ABOUT THE 2023 CONFERENCE

 

Following on from the success of CDIC 2022, we will once again combine the decades of history behind the National Immunisation Conference (NIC) and the Communicable Diseases Conference (CDC) into the new annual meeting, the Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference (CDIC).  This gathering in June 2023 (CDIC 2023) will help illustrate how crucial the science of communicable diseases and immunisation is to the successful functioning of the world, and how quickly scientific and societal developments in the field change.

 

​In 2023 the Conference theme will be “Adapting to a new landscape for infectious disease prevention and control”.

 

​COVID-19 has dominated our professional (and in many cases private) lives over the past three years. This conference provides an opportunity to learn as much as we can from that experience and set an ambitious path to the future in preventing, preparing for and managing infectious and vaccine preventable diseases into the future.  While COVID-19 and emerging infectious diseases remain an ever-present threat, the conference will also address the shifting epidemiology of endemic infections, new developments in vaccines and immunisation approaches and opportunities to identify and mitigate the drivers and determinants of disease.  What are the new systems, programs, capacity, approaches or thinking we need to develop communities that are resilient to future threats?

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The Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference 2023 will focus on how we can enhance communicable disease control and better prevent disease through immunisation in Australia and our region. Particular attention will be paid to social and cultural determinants of health, community engagement, and implementation issues specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and marginalised groups.

 

Aiming for a broad-based multidisciplinary approach, the conference will attract professionals engaged in social sciences, infectious disease epidemiology, microbiology and disease prevention and control from laboratory bench, to clinic, from academia to the public policy setting. It will showcase cutting-edge science on infectious disease biology, testing, surveillance, data systems, public policy and planning, communications, and health literacy. Focus diseases and pathogens will include respiratory, foodborne, sexually transmitted, zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases. Innovation in vaccine development and implementation will remain critical and central to discussions, particularly for marginalised and under serviced communities.  

 

The Conference will continue to have high quality international and Australian experts presenting various aspects of this rapidly moving and exciting era of communicable disease control and discussions about a wide range of current and future aspects of immunisation in Australia and the region.

 

We hope that you can be a part of this vibrant scientific program showcasing exciting and innovative work in communicable disease control.

 

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES

 

The objectives of the conference are to:

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• Create a dynamic environment to foster knowledge sharing, collaboration and relationship building among health professionals working on communicable disease control, vaccination and related areas

• Highlight the activities of relevant research programs on infectious and vaccine preventable diseases to encourage engagement in high quality research initiatives to improve health outcomes for Australians

• Provide collective guidance and insight into capacity building and strengthening communicable disease control and immunisation programs 

• Provide conference delegates with new and innovative ideas that can be applied to local settings and systems to help create and improve public health systems for local communities

 

TARGET AUDIENCE

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The conference will aim to facilitate conversations on improving effectiveness and efficiencies of communicable disease control and immunisation programs through knowledge sharing and relationship building. The program must consider the needs and interests of the communicable disease audience to ensure attraction and participation to the conference.

 

​The target audience will be stakeholders able to effect and/or influence change at the systems and/or practice level including:

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• Immuniser providers

• Infectious disease epidemiologists

• Social scientists

• Public health microbiologists

• Health and medical researchers

• Laboratory scientists and pathologists

• Vaccine program managers

• Health Policy makers

• Commonwealth, state and local government representatives – Ministers/ministerial staff, and health and social sector department representatives

• Front-line responders including community health staff, public health nurses, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation staff and nurse immunisers

• NGO/community and social sector provider and advocacy organisations

• Healthcare professionals – doctors, nurses, allied health, dentistry, pharmacy, etc.