CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Venue: Kabale University, Uganda
Date: 7th and 8th November 2024
Conference Format: Blended (online and physical)

Theme: Unlocking the potential of Science across Africa to mitigate the impact of climate change and create regenerative solutions for holistic wellbeing

Diseases of this century are either zoonotic or lifestyle driven, arising within a natural ecosystem as the product of yet poorly understood interactions between its parts. In addition, poor political and social governance practices, and centuries-old ethnic and commercial rivalries have led to human-induced climate change. This, together with environmental degradation, destabilization of ecosystems, and a mix of ignorance and devaluation of scientific evidence and traditional knowledge are endangering human life and the lives of flora and fauna across the ecosystem. Climate change, described as the current increased rise in global average temperature, is primarily caused by fossil fuel use, deforestation, and some agricultural and industrial practices that increase greenhouse gases. It threatens people with food and water scarcity, increased flooding, extreme heat, more disease, and economic loss. Human migration and conflict will also become an unavoidable fact over the next 30 years. Many of these impacts are already felt. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called climate change the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century.

The KAB/SASA Conference, therefore, comes at a critical time for stocktaking and navigating the way forward. It will bring together researchers, academics, students, policymakers and private sectors to appraise potentials and shortfalls that climate change has imposed on African countries. Through collaboration with KAB and other institutions, SASA will continue to lead the way in addressing disparities in the world of science and push the frontiers of science forward. There have always been great opportunities emerging from SASA Conferences to highlight groundbreaking innovations in science and research. These scientific endeavors could offer effective ways of thinking to mitigate some of the pressing socio-economic developmental challenges. Further, this Conference is a great platform to learn from some of the best practices, creative thinkers, and researchers for solutions to Covid-19 pandemic and post-pandemic challenges that may arise. The goal is to unlock the potential of science in Africa to mitigate the effects of climate and promote holistic wellbeing.

Objectives:
1. To develop a blueprint for participation aimed at mitigating climate change in Africa.
2. To explore the challenges and opportunities facing the development and implementation of policies aimed at promoting holistic welling.
3. To explore strategies that promote equitable, responsive, and sustainable health care actions in Africa.
4. To explore the contributions of public/private sector in building synergies for promoting sustainable health care system, responsible climate practices for holistic wellbeing in Africa.
5. To promote cutting edge research, innovation and technology for addressing social, health, and diverse challenges in Africa.

Subthemes:
The Conference accepts abstracts from multidisciplinary fields including natural, physical and applied sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, etc., tailored to the following sub-themes:
a) Mitigating climate change: Climate solutions towards holistic wellbeing in Africa.
b) Controlling communicable and non-communicable diseases.
c) Promoting policy development, implementation and/or adaptations.
d) Promoting communal and corporate agriculture for food security.
e) Building community resilience to respond to challenges in African society.
f) Promoting sustainable utilization and conservation of biodiversity in Africa.
g) Fostering public-private partnership for societal transformation.
h) Nurturing research and innovation to address challenges of African society.
i) Promoting Indigenous knowledge and practices and their contributions to the science of sustainable development.

Abstract’s requirements:
Abstracts are invited from practitioners, policy makers, scholars/academics, professionals, researchers, graduate students, etc. with novel ideas that aligns to one or more of the above subthemes.
The particulars of the abstracts are:
Submission date: Commences on June 14th 2024 and closes on August 31st, 2024.
Format: .doc or docx, 12-font.
Structure: Abstract should be constructed in single paragraph addressing the following elements:
a) Purpose/aim/problem statement or research question: To be clearly stated and linked to the conference theme.
b) Methodology: Explanation of research approach and method(s) used to guide the research, including relationship with research participants (if an empirical study).
c) Results/findings: Must be clearly and succinctly presented in relationship to the stated problem, purpose, or research question(s).
d) Discussion/implications: To be anchored to the major findings/results and arguments appearing in relevant literature.
e) Conclusion/recommendations.
f) Key words: Three key words.
Abstract length: No more than 300 words (without references, tables and figures).
Abstract submission: Authors are encouraged to submit their abstracts to: info@sasascience.org

Publication of the Conference Proceedings: full papers shall be invited from authors of selected abstracts for publication in Cambridge Scholars Publisher. For preparation of full text manuscripts, a writing style and citation guides will be provided.