Community Engagement on Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Prevention and Control: Lessons from Gulu University’s Pre-Conference Activities, 2025

Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are escalating public health challenges in Africa requiring concerted multi-sectoral action. In response, Gulu University, in collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Health and health partners, organized an International Scientific Conference on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) under the theme “The NCD Epidemic in Africa: A Call for Action.” Which was anchored on the university’s motto, “For Community Transformation.” A two-day pre-conference community outreach was conducted to provide screening and health education services to the public. Methods This paper documents a descriptive community-based medical outreach conducted as a pre-conference activity preceding the First International Scientific Conference on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Africa. The approach combined community mobilization, integrated NCD screening, health education, and referral services, implemented through a multi-sectoral partnership led by Gulu University. The outreach was designed to operationalize the conference objective of translating scientific discourse into practical community-level NCD prevention, early detection, and linkage to care. Results A total of 676 clients were screened for conditions including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, sickle cell disease, hepatitis B, prostate and cervical cancer, and HIV. Nearly half (49.3%) of participants had results within normal health parameters, while 50.7% had at least one abnormal screening result. This highlights a substantial burden of detectable NCD-related conditions within the community and underscores the importance of community-based screening initiatives. Conclusion The Gulu University NCD pre-conference health outreach demonstrated a feasible, practice-informed model for integrating community-based NCD screening and health education within an academic convening. While similar outreaches are routinely delivered through existing systems such as CHEWs, the initiative was distinctive in linking academic leadership, multidisciplinary clinical teams, policy actors, and community structures in a coordinated manner. Although limited in scale and not transformative at population level, the experience highlights how universities can complement routine community health programs through integrated screening, mentorship, and learning. Strengthening integration with CHEW-led services, referral systems, and multi-sectoral collaboration will be essential for sustaining impact and supporting progress toward UHC and SDG 3