Introducing CSIDNet’s 2026 Regional Co-hosts and How to Get Involved

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The Climate Sensitive Infectious Disease Network (CSIDNet) connects a global community working at the intersection of climate, infectious diseases, and open-source software tools. The Network supports contributors, practitioners, and researchers who are addressing climate-sensitive disease challenges on the ground. CSIDNet convenes regularly at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and regional co-hosted convening events to share knowledge, strengthen relationships, and grow the cross-disciplinary collaborations needed for a sustainable and impactful network. CSIDNet is pleased to announce organizations to co-host regional convenings in 2026 and open the expression of interest submissions.

CSIDNet Regional Convenings Overview

Last year, CSIDNet convened the network at a single annual gathering. In 2026, we are piloting a different approach: five member-led regional convenings, hosted in parts of the world most affected by CSIDs. The shift is intentional; we think regional convenings can allow for locally grounded priorities, stronger trust-building within regions, and broader participation. 

We also hope they will create a pathway for regional insights to feed back into the global network at the 2026 Annual General Meeting which will be held virtually.

This is a pilot and we expect to learn as we go, together with our co-hosts and member participants. The 2026 co-hosts were selected through an open call and a committee review process. Thank you to our Event Committee members who stewarded the process: Abdulmumuni Samuel Aliyu, Sabrina López, Charlotte Njua Mbuh, Mbithe Nzomo, Tamalee Roberts, Yusuf Suleiman, Haidee Valverde and Feven Wudneh. Big thanks also to the members of the Finance Committee who reviewed the budget proposals: Nichar Gregory, Christa Robijn-van Ried, Wirichada Pan-ngum, Nandudu Getrude, Haingotiana Rakoto Ramambason and Mukiibi Ivan. You can read the original call here.

Announcing the 2026 Regional Convenings

When we put out the call for co-hosts, we deliberately left the definition of “region” open. We recognize that geographies emerge from historical and political contexts and do not always map neatly onto nation-states or common boundaries. Co-hosts were invited to organize around whatever axes of shared experience made sense to them, whether regional boundaries, linguistic communities, ecological corridors, or something else. The five convenings that resulted reflect how our co-hosts understand the regions they work in, not a taxonomy imposed from outside. They are also not an attempt at comprehensive global coverage: we followed interest and capacity, and some parts of the world where CSIDNet has members are not represented this year. Future convenings may center very different locations. If your region is not included in 2026, we hope you will engage through the Annual General Meeting to be held virtually in November, and consider putting forward a co-hosting proposal in a future cycle.

These are intentionally small gatherings (typically 30 to 50 participants) designed to enable substantive exchange rather than large-scale convening. The focus is depth over breadth.

South and Southeast Asia

CSIDNet has two co-hosted convenings in this broad region, reflecting the diversity of contexts and research communities across South and Southeast Asia. Each has a distinct geographic center of gravity; we encourage prospective participants to choose the one where they have the deepest existing ties or the strongest interest in building community over time.

Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU)

July 22 – 24, 2026
Tropical Disease Research Center – Mahidol University, Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Climate Sensitive Infectious Disease (CSID) Network for Southeast Asia and the Pacific: The First Regional Gathering
The Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) is a tropical medicine research partnership between Mahidol University and the University of Oxford. SPARKLE is a program supported by the Australian Government that aims to strengthen regional capacity in infectious diseases modelling, health economics and epidemiology through training and education in collaboration with collaborators and researchers from the Asia-Pacific region. Together, MORU, SPARKLE, and CSIDNet will host a convening oriented toward modellers, researchers and practitioners based in or working across Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific, with a focus on strengthening regional collaboration and advanced training on climate-sensitive infectious disease modelling. The working language of the convening will be English.

Eligibility: 
– Applicants with background in climate change-related research will be given higher priority in the selection process
– Working language fluency in English

icddr,b (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh)

September 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Regional Convening on Climate-Sensitive Infectious Diseases in South and Southeast Asia: Evidence, Challenges, Policy Priorities and Collaboration
icddr,b is an international public health research institution based in Bangladesh with deep roots in South Asia’s climate-health landscape. The icddr,b convening is primarily oriented toward researchers, policymakers and practitioners working across South Asia and the Bay of Bengal region, including those with interests extending into Southeast Asia, with a focus on cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange on climate-sensitive infectious disease. The working language of the convening will be English. The thematic areas for scientific presentations (oral and posters), and panel discussions are:

1. Climate change and vector-borne diseases – Plenary Session
2. Climate change and antimicrobial resistance – Plenary Session
3. Climate change, disease surveillance, early warning systems, and pandemic preparedness – Plenary Session
4. Governance, Policy, Financing & Regional Collaboration – Roundtable Discussion

Eligibility:
– Applicants with background in climate change and infectious diseases will be given higher priority in the selection process
– Working language fluency in English

East Africa

Africa Bioethics Network (ABN)

August 27 – 28, 2026
Nairobi, Kenya

The Africa Bioethics Network (ABN) is a pan-African platform working at the intersection of research ethics, data governance, and health systems strengthening, with a network across over 40 African countries.

