The Annual Academic Sessions bring together community physicians, researchers, policymakers, practitioners and students to present and discuss research, best practices and innovations in community medicine — across epidemiology, disease prevention, health promotion, environmental and occupational health, health systems and the social determinants of health.
Latest: Public Health Summit & 31st Annual Academic Sessions 2026
Theme: Shaping Wellbeing Across the Life Course. Held on 23–24 July 2026 within the combined programme of 21–24 July marking the centenary of community health service in Sri Lanka, with a pre-congress workshop on Rapid Needs Assessment in Emergencies on 20 July. The abstracts were published in a special issue.
Themes by year
| Year | Theme | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Shaping Wellbeing Across the Life Course | 23–24 July 2026 (combined programme 21–24 July) |
| 2025 | Delivering High-Quality Care in Resource-Limited Settings | 13–16 July 2025 |
| 2024 | Public Health Through Fostering Collaboration and Building Resilience | 8–10 August 2024 |
| 2023 | Weathering the Economic Crisis through Health System Efficiency | 10–12 August 2023 |
| 2022 | Public Health for Resilience | 25–27 August 2022 |
| 2021 | Improving Human Capital through an Integrated Approach to Primary Health Care | 15–17 July 2021; pre-congress 14 July |
| 2020 | Universal Health Coverage for Safe and Nutritious Food: Everyone’s Business | 16–18 September 2020; pre-congress from 11 September |
| 2019 | Smart Investment for Universal Health Coverage | 19–21 September 2019; pre-congress 16–18 September |
| 2018 | Healthy Environment: A Healthy Investment for a Healthier Nation | 23rd Annual Academic Sessions |
| 2017 | Strengthening the Health System for Improving Quality of Care and Patient Safety | 1–2 September 2017 (22nd Annual Academic Sessions) |
| 2016 | Beyond Survival: Investing in Quality Childhood | 30 August – 3 September 2016 |
| 2015 | Public Health for Sustainable Development | 17–19 September 2015 |
| 2014 | Visibility & Voice in Public Health | 18–20 September 2014 |
The Presidents’ messages for the Sessions of 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024 are with each President’s entry under Presidential Inductions, Addresses & Messages.
