Call for Abstracts for the Turkish Scientific Programme (Individual and Session)

The submission deadline for all abstracts for the Turkish Scientific Programme is Sunday, 30 November 2008, Midnight Pacific

Deadline in other time zones: 1:00 am Mountain time, 2:00 am Central time, 3:00 am Eastern time. See World Clock.

Making a Difference in Global Public Health: Education, Research, and Practice

Overview

We live in a world where nations and economies are increasingly interdependent. The world is at a crossroads where discussions about appropriate educational, research and practice infrastructures is key. The 12th Triennial Congress on Public Health will bring together leaders from across the globe to discuss these important issues and to bring together the strengths of developing and developed countries.

The strengthening of the capacity of the public health workforce and system in support of the essential public health functions and the Millennium Development Goals have been central to the work of the World Federation of Public Health Associations and its member organizations. While we know public health education, research, & practice must be tied to national health priorities, there is much to learn from all of our global experiences.

At the 10^th World Congress on Public Health, held in Brighton, England in 2004, there were discussions about the crisis of human resources for health and the implications for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). An outcome of the 10th World Congress was the signing of the Declaration of Joint Work between schools and associations of public health. At the 58th Congress of the Mexican Society of Public Health, later that year, the human resource crisis was again discussed.

At the 11^th Triennial World Congress, the WFPHA adopted a resolution that noted the adverse impact of globalization upon health conditions. The resolution calls for a new social justice model of development that includes the elimination of all social inequalities in access to health care, stronger inter-sectoral links, and the development and strengthening of the public health workforce. Commenting on the simultaneous reversals of improvement in some health indicators with gains in other indicators, Dr. S. M. Asib Nasim, President, WFPHA, recognized the lack of knowledge, competency, and efficiency in public health to resolve this dilemma. He noted that the lack of preparation of public health workers and the disorganization of the public health workforce must be addressed in order to apply advancements in knowledge to the improvement of population health. The WFPHA President Elect, Paulo Buss, in assuming leadership of the Brazil Commission on Social Determinants, points to the need for public policies that promote health equity, acknowledge health as a public good, includes the participation of all segments of the society, and the need to change real living and working conditions that create opportunities for all.

The 12^th Triennial Congress will address the enormous challenges and opportunities for public health organizations worldwide to make a difference.

The World Federation of Public Health Associations and the Turkish Public Health Association invite local, national and international public health leaders, advocates and students to submit abstracts dealing with the major cross-cutting sub-themes: education, research, and practice. These abstracts should demonstrate the link between public health education, research, and practice and improved health outcomes. The abstracts should also showcase innovations, practices, tools and transferable lessons from across the globe that will help us make a decided difference in global public health. We invite you to submit abstracts in the following general topics:

I. Public Health Education for the 21st Century (6 sub-themes)

• Reforming public health education
• Characteristics of high-performing schools of public health
• The role of continuing education in health care development
• Communication skills and devices in public health training
• Training multidisciplinary health workers
• Core public health competencies

• Human rights, health rights and public health ethics
• Global Governance
• Public Health Diplomacy
• Global Health Alliances for Health Development
• Health & Geopolitics
• The growing importance of public health genetics
• Characteristics of high-performing public health associations
• The impact of changing demography on public health
• Lessons learned from community-based public health research
• Financing Global Public Health
• Strengthening Global Public Health Systems
• Public Health and Research: Evidence Based Policy on Health
• Building capacity for applied research
• Social determinants of health and disease
• Health effects of global environmental changes
• International Health Regulations and Global Cooperation
• Public health impact of armed conflicts and political unrest
• Disaster Preparedness
• Facing the brain drain: Responses for the health worker migration

