Global Health Leaders Gather in Nairobi as Historic ISSAD 2026 Conference Kicks Off
By James Nyaigoti, Global scientists, vaccine developers and public health leaders gathered in Nairobi yesterday as the 2026 International Symposium on Streptococcus agalactiae Disease (ISSAD) officially opened, marking the first time the premier global conference on Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is being held in East Africa. The three-day conference, running from February 23–25 at the Hyatt Regency Nairobi Westlands, has brought together experts from more than 40 countries to deliberate on urgent priorities in GBS research, vaccine development and public health policy including discussions around the anticipated rollout of a global maternal GBS vaccine. Convened under the International Symposium on Streptococcus agalactiae Disease (ISSAD), the meeting is taking place at a critical moment in the global fight against GBS, a leading cause of neonatal sepsis, meningitis and infant mortality worldwide. A Persistent Global Health Threat GBS remains a major public health concern, p...