The AS-SBC convened its landmark continental summit to address the unique challenges of behavioral science in Africa. The event brought together practitioners, academics, and policymakers to discuss the “Decolonial Roadmap” for Social and Behavior Change. Sessions focused on moving away from “top-down” Western communication models toward “inside-out” community-driven strategies that prioritize local languages and indigenous knowledge.
The frameworks developed during the summit have been adopted by over 100 organizations, including regional Ministries of Health and international NGOs, who have pledged to integrate these community-centric principles into their strategic planning.
The summit engaged over 1,000 delegates through a hybrid model, ensuring participation from practitioners across the 15+ AS-SBC country chapters and reaching thousands more through digital live-feeds.
The primary outcome was the formalization of a regional identity for SBC practitioners in Africa. It successfully shifted the power dynamic, positioning African experts as the lead architects of their own development programs and establishing a unified “SBC Manifesto” for the continent.