technical submission support: submissions@africabioethicsnetwork.org

 

Content and eligibility questions: conferences@africabioethicsnetwork.org

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