World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion will gather the world’s safety leaders in South Africa to turn evidence into action
Researchers and safety experts from more than 80 countries and 481 organisations will converge at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 1–4 September 2026 for the 16th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion (Safety 2026). Under the theme “Ubuntu: United for a Safer Future,” the conference will unite policymakers, researchers, practitioners, civil society, communities and people with lived experience to share evidence, debate strategies, and shape a Global Declaration and the Safety 2026 National Consensus Plan. The free Global Village will also give members of the public a unique opportunity to engage directly with the conference delegates and help shape the future of the national and global safety response.
Hosted by the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD), co-hosted by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), the conference returns to Africa for the first time in two decades and marks 30 years since World Health Assembly Resolution (WHA 49.25) recognised violence as a leading worldwide public health problem.
Adopted in 1996, WHA 49.25 was the first technical resolution championed by a democratic South Africa on its return to the international community. Three decades later, injuries and violence still cause more than 4.4 million deaths globally each year, with low- and middle-income countries carrying a profoundly unequal share of the burden.
“Injuries and violence are neither random nor inevitable,” said Prof Richard Matzopoulos, Director of the SAMRC’s Burden of Disease Research Unit and Co-Chair of the National Organising Committee. “They are shaped by inequality, gender, alcohol-related harm, unsafe environments and failures in the systems that should prevent harm. The evidence already tells us much about what works. The challenge now is to connect that evidence to policy, implementation and accountability across every sector that influences safety”.
According to Stats SA most South Africans, safety after dark cannot be taken for granted. Approximately two-thirds do not feel safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods at night, while the MRC points out that homicide rates are seven times the global average and road traffic injuries remain among the country’s leading causes of death.
The Safety 2026 programme has been built on the recognition that violence and injury cannot be prevented by the health sector alone or through siloed programmes. Effective prevention requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response linking health with justice and policing, transport, education, social development, human settlements, urban planning and local government, while drawing on the knowledge and leadership of researchers, civil society, communities, young people and people with lived experience.
“Safety 2026 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to move the field from fragmented initiatives towards collective action,” said Prof Mathews, Chair of the International Scientific Committee. “We have created more than a scientific programme. We have established a platform through which evidence, lived experience and political responsibility can come together to prevent avoidable harm”.
The scientific programme is organised around four major plenaries examining the structural determinants of safety; the systems that sustain violence and injury; creating safety through systems design; and translating evidence into collective accountability. Plenary contributors include Dr Etienne Krug, Prof Ntobeko Ntusi, Prof Rachel Jewkes, Prof Lorena Barberia, Dr Andrés Villaveces and Dr Mathew Varghese. Across five parallel tracks, state-of-the-art sessions, panels and research presentations, delegates will explore gender-based violence, violence against children, firearm violence, road and pedestrian safety, drowning, burns, mental health and trauma, urban design, climate and disaster resilience, and the opportunities and risks associated with technology, data and emerging digital harms. The programme deliberately connects global scientific expertise with African leadership, emerging researchers, policymakers, practitioners, communities and people with lived experience, ensuring that evidence is tested against the realities of those most affected by violence and injury.
Two interconnected outcomes that will be finalised at the conference will anchor the conference’s policy and implementation legacy:
The Ubuntu Cape Town Declaration for a Safer World will set out shared global principles for preventing violence and injury. It will affirm safety as a human right and collective responsibility, requiring governments and society to address the structural causes of harm and translate evidence into equitable, coordinated action.
The Safety 2026 National Consensus Plan will translate these principles into practical priorities for South Africa. Developed through the National Action Group and its thematic working groups, it is intended to strengthen coordination, clarify priority actions and create a foundation for sustained implementation and real-time accountability.
“South Africa has seen through the HIV response what becomes possible when government, business scientists, civil society, communities, implementing partners and people living with HIV unite around a shared societal challenge. Safety 2026 seeks to bring that same urgency and collective purpose to violence and injury prevention”. said Dr Gloria Maimela, CEO of FPD.
Alongside its scientific programme, Safety 2026 will feature the Global Village—a participatory space connecting the conference’s scientific discussions with communities and the public. Open to the public free of charge and without conference registration, it will operate from 09:30 to 16:30 on 2–3 September and from 09:30 to 14:00 on 4 September. Through its Ubuntu Stage, Community Market and thematic Networking Zones, visitors will be able to engage with experts, share their experiences and contribute to the final Declaration and Consensus Plan. Journalists will also be able to attend and arrange interviews with participating experts and community representatives.
The pre-conference programme will offer eight practical workshops addressing some of the field’s most urgent implementation challenges. Participants will strengthen their skills in injury surveillance, burden measurement, research design and policy translation, while examining evidence-based approaches to preventing violence against children, drowning, road traffic injuries and maritime harm. Across the workshops, particular emphasis will be placed on equity, LMIC research leadership and translating evidence into scalable policies and programmes. While two affiliated events will include a Global NCAP Forum on vehicle safety in Africa and a seminar on South Africa’s epidemic of firearm violence.
The intended legacy extends beyond the four conference days. It includes plans for strengthening the capacity to monitor and facilitate the realization of the Consensus Plan in South Africa and beyond thorough a planned Southern African Injury and Violence Prevention Think Tank, building momentum towards a South African Violence and Injury Prevention Conference in 2028 not only to improve evidenced based decision making but also as an accountability mechanisms to track commitments and implementation.
The conference theme, “Ubuntu: United for a Safer Future,” recognises that safer societies are built collectively and that preventing injury and violence is a shared responsibility. But safety is ultimately not experienced in resolutions, policies or conference halls. It is experienced in the places where people live and work: in their homes and neighbourhoods, on the roads they travel, in schools and workplaces, and in the public spaces they share. The true measure of Safety 2026 will therefore be whether its evidence, commitments and collective resolve translate into safer everyday lives—leaving fewer people exposed to preventable harm and no community behind.
Find out more and participate:
- View the full conference programme
- Register as a delegate
- Apply for media accreditation
- View the free access Global Village overview
- View the Global Vilage Programme
- Visit the Safety 2026 website
Media enquiries
Tendani Tsedu
SAMRC Corporate and Marketing Communications
Email: tendani.tsedu@mrc.ac.za
Cell: 082 945 1980
About the Foundation for Professional Development
FPD is the host organisation responsible for Safety 2026. It brings nearly three decades of experience in public health, education, health systems strengthening and the convening of national and international conferences. FPD organised the landmark XIII International AIDS Conference in Durban in 2000 and has supported major conference platforms addressing HIV, tuberculosis, mental health and other pressing public health priorities. Website: www.foundation.co.za
About the South African Medical Research Council
The SAMRC co-hosts Safety 2026 in partnership with FPD. Its contribution reflects its commitment to advancing evidence-based strategies to prevent injury and violence, shaping the scientific programme and fostering collaboration across disciplines to promote safer and healthier communities in South Africa, across Africa and globally. Website: www.samrc.ac.za
About the World Health Organization’s role
WHO is the originator of the World Conference series together with its network of Collaborating Centres and is the co-sponsor of Safety 2026. WHO provides technical support and contributes to the conference’s strategic direction and scientific credibility through the International Organising Committee and the wider network of WHO Collaborating Centres for violence and injury prevention.