Call for abstracts: Investing in Young People’s Health and Development

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Investing in Young People’s Health and Development: Research that Improves Policies and Programs

An International Conference

April 27-29, 2008 (April 30 optional sessions)

Abuja, Nigeria

Primary sponsors: Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA; Institute of Public Health, Obafemi Awolowo University; and Center for Population and Reproductive Health, University of Ibadan; and Nigeria’s federal ministries of health, youth, and education; in partnership with a consortium of more than 20 international and national organizations

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of the international and local organizing committees, we would like to bring this important upcoming international conference to your attention and ask that you circulate this announcement widely to interested persons.

The conference organizers invite the submission of research abstracts with direct program or policy implications for youth development programs in developing nations for review for oral or poster presentation. The attached files, Call for Abstracts and Abstract Submission Form and Guidelines, provide detail on the conference objectives and themes. The deadline for submission of abstracts to gates@jhsph.edu is November 15, 2007.

The conference will open the evening of Sunday, April 27, 2008 and be followed by two full days of conference sessions. April 30 program is reserved for optional follow-on, youth-friendly, translational activities that we anticipate partner organizations will be sponsoring. More information is available from the conference website: www.jhsph.edu/gatesinstitute/policy_practice/adolhealth. Shortly, travel support application forms will be available as well from the website.

Organizations interested in sponsoring skill-building or related workshops around the conference schedule are invited to contact Ms. Natalie Culbertson at gates@jhsph.edu. Sponsored workshops may be scheduled either for the daytime of April 27 or on April 30. Other questions about the conference may be directed to this email address as well.

As some of you may be aware, the 3rd African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights is also being convened in Abuja, Nigeria, in February 2008 (www.africasexuality.org). Although in the same location and covering related themes, the Investing in Youth Health and Development Conference will take place in April, is internationally oriented, focused on young people, and concentrates on the accumulated research and program evidence that can inform young people’s health and development programs.

We look forward to receiving your abstracts and thank you for sharing this e-mail broadly.

Sincerely,

Robert Blum, Amy Tsui, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Oladosu Ojengbede, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Adesegun Fatusi, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria