On 4 February 2026, Save the Mothers East Africa, in partnership with Uganda Christian University (UCU), successfully hosted a Pre-Conference Writing Webinar at the UCU E-Learning Centre. The webinar marked a key milestone in preparations for the Save the Mothers Annual Maternal & Child Health Conference 2026.

We sincerely thank all participants for the rich engagement and thoughtful discussions. One message resonated strongly throughout the session: every change project matters — regardless of scale, sector, or setting.

The webinar was chaired by Prof. Robert Basaza and featured insightful keynote presentations by Prof. Pius Okong and Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito. The speakers explored what defines a meaningful change project and how to craft abstracts that compellingly tell the story of interventions improving the lives of mothers and newborns across diverse contexts and disciplines.

Prof. Pius Okong, Senior Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and Founding Member Save the Mothers, encouraged participants to reflect on their individual and institutional work and document it systematically. He emphasized that projects may appear ordinary, yet contribute in extraordinary ways to improving maternal and newborn health — reaffirming that no change project is too small to make an impact.

Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, Director of Partnerships, Research and Innovations at Uganda Christian University, guided participants on presenting their work in a scientific and structured manner that can be shared widely to drive change and reduce maternal mortality. She also highlighted that presenting at conferences such as Save the Mothers can open doors to partnerships, collaboration, and resource mobilization.

Adding to the conversation, Dr. Mushin Nsubuga, Executive Director of Save the Mothers East Africa, underscored that both small and large change projects contribute to the broader goal of saving the lives of mothers and babies.

The webinar attracted over 100 participants from Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Canada, and beyond — reflecting the growing regional and global commitment to advancing safe motherhood.

Following the webinar, Save the Mothers officially launched the Call for Abstracts for the 2026 Annual Maternal & Child Health Conference, themed:

“Every Change Project Matters: Multidisciplinary Collaborations to Reach Every Woman and Every Newborn, Everywhere.”

The conference will take place on 24 April 2026 at Uganda Christian University, starting at 9:00 AM.