We invite abstract submissions for long oral, oral poster, and display poster presentations at the Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference 2023, to be held in Perth from Monday 19 to Wednesday 21 June 2023.

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

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About the theme 

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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The program will include keynote presentations and selected long oral, oral poster, and display poster presentations.

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With these and many other issues to consider, we invite you to the Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference 2023.
 

Abstract submissions are now closed.

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Abstract Submission

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We welcome submission of abstracts for presentations relevant to one of the Conference themes. Presentations on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health are particularly welcome.

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All abstracts are to be submitted electronically using the online facility on the conference website. Select the Abstract Submission tab and follow the prompts.

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It is the submitting author’s responsibility to ensure that the abstract uploaded to the server is the correct version. Online abstract document loading is completed via browsing your selected computer drive. Abstracts submitted for presentation will be published exactly as received and should be checked for spelling and grammar prior to submission.

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All presenters must register at the time of confirming their acceptance presentation offer
and pay the Conference registration fee.

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Abstract Requirements

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• All intended presentations require the submission of an abstract. All abstracts will be subject to peer review.

• Refer to the online abstract submission form for requirements.

• The abstract title should be no longer than 12 words.

• The abstract should be a maximum of 300 words in simple text paragraphs without images or tables.
  (Presenters of research focusing on particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities should provide an additional paragraph with their abstract outlining whether the relevant community/ies have provided permission to publicise the research findings. An additional 50-word paragraph is permitted in addition to the 300-word maximum.)

• We encourage presentations on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health to be presented or co-presented with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person. We encourage abstracts submitted to note if authors identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

• If there is more than one presenter, all correspondence will be sent to the person whose name and email address is entered with the abstract.

• Long Oral and Oral Poster presenters must provide a pre-recorded video of their presentation by the due date to be available on demand for virtual attendees. Guidelines will be provided.

• All presenters must be registered to attend the face-to-face or virtual conference in order to present.

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Conference Topics

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The program will provide lively and productive discussions and contributions from Australian professionals engaged in Communicable Disease Control and Immunisation. We invite you to submit abstracts under the following session topics:

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• Aboriginal health – determinants, strengthening communities, service delivery

• Cross-cultural and social determinants of health, including attitudes and behaviour change

• Global and regional infectious disease control and prevention; esp. Asia-Pacific

• One Health – broad approach - environmental, vets, one health experts

• Surveillance and data systems

• Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses; inc. JE and Monkey Pox

• COVID-19 and COVID-19 Vaccines

• Influenza and other respiratory infections;

• Sexually transmissible and bloodborne infections;

• Enteric and foodborne infections;

• Vaccine Preventable Diseases,

• Vaccine programs and implementation, emerging immunisation practices

• New vaccines – platform technology, COVID-19, RSV, Group B strep

• Public health and clinical workforce – surge and beyond

• Antimicrobial resistance surveillance and public health microbiology

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Presentation Types
 

Long Oral Presentation:

Presenters have a total of 10 minutes to present. Abstract submitted must have clear learning objectives and outcomes. All presenters must provide a pre-recorded presentation. Please note, places are limited. View Factsheet below for more details.

 

Oral Poster Presentation:

Presenters have a total of 6 minutes presentation time using a maximum of 2 PowerPoint slides (including all content) of their poster. No physical poster is required for Oral Posters; these are similar to a Rapid-Fire style presentation. Presenters should give the ultimate elevator pitch. All presenters must also provide a pre-recorded presentation. View Factsheet below for more details.

 

Poster Display:

Please provide a one-page physical copy of your poster for display at the conference (130cm H x 90cm W). In addition, all presenters must provide a PDF of the poster for the online portal. View Factsheet below for more details.

 

Whilst every effort will be made to accept an abstract for the nominated presentation format, the Scientific Advisory Committee reserves the right to allocate a different presentation type if appropriate.

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Conference Objectives
 

• 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 Centres of Research Excellence 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

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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.

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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.

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Abstract submissions are now closed.

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WHAT IS A HYBRID CONFERENCE?

 

A hybrid conference combines a "live" in-person event with a "virtual" online component.

 

Attending

Delegates will have the option of attending the conference in person in Perth or participating virtually.

Face-to-face delegates will have access to all of the content live in the venue as well as the virtual on demand content. Virtual delegates will have access to and be able to participate in the live plenary sessions, and view the content on demand.

 

Presentations

Keynote speakers will have a choice of presenting live at the venue or virtually. Plenary sessions will be broadcast through the virtual platform and enable virtual and face-to-face delegates to ask questions directly to the keynote speakers. Plenary sessions will also be recorded and made available on demand through the virtual portal.

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Abstract presenters that have been accepted for a face-to-face presentation will present live at the venue.

In addition to presenting live, speakers will also provide a pre-recorded presentation to be made available on demand through the virtual portal. Abstract presenters that have been accepted for a virtual only presentation will provide a pre-recorded presentation to be made available on demand in the virtual portal. The option to present virtually is only open to Keynote speakers and those presenting a long oral.

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Concurrent session content will be released at the same time as the live version.

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We accept encore abstracts even if the data has already been published.

 

Contact

 

For further information contact the PHAA Events Team on:

 

E: events@phaa.net.au

T: 02 6285 2373