On 22 August 2025, AFHEG Foundation, Weyagale, Street Lights Uganda and Kwa Imani Community, working with the Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship and the Commonwealth Leadership Institute, co-hosted the Young Leaders for Arts and Health Kampala Summit at the MCI Media Hub in Kabalagala.
Bringing health, creativity and youth leadership into one room
The summit brought together more than 150 young leaders, artists, media practitioners, health advocates and policy actors from 26 partner organisations. It followed a pre-summit dialogue at the American Center Kampala, where 30 young leaders helped shape the policy-focused conversations that followed.
The programme explored how art and creative practice can support public-health communication. Sessions covered mental health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, misinformation, community theatre, virtual reality, serious games and practical routes for young people to participate in health advocacy and policy conversations.
Learning through creative practice
Alongside panel discussions, participants engaged with exhibitions, performance, visual art, interactive learning and technology demonstrations. The purpose was not to use art as decoration around health messages, but to test how creative formats can help people understand difficult subjects, discuss sensitive issues and remember what they have learned.
Media and public reach
AFHEG programme records documented participation from 10 journalists and 20 arts-and-health influencers, extending the discussion beyond the physical venue. The event also generated independent media coverage examining the use of creative practice for health literacy in Uganda.
What came next
The Kampala Summit gave AFHEG and its partners a practical base for continued arts-and-health work, including stronger youth participation, creative health communication and future collaboration across organisations working in public health, arts, media and technology.