The 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health

The Union World Conference, taking place virtually from 19 – 22 October 2021, will focus on the theme Lung Health for All: Solutions for a New Era, by exploring the challenges facing global health. With the world still in the grip of a lung health pandemic, it is also confronting questions about systemic race relations and how the same vulnerable communities that bear the brunt of TB and HIV have now been hit the hardest by COVID-19.

Call for Submission

The 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health is now accepting submissions to the conference programme. Conference welcomes submission on issues including tuberculosis (TB) and TB co-infections, tobacco control, lung health and air pollution, as well as civil society initiatives, community engagement, human rights and other related topics. 

Submissions of abstracts, symposia, post-graduate courses and workshops are now open and will close on 4 May at 23:59 Central European Summer Time (CEST).

All abstracts must present original research and at least preliminary results; abstracts reporting data pending will not be accepted. Submission implies that the material has not previously been presented or published elsewhere before presentation at the 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health. Abstracts are placed under embargo until they are presented at the conference.

List of tracks

TRACK A: BASIC AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH

Scope for this track includes basic sciences, pre-clinical and product development for TB and other lung health conditions
A1. Immunology
A2. Drug and vaccine development, including for COVID-19
A3. TB diagnostics, including drug-resistance determination
A4. COVID-19: molecular and immuno diagnostics

TRACK B: CLINICAL AND OPERATIONAL RESEARCH

Scope for this track includes clinical trials, pragmatic trials, operational research on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of TB and other lung health conditions, including post-TB lung disease. Targeted populations may include children or any other age group, vulnerable sub-populations or people living with other co-morbidities.

B1. TB diagnostics
B2. Clinical trials and operational research for new treatments for drug sensitive-TB and drug resistant-TB in adults
B3. Clinical trials and operational research for COPD, pneumonia, asthma and other lung health in adults
B4. Clinical trials and operational research for new treatments for drug sensitive-TB and drug resistant-TB in children
B5. Clinical trials and operational research for COPD, pneumonia, asthma and other lung health in children
B6. Active case finding and contact investigation for TB
B7. Identification and management of TB infection
B8. TB and co-infections: including HIV and diabetes
B9. Lung health (other than TB) and co-morbidities
B10. Tobacco and co-morbidities: including NCDs, TB and HIV
B11. COVID-19: clinical and operational research

TRACK C: POLICIES AND CLINICAL & PROGRAMMATIC IMPLEMENTATION

Scope for this track includes the review and evaluation of global and local policies, clinical practices and programmatic implementation across the spectrum of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of TB and other lung health conditions, including post-TB lung disease; including research on improvement of current policies and practices

C1. TB infection (LTBI)
C2. TB care and treatment in drug sensitive-TB
C3. TB care and treatment in drug resistant-TB
C4. Paediatric TB treatment and care
C5. Paediatric lung disease, excluding TB
C6. Maternal and child health: TB and lung disease
C7. Post-TB lung health
C8. Person-centered care
C9. Access to quality TB care and services
C10. Global and local policies and politics, including funding and accountability
C11. TB laboratory service implementation and operations
C12. TB education and training
C13. Tobacco control and tobacco industry interference
C14. MPOWER for tobacco control
C15. COVID-19: policies and clinical implementation

TRACK D: EPIDEMIOLOGY

Scope for this track includes all aspects of epidemiology relating to TB, lung disease, tobacco control and co-morbidities such as HIV.

D1. TB epidemiology in adults
D2. TB epidemiology in children
D3. Epidemiology of COPD, pneumonia, asthma and other lung health conditions in adults
D4. Epidemiology of COPD, pneumonia, asthma and other lung health conditions in children
D5. Air pollution
D6. Epidemiology of transmission and TB infection
D7. TB infection control
D8. Post-TB lung health
D9. HIV-TB and other HIV-related lung health
D10. Modelling, including modelling of COVID-19: the effect of social controls, preparedness and lessons for other infectious diseases.
D11. Health economics
D12. Tobacco-related epidemiology
D13. E-cigarettes and non-combustible tobacco products
D14. COVID-19

TRACK E: POLITICS, CIVIL SOCIETY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Scope includes research on and assessment of social, political, legal and human rights factors, stigma and discrimination influencing prevention, treatment, care and support for persons impacted by lung health issues, as well as communication of these issues to relevant stakeholders.

E1. Civil society, advocacy and community engagement
E2. Key affected populations: behavioural, social, and cultural issues and contexts
E3. Human rights
E4. Ethics
E5. Communication/social media

TRACK F: ZOONOTIC TB

Scope for this track includes studies on the epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment challenges posed by zoonotic tuberculosis caused primarily by Mycobacterium bovis; to assist animal and public health agencies in more effectively controlling this disease and collaborating on field and laboratory research.

F1. Basic science and zoonotic diagnostics
F2. Zoonotic treatment
F3. Zoonotic epidemiology
F4. One Health