The East Africa convening will bring together researchers, public health practitioners, policymakers, laboratory and surveillance actors, and data scientists to engage with climate-sensitive infectious disease tools, data systems, and governance challenges. Through tool demonstrations, practitioner exchange, and structured dialogue, the convening will explore how CSID tools can be responsibly adapted within regional contexts.

The convening will support the development of an East Africa Regional Priorities Statement on CSID data governance. The working language of the convening will be English.

Eligibility: 
– Working language fluency in English

Latin America and the Caribbean

Universidad de los Andes

September 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
Bogotá, Colombia

Universidad de los Andes, one of Latin America’s leading research universities, will host CSIDNet’s first co-hosted convening in the region. This in-person event will convene a diverse group of participants to exchange experiences, examine key challenges, and co-create solutions around data integration, tool development, and evidence-informed decision-making. The convening seeks to strengthen regional collaboration, foster sustainable partnerships, and enhance responses to climate-sensitive diseases across Latin America and the Caribbean. The working language of the convening will be Spanish. All sessions and discussions will be conducted in Spanish, with openness to presentations in Portuguese.

Eligibility criteria:
– Co-design processes with user communities and/or decision-makers
– Working language fluency in Spanish
– Research experience combined with engagement in policy design, implementation, or advisory processes at the intersection of climate and infectious diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean.
– Active involvement in an initiative, research project, or program of work related to climate and infectious diseases, with experience in at least one of the following areas:
– Data integration and analysis
– Development and/or implementation of software tools
– Use of evidence to inform decision-making

Francophone Africa

Pan-African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA) and Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC)

October 27-29, 2026
Yaoundé, Cameroon

The Pan-African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA, Cameroon) and Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC) are public health bodies working across Francophone and Central Africa. This convening will be held in French (with language support for English speakers) and will connect CSIDNet’s work with existing regional efforts on climate and vector-borne diseases.

Eligibility:
– Working language fluency in French

Not based in one of these regions, or not able to attend in-person this year?

There are still ways to engage. The 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held virtually and is open to all CSIDNet members. Our AGM is designed in part to bring together insights from across the regional convenings and connect them to the broader network. Details will be shared in the coming months

Get Involved

We are inviting expressions of interest from people who would like to participate in one of the 2026 regional convenings. These events are open to current CSIDNet members and to researchers, practitioners, and others with a strong connection to climate-sensitive infectious disease in each region. Geographic location is one signal of that connection, but so is long-standing research, professional, or community ties to the region. We welcome participants who are invested in building the regional community of practice, wherever they are based.

If you are interested in attending, please complete the expression of interest form by the deadline below. If you require funding support in order to participate, please apply here to the Inclusive Participation Fund by the stated deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Note for Thailand-event applicants:If you require a visa to enter Thailand, please be aware that the timeline between notification and the event may not allow sufficient time for visa processing. Contact [email protected] if this applies to you.

Applicants will be notified within 4 weeks of their event’s deadline.

Support the 2026 convenings

The 2026 CSIDNet regional convenings are made possible through in-kind contributions from our co-hosts and Wellcome Trust, the programme funder. Additional sponsorship enables broader participation, deeper shared learning, and stronger regional infrastructure.

Support can be directed to the full 2026 convening portfolio or to a specific regional event. Sponsors are publicly recognized in event materials and the post-convening synthesis.

We are inviting sponsorship across four tiers:

• Event Supporter – USD 2,500 (or in-kind equivalent). Supports core event costs: venue, catering, logistics, AV, connectivity.
• Participation Supporter – USD 15,000. Supports travel and accommodation for researchers and practitioners who would otherwise be unable to attend. Recognition includes a “participation made possible by [Sponsor]” credit in event materials.
• Lead Local Partner – USD 25,000. For one anchor sponsor per convening, typically a regional foundation, financial institution, or technology company committed to the long-term health and climate resilience of their region. Includes co-branded recognition across event marketing, an opening welcome remarks slot, a named networking session, and right of first refusal for the same event in 2027.
• Learning & Exchange Supporter – USD 30,000+. Supports the documentation, synthesis, and cross-regional sharing that helps each convening’s insights compound across the broader CSIDNet network. Recognition includes acknowledgement on all learning outputs and a named contribution credit in the cross-convening summary.

In-kind contributions are also welcome – venue, catering, printing, connectivity, design, production. In-kind support is acknowledged at the equivalent recognition tier based on fair-market value.

CSIDNet works with sponsors who share a commitment to equity, responsible innovation, and collaboration at the intersection of climate and health. Sponsorship supports participation and shared learning, not promotional influence. Sponsors do not receive editorial control over content, mailing list access, or speaker placement at scientific sessions. For sponsorship conversations: Dr. Angela Okune, Head of Strategy, angela @ csidnet.org

Looking ahead

We are grateful to our five co-hosting organizations for leading this work with us. This pilot is a step toward a more distributed, locally led model for how CSIDNet convenes and learns as a network. We will continue to share updates as details for each convening are confirmed.