The Sports Wellness Summit – Uniting Sport and Wellness for Africa’s Next Generation

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MENTAL WELLNESS,

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & SPORTS 2026

19-20 November 2026, KCA University, Nairobi, Kenya.

Conversation → Commitment → Investment → Implementation → Impact

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MENTAL WELLNESS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & SPORT 2026

Investing in People, Institutions and Systems to Shape the Future of Physical Activity and Sport Ecosystems

The future of sport is the wellbeing of the people within it. The National Conference on Mental Wellness, Physical Activity & Sport 2026 is a transformative platform bringing together policymakers, athletes, coaches, health and wellness professionals, educators, researchers, sports organisations, development partners, private sector leaders, investors, technology innovators, youth and community champions to shape a healthier, safer, more inclusive and sustainable future for sport and physical activity.

Convened by the Youth Initiative Development Programme (YIDP) in collaboration with ISSUP Kenya Chapter, UNESCO Commission of Kenya and a distinguished consortium of national and international partners, the Summit seeks to move mental wellness, physical activity and sport from separate conversations into one connected ecosystem.

WHY THIS SUMMIT MATTERS

Sport is one of Africa’s most powerful platforms for health, education, youth development, social connection, inclusion, opportunity and community resilience. However, investment in sporting talent and competition must be matched by investment in the people, institutions and systems that support them.

Athletes and young people navigate performance pressure, injuries, career uncertainty, social and digital pressures, substance-use risks, discrimination, safeguarding concerns and other challenges affecting their physical and mental wellbeing. We therefore need to move beyond responding to challenges after they occur. We must build systems that prevent, protect, support and empower. We cannot build resilient athletes without building resilient ecosystems around them.

WHAT WE SEEK TO ACHIEVE

🧠 Advance Mental Wellness

Place mental health and psychosocial wellbeing at the centre of physical activity, sport and athlete development.

🏃 Promote Healthy & Active Lifestyles

Encourage lifelong participation in physical activity and create environments where people can thrive through movement and sport.

🛡️ Champion Safe & Inclusive Sport

Strengthen safeguarding, Safe Sport, protection, gender equality, disability inclusion and prevention of abuse, harassment and discrimination.

🏥 Build Integrated Wellness Systems

Connect mental health with sports medicine, physiotherapy, nutrition, rehabilitation and other athlete and participant support services.

🔬 Advance Evidence & Innovation

Promote research, data, technology, responsible AI and African solutions that can improve physical and mental wellness outcomes.

🏛️ Strengthen Institutions & Human Capacity

Equip coaches, educators, health professionals, sports leaders and organisations with the knowledge and systems required to support participants effectively.

🤝 Build Strategic Partnerships

Connect government, sport, health, education, business, philanthropy, development and community actors around shared solutions.

💰 Mobilise Sustainable Investment

Move from short-term projects towards sustainable investment in people, institutions and systems.

A NATIONAL CONVERSATION WITH A CONTINENTAL VISION

The Summit begins with a national conversation but carries a broader African ambition. As Africa’s sports ecosystem continues to grow, there is an opportunity to ensure that investment in sport creates lasting value beyond competitions and major sporting events.

With Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania preparing to host AFCON 2027, the Summit provides a timely opportunity to consider how sporting momentum can contribute to stronger communities, healthier populations, empowered young people and resilient institutions. This is not simply about the next tournament. It is about the generations that come after it.