The Malawi Environmental Health Association (MEHA) is a registered trust whose membership is made up of environmental health professionals (with the title of “Health Inspectors” under the Public Health Act, Chapter 34.01 of the Laws of Malawi). MEHA will host a National Environmental Health Conference and Annual General Meeting in collaboration with stakeholders under the theme:
“Environmental health: uniting disciplines to protect Public health.”
| Venue | LIVINGSTONIA SUNBIRD HOTEL, SALIMA, MALAWI |
| Dates | 7 – 8 November, 2023 |
Conference and AGM Thrusts
- The conference and AGM provide a platform for professionals, scholars, practitioners, policy makers, and interested parties in the field of environmental health to come together and share the latest research findings, successful strategies, and innovative developments with the goal of improving health outcomes and promoting socio-economic advancement.
- The AGM offers a chance for the association to showcase its achievements, projects, initiatives, and milestones from the previous year and discuss how environmental health practice can contribute to achieving the global SDGs.
- Establish a platform for Government Departments, NGOs, Academia, Industries, and other stakeholders to prominent innovations and exemplary professional practices in EH, which have significantly improved the lives of the community, particularly the underprivileged.
- The conference provides Environmental Health Professionals with a chance to connect with peers, colleagues, and potential collaborators, enabling the exchange of ideas and the advancement of the field.
Registration and Call for Abstracts
The Malawi Environmental Health Association (MEHA) and its partners are currently requesting abstract submissions from researchers, best practices, and innovations in relation to the specific subthemes mentioned herein.
| Focus Area | Themes | Specific Areas |
| Community Health Disease control Vector control Health promotion Population Health | “Towards a new landscape for communicable and non communicable disease prevention and control” | Current Community Health challenges including Communicable, Non Communicable and Other Emerging Diseases/Conditions/events, way forward after Covid-19 and Cholera outbreaks, contact tracing challenges and innovations, epidemiology of diseases Current challenges and innovations in health education and promotion; Decentralized delivery of healthcare services towards health equity and improved services access |
| Food Safety and Hygiene | “Healthier the food better the World” Or “Better food standards improve health and well-being” | Food safety and animal health – meat inspections, food fortification, prevention of zoonotic diseases/conditions; Food safety and legislation. |
| Pollution Control Air quality WASH Waste Management | “Improving access to WASH services, a clean Environment for Health and Public Wellbeing” | WASH and Sustainable Development Goals; Addressing WASH Challenges to Tackle Emerging Diseases: A Public Health Imperative; Cholera Outbreaks and Disaster management practices; Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) and School retention rates; Enhancing Availability of WASH Services and Creating a Hygienic Environment for Health and the Wellbeing of the Public; The Intersection of Living Environments, Air and Water Pollution, and their Impact on Health; |
| Occupational Health and Safety | “Integrating Occupational Health and Safety for Sustainable Development Goals” | Integrating Occupational Health and Safety into the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals: A pathway towards a safer and more sustainable future. |
| Built environment Housing Building Services Recreational spaces | “The Role of Built Environments in Shaping Population Health” | Housing and the living environment as a social determinant of health and wellbeing |
| Climate Change, Environmental Health, Technologies and Innovation | Impacts of climate change on population health, technologies and innovations application | Impacts of climate change on population health, integration of the two; disasters and environmental health; Innovations in environmental health practice delivery and their scalability |
Target
The conference is expected to draw researchers in environmental health from both local and international backgrounds. Additionally, the conference aims to engage top government officials in health, agriculture, transport, education, as well as EH professionals from the public, private, and NGO sectors, and students. We will also accept submissions from the hospitality and other industries that directly affect or have an impact on the environment and public health.
Abstract Submission Guidelines
Abstracts can be submitted in the form of a paper, poster, or multimedia presentation. These submissions can come from various sources, such as research work, academic research, or professional practice. Papers should include a PowerPoint presentation lasting 10 minutes, with an additional 5 minutes for questions. Posters should not exceed the size of 120 cm by 80 cm or be in the form of an e-poster. Multimedia presentations can take the form of a short film, documentary, animated film, or photo-essay.
Abstracts that have technical and professional merit and are relevant to the conference themes should include the following information.
• Title (maximum 25 words) and author contact details.
• A superscript asterisk should be used for the corresponding author.
• List of co-authors for listing in the abstract book, if applicable.
• Names of affiliations should be given including the country.
• Affiliations should be indicated with superscript Arabic numbers appearing at the end of surname/family name.
• If there is more than one name and address, they should be related by superscript numbers. • Abstracts should represent their original work.
• A structured abstract of 400 words or less should be prepared, covering background, methods, results and discussion / conclusions.
• The Abstract should be written in English.
• Then it should have a maximum of 6 keywords.
• For multimedia submission: link to the video/photos if available.
• Please indicate one – three most relevant themes for your abstract from the conference tracks.
• Prospective participants will be required to pay a nonrefundable handling fee of MWK5000 per abstract submitted.
(Templates may be requested through emails provided below)
Fees
| Participation Fee | Accommodation | TOTALS | |
| Researchers – local (non members) | MWK 100, 000 | MWK 250000 | MWK 350 000 |
| Researchers – International | 200 USD | MWK 250000 | 200 USD + MWK250000 |
| MEHA members | MWK 50 000 | MWK 250000 | MWK 300 000 |
| Students – local | MWK 20 000 | MWK 250000 | MWK 270 000 |
| Students – International | 50 USD | MWK 250000 | 50 USD + MWK250 000 |
| Exhibitors | MWK 200 000 | MWK 250000 | MWK 400 000 |
Vital Dates
SN EVENT BY DATES
1 Receiving the abstracts 22nd September, 2023
2 Notification of acceptance 30th September, 2023
3 Full paper submission 6th October, 2023
4 Registration for attendance/participation 28th October, 2023
5 PowerPoint presentation 30th October, 2023
Prospective authors should submit abstracts in the MS Word (.doc or .docx) format to mehamalawi@gmail.com with a copy to onkoka@gmail.com and yohaneph@buffalo.edu. We will acknowledge abstracts received within three working days.
