Call for abstracts

The Bergen International Conference on Hansen’s Disease: 150 Years Since the Discovery of the Leprosy Bacillus will take place in Bergen, Norway, on June 21-22, 2023. The conference will bring together leaders, practitioners, academics, and persons affected by the disease from around the world. The conference will honor the past, take stock of the present, and look to the future with the goal of a world without leprosy.

We invite proposals for poster presentations on the conference’s three main themes:

  • Medical: Eliminating disease
  • Social: Eliminating discrimination
  • Historical: History matters

The abstract should showcase how the topic(s) discussed in the poster contribute to zero leprosy, such as medical insights and interventions, actions to combat stigma and discrimination, awareness raising, or historical preservation and communication.

Where appropriate, we encourage posters that include a visual component that situates and illustrates the issues discussed. It is our hope that the posters will be a strong reminder that 150 years after the pathogen was first observed, the disease remains a global issue, and there are lessons to learn from the consorted efforts to control leprosy.

Those wishing to participate should please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words, a brief bio and a one-page CV to https://skjemaker.app.uib.no/view.php?id=13457251 no later than April 21st. Please attach your documents as either a Microsoft Word or PDF file and include your name and affiliation on all files.

NB: For persons in need of a visa to Norway, please submit before April 6th to ensure your letter of invitation arrives in due time.

 

Scholarships

The organizers are working to secure scholarships for travel and accommodation for selected abstracts. Participants from LMIC countries, and students, will be prioritized. Please indicate whether you would like to be considered for a scholarship.

 

Process

After the deadline, a scientific committee will evaluate the abstracts based on the following criteria: 1) Relevance to the call. 2) Quality of the proposal. 3) Diversity of the posters. The committee is made up of professors Magnus Vollset (UiB), Nina Langeland (UiB), Siri Gloppen (UiB) and Takahiro Nanri (SHF). 

 

UPDATE 25.04.2023: Please note that the deadline for abstract submissions is closed. The committee is currently evaluating the submissions. 

UPDATE 05.05.2023: The evaluation is complete, and the results are published here. Acceptance rate: 51%.