International Society for Equity in Health (ISEqH) 3rd International Conference June 10, 11 and 12, 2004 Durban, South Africa CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Deadline for Submission: December 1st, 2003 The 3rd International Conference of the International Society for Equity in Health will be hosted by the Health Systems Trust (HST), a South African-based NGO, the Southern African Regional Network on Equity in Health (EQUINET) and the Global Equity Gauge Alliance (GEGA), an international consortium of initiatives to support health equity. The meeting will bring together, researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and others concerned with equity in health to develop an international health agenda for governments, universities and organizations all over the world. The 3rd International Conference theme is “Pathways to equity in health: Using research for policy and advocacy”. The Conference will explore this theme through a varied program of plenary sessions, forums, poster sessions and scientific sessions. We invitewelcome your participation in the effort to advancement of knowledge, foster exchange of experiences and promotione of equity in health. Conference subthemes: ð “Global challenges and priorities for equity in health” ð “The Impact of Health Equity Research on Major Public Health Concerns” The 3rd International Conference of the International Society for Equity in Health will especially encourage contributions that focus on major health concerns and that present work in the following areas: - Pathways through which influences on health operate - Application of innovative methods for studying and monitoring equity in health - Analysis to support the design and evaluation of policies, services and interventions that enhance equity in health - Understanding processes for policy change to improve equity in health - Using evidence to enhance public accountability in and social action for health equity There is a special interest in abstracts that reflect a multidisciplinary conceptualization of health equity; that analyze or compare rather than just describe; are not limited to one measure of health, one age group, or one population subgroup; address issues of generalizability of findings beyond the particular population studied; include and compare different age groups and both genders; address access/utilization/appropriateness of health services for meeting different levels of need within and across populations. There is also interest in abstracts that provides evidence of an analysis of determinants of impact on equity outcomes, and in work that provides evidence of an analyses determinants of impact on equity outcomes. Session Formats Please read carefully the following descriptions before sending us your proposal. Scientific Sessions: Each presentation will be 15 minutes, followed by a short discussion with the audience. The Conference Planning Committee will appoint a session chairperson. Three to four papers will be presented per session; each session will be two hours. It is expected that the person submitting the proposal will make the presentation. Poster Session: This is a visual presentation of a paper using charts, photos, drawings and/or text mounted on a poster board. Presenters will be expected to be present at specific times to discuss their work with conference participants. Each presentation will be allocated a space 950 mm wide x 2380 mm high and must be designed so that it can be pinned or tacked to a poster board. Workshops: Will be 2-3 hours in length and interactive in nature. There will be approximately 30 people participating in each workshop. Workshop organizers will be chosen by the Conference Scientific Committee. Selection Criteria The Conference Scientific Committee will review the submitted abstracts based on criteria of: 1. Relevance to equity 4 points 2. Methodological Soundness 2 points 3. Clarity of Presentation 2points 4. Relevance to Theme 2points MAXIMUM POSSIBLE 10 points Abstracts will be selected for presentation or poster session on or about February 20, 2004. The ISEqH will contact the presenters of selected papers by e-mail. How to Prepare Your Abstract 1. Abstracts must not exceed 400 words and must be typed within the outlined area of the abstract template. 2. Use standard type size of 12 point, 12 characters per inch. 3. Type the title inside the border at the top left corner. The title should be brief (no more than 50 characters including punctuation), but long enough to identify the nature of the study. Capitalize the entire title. 4. Name(s) of author and/or facilitator must be typed below the title, leaving one line blank between title and author. The presenter’s name must be underlined. Omit degrees, titles and institutional appointments of facilitator(s) and/or presenter(s). Helpful Hints: ð If the submission is a quantitative research project, the first sentence of the abstract should state the specific objectives of the study. Methods should describe the study design, subjects and evaluative procedures. Clear documentation of statistical methodology should accompany the methods/results section. A summary of results must be stated in the abstract to support the final conclusions. Statements about providing further data or conclusions at the time the manuscript is presented will reduce the score of the abstract. ð If the submission is a non-quantitative presentation, state the purpose and methodology as appropriate. The body of the abstract should include the main points that are to be made as well as the conclusions, and how these can be applied in other situations. ABSTRACT TEMPLATE Presenter or facilitatorFirst and last name Is the primary author a student? E-mail address Organization: Co-author(s)First and last name(s) ABSTRACT (MAXIMUM 400 WORDS) How and Where to Send Your Abstract Abstracts can be submitted as follows: 1. By e-mail to: leslie.nunez@utoronto.ca Your abstract must be attached to your message as an Acrobat Reader, MS Word or a WordPerfect document (if using a Macintosh or Apple, please save it for Windows 2000 or Windows 95) or 2. By regular mail to: International Society for Equity in Health 256 McCaul Street, Second Floor Toronto, Ontario M5T 1W5 You will receive confirmation by e-mail from the coordinators when we get your abstract. If you don’t receive a confirmation within a month, we have not received your information. In this case, please send it again. Note: Abstracts will appear in print in a bound program distributed at the conference, and may also be posted on the conference web site. Abstracts not conforming to the above instructions will not be considered. Deadline for Submissions: December 1st, 2003