The Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) hosts an annual conference, with the aim of engaging public health practitioners from around the country, region and world to share their experiences and research, discuss topical public health issues, and mentor public health students and young researchers. Public health practitioners, programmes, and systems work to create more effective and sustainable solutions to public health challenges, based on the best available evidence and focusing on equity, social justice, and community engagement. Recent experiences, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted the need for a fundamental shift in how research evidence is generated and translated into public health policies and practice. This calls for new and innovative approaches to bridge the gap between research and action, and highlights the importance of partnerships between researchers, policymakers, and communities.