Between 22 and 24 February 2026, the International Symposium on ‘Streptococcus agalactiae’ Disease (ISSAD) took place in Nairobi, Kenya.
Under the theme From Evidence to Action – Accelerating GBS Prevention in a Changing World, ISSAD 2026 brought together 300 delegates from 37 countries to share cutting-edge research, discuss recent advances, shape prevention strategies, and chart paths forward to drive global impact in GBS prevention and maternal-newborn health.
Interactive breakout sessions, poster presentations, and Young ISSAD flash talks fostered collaboration across disciplines and supported emerging researchers in the field. The conference also placed strong emphasis on advocacy and lived experience, with parent voices and community perspectives integrated throughout the program.
For LINQ management GmbH, ISSAD 2026 was an important moment across several strands of our work in maternal and newborn health:
- We supported the ISSAD Scientific Advisory Committee and contributed to the coordination of the conference organisation, helping to create a space for exchange, collaboration and strategic discussion at a critical time for GBS prevention.
- We represented IMPRINT, the Immunising Pregnant Women and Infants Network, at the conference, affirming LINQ’s long-standing support for this initiative. IMPRINT was one of the main sponsors of the conference, underlining its commitment to advancing maternal and neonatal immunisation research globally.
- The PROTECT project, which LINQ is supporting with communications-related work, not only held an in-person meeting alongside the conference but was well represented throughout the programme. PROTECT partners presented on pregnancy registry development, GBS disease surveillance, vaccine confidence and maternal vaccine trial participation.
We are particularly proud of our consortium member Khamisi Musanje from the Makerere University Johns Hopkins University (MU-JHU) Research Collaboration, whose work was honoured with this year’s Young Investigators Award. He was presented the award for his insightful talk on men’s understanding of maternal vaccination, which aligned strongly with the conference’s focus on community perspectives.
Khamisi Musanje (fourth from the right) with colleagues.
ISSAD 2026 reinforced the urgency of accelerating equitable GBS prevention and strengthened the global network committed to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.
Across ISSAD, PROTECT and IMPRINT, the Nairobi meeting demonstrated the importance of connecting scientific excellence with practical implementation. What is needed is not only robust data, but also strong health systems, meaningful community engagement, and equitable access to future vaccines.
All of this is central to LINQ’s work: helping research partnerships move from evidence to action.
More information about ISSAD 2026 and previous conference editions is available here.