• Poverty, Health and Development: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals
• Progress on prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis
• Innovative approaches on emerging diseases
• Revisiting primary health care in the 21st century
• Successful partnerships between academia and practice
• Improving performance and productivity of the health team
• Building a civil society to support healthy communities
• Environmental and Occupational Health
• Veterinary public health & food safety
• Public health approach to pharmaceuticals and medical supplies
• The role of the private sector: Corporate Social Responsibility
• Tourist’s health & health tourism
• The global threat of chronic diseases
• Community mental health
• Gender discrimination and violence against women
• Health threats of rapid urbanization
• Health problems of migrants, refugees and minorities
• Child labour: Economic and health effects
• Mass media in public health
• Controlling the tobacco epidemic
• Health Promotion as a strategy for intersectoral action

Requirements for Abstracts for the Turkish Scientific Programme (Individual and Session)

Any submitter who wishes to present during the Turkish Scientific Programme for the World Congress may submit a proposal for an individual or session abstract (see Session Abstract Requirements below).

• Submissions may be in English or Turkish.
• All submissions will need to follow the "General Submission Guidelines" and the "Session Abstract Requirements" (see below).
• Please see below for an example of a model abstract.

*To make a submission to the Turkish Scientific Programme (individual or session), please scroll to the bottom of the page.

*Please note that all individual and session abstracts submitted between October 17, 2008 and November 30, 2008 will be reviewed by the local Turkish Scientific Committee for the local portion of the WFPHA programme. All submissions received prior to the deadline of October 17, 2008 are currently under review.

General Submission Guidelines

• Abstracts must contain no more than 300 words. No images, charts, or tables are allowed.
• All submissions must adhere to specified formats described under Abstract Requirements.
• For each presenter, please provide: name, degrees, affiliation, mailing address, email address, phone number, professional experience, and conflict of interest disclosure. These items are not included in the 300 word limit.
• For all other authors you are only required to provide name, affiliation, professional experience and email address.
• You are strongly encouraged to compose the abstract text in your own word processor before submitting it online. Be sure to check spelling, word count, and conformance with the guidelines given below.
• The Scientific Committee will provide assistance with developing an abstract upon request.

Once you have submitted the title of your presentation, you will automatically receive an email that includes a password-protected hyperlink. If you must interrupt the submission process before finishing it, you can resume at any time by clicking on the hyperlink in that email. For help in submitting an abstract online, e-mail technical support.

Session Abstract Requirements

To view a model of an abstract, please click here.

Selection Criteria

• Topic
  • The topic is consistent with the 2009 Congress theme/subthemes and is compelling.
  • The topic has current relevance and presents new information, a new application, or a fresh perspective on existing knowledge.
• Textual Features of the Abstract:
  • The abstract is well organized, concise, and clearly written?
  • The abstract has clear, worthy and measurable objectives.
• Research Design:
  • The abstract illustrates the author's (authors') working knowledge of education, research and/or practice.
  • The abstract is well-grounded in science and practice.
  • The author provides sufficient information about any supporting data/philosophy/framework.
• Results:
  • The abstract provides evidence that the information presented supports and improves the science of public health education, research, and/or practice.
• Impact
  • The presentation illustrates the potential to improve knowledge and provides innovative, state-of-the-art, and/or state-of-the-science information.
  • The author(s) indicate(s) the potential value/contributions of the presentation to science/society

Abstract Review

• Each abstract is reviewed by at least 2 reviewers. If there is a large discrepancy between the two reviews, a third reviewer will be enlisted.
• Abstracts are scored on a scale of 1 to 5 with a maximum possible score of 50.
• Decision on whether an abstract will be selected rests with the Scientific Committee and is based on the average score and the recommendations of reviewers.

If you have already begun a submission -- and you wish to resume, edit, or withdraw that submission -- you can do so online up until the submission deadline. You can view your abstract even after the deadline. If you can find the confirming email mentioned above (from wfpha@confex.com) then you will have found a direct link to your submission. If you remember the abstract ID# and password, enter those codes below.

For more information on the Congress, including registration, hotel, and other logistics, please visit