Overview

We live in a world where health disparities exist between and within nations. Reducing these disparities is imperative as it is widely recognized that in the "global village", threats to some can easily translate into threats to all. In order to minimize these disparities in global health, identifying the different threats and the opportunities to combat them, is vital.

In its declaration at the 12th World Congress on Public Health, held in Istanbul, Turkey in 2009, the WFPHA adopted a resolution that re-emphasized "Health as a Human Right". The declaration noted, Now is the time for all those who affect the lives of others, working in government, industry, and in civil society, and as health care workers, academics, community and faith-based leaders, and citizens, to affirm the fundamental and elemental importance of public goods, including public health, and to assert and practice the basic human values of solidarity, sustainability, morality, justice, equity, fairness and tolerance?

The 13^th Triennial World Congress on Public Health, to be hosted by Ethiopia and held from April 23-27, 2012 in Addis Ababa, will bring together leaders in health from across the globe to discuss these important issues on African soil. The Congress will harness the synergy and strengths of innovation and experience from the developing and developed worlds. It will address the enormous challenges and opportunities facing public health organizations worldwide in making progress towards collectively attaining global health equity.

The World Federation of Public Health Associations and the Ethiopian Public Health Association invite local, national and international public health leaders, service providers, advocates, trainers and students to submit abstracts dealing with major issues related to opportunities and threats in realizing global health equity. These abstracts should demonstrate the role that public health could play in addressing emerging issues and current problems that contribute to global health inequity. Abstracts should also showcase innovations, tools, transferrable knowledge, and technology. Highlighting these lessons learned from across the globe, will help us make collective decisions and recommendations to the global health community, thereby, moving us forward towards sustainable global health equity.

We invite you to submit abstracts in the following general topics:

Achieving Millennium Development Goals: Vital for Global Health Equity
Armed Conflict and Health Impacts (including Mental Health)
Climate Change and the Impact on Strategies for Global Health
Forums for Public Health In Africa
Global Health, State of the World Economy, Rapid Urbanization and Health System
Health Equity – A Global Social Responsibility
Health Insurance, Social Health Insurance, Micro Insurance; Implications for Public Health
Health Systems Development – Integrating Public Health
HIV/AIDS – Own, Scale-up and Sustain
Household Food Security and Public Health
Human Resources in Public Health; Towards Workforce Strategies
Maternal and Child Health – Achieving MDGs & Sustaining Them
Non-communicable Diseases – Innovative Approaches for Health Promotion
Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness: Lessons learned and challenges ahead
Primary Health Care – A Feasible Road Toward the MDGs
Public Health Laws and Regulations
Resetting Financial Aid for Global Health
Sexual Health and Public Health
Strengthening Capacity Building for Public Health- Public Health Education and Workforce Needs
Strengthening Public Health Organizations for Global Health
The Health of Indigenous and Ethnic Minorities (including Traditional Medicine)
The Public Health Response to Migration

General Submission Guidelines

Abstracts must contain no more than 300 words. The number of words should be noted at the bottom of the abstract. 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, e-mail address, phone number, 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, and e-mail 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 guideline given below.

The Scientific Committee will provide assistance with developing an abstract upon request.

Abstract Requirements

There are three types of sessions: oral presentations, posters and session abstracts. Selected abstracts may be either accepted for oral presentation or for presentation in poster form during a designated poster session. The timing of poster sessions will be confirmed when the program is finalized. Authors are required to be available for discussion of their work during the designated poster session. Further instructions for presentations accepted as posters will be given with notification of acceptance.

Once you have submitted the title of your presentation you will automatically receive an e-mail 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 e-mail. For help in submitting an abstract online, e-mail technical support.

A session abstract refers to a proposal submitted by a convener including several presentations with a related scientific theme. Session abstracts are different from abstracts submitted by an individual. They should summarize the session (not more than 600 words) and indicate the names, affiliations and topics of the session organizer and the presenters. The convener of a session abstract determines his/her group of presenters. If you have a pre-determined group of presenters that wish to present on the same topic (for example, pharmaceutical care in Malaysia), you will need to enter all information for the presenters involved. One submitter can submit a session abstract on behalf of his/her group. Please email: vina.hulamm@apha.org for a special link to submit your information. The deadline for session abstract proposals is December 16, 2011.

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

Selection Criteria

Topic:

The topic is consistent with the 2012 Congress theme/sub-themes.

The topic has current and compelling 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 subject matter has clear, worthy and measurable objectives in improving public health.

Research Design:

The abstract illustrates the author?s (authors?) working knowledge of education, research and/or 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 abstract 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 subject matter to science/society.

Abstract Review

Each abstract is reviewed by at least two reviewers. If there is a large discrepancy between the two reviews, a third reviewer will be enlisted.

Abstracts are scored on a scale of one to five with a maximum possible score of five.

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.

Meeting Information

For more information on the Congress, including registration, hotel, and other logistics, please visit http://www.etpha.org/2012/

For questions, please contact Laetitia Bourquin at: Laetitia.Bourquin@unige.ch