Lusuka to Host Second African Helicobacter Pylori Conference, November 27-28, 2026

The Second African Helicobacter Pylori and Microbiota Conference runs November 27-28, 2026, in Lusuka, Zambia, with keynote speaker Colm O'Morain.

Researchers, clinicians and public health specialists from across the African continent will gather at the Grand Palace Hotel in Lusuka, Zambia, from November 27-28, 2026. They are attending the Second African Helicobacter Pylori and Microbiota Conference to discuss the opportunities and challenges surrounding Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium linked to stomach ulcers and gastric cancer.

The two-day event is organised by the African Helicobacter and Microbiota Study Group, known as AHMSG. A press statement made available to The Guardian and signed by Prof. Mashiko Setshedi, President of AHMSG, confirmed the programme and the names of the main speakers.

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Colm O'Morain, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin and Tallagent University Hospital Ireland, will deliver the keynote address. His talk is titled 'The next 40 years of H.pylori - Opportunities and Challenges', according to the statement from Prof. Mashiko Setshedi.

Prof. Yoshio Yamaoka, a globally renowned physician, microbiologist and research specialist in Helicobacter and gastro cancer pathogens, is also scheduled to speak. Setshedi said Yamaoka will address 'Collaborative Research in Africa: Current Progress and Future Perspective'.

Beyond the keynotes, the conference will include good will messages from Prof. Peter Malfertheiner and a Richen Symposium. Oral presentations and panel discussions will form the core of the scientific sessions.

Awards, Leadership Handover and Board Meeting

The conference will present awards for the best oral presentation. It will also host the AHMSG presidential handover, giving the organisation a formal transition of leadership during the meeting.

The AHMSG Board Members meeting is also part of the agenda. This gathering will allow the board to review the group's work in person with members attending the Lusuka event.

Why AHMSG Was Formed to Tackle Helicobacter Pylori

AHMSG was launched in Lagos, Nigeria, through a series of collective steps aimed at addressing the specific challenges of Helicobacter pylori infections and gastric health across Africa. It was inaugurated by Prof. Babatunde Lawal Salako, Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research.

The body was formed as an international coalition and originally brought together leading medical scholars. Its board members are drawn from Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal and Tanzania.

AHMSG was built because existing international medical guidelines did not account for Africa's distinct socio-economic realities, including limited local funding and poor healthcare access. The group aims to create continent-specific guidelines for diagnosing, preventing and treating H. pylori infections, with the ultimate goal of reducing related conditions such as stomach ulcers and gastric cancer.