Announcement and first call for Abstracts
3rd Wits/SABCOHA/HEARD

'HIV/AIDS in the Workplace & Beyond' - Research in Action Symposium

Prevention and Possibility: An Expanded Response to the HIV Epidemic
9-11 November 2010 - Johannesburg

Organised by the
South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA)
Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division (HEARD)
and Wits Business School (WBS)

A new momentum and evidence base has grown around prevention. But HIV prevention is not simple nor easy. This symposium will prioritise the dissemination of the growing body of innovation and experience in prevention in South Africa with Wits Business School, SABCOHA and HEARD hosting the 3rd HIV/AIDS in the Workplace Research Symposium in 2010. The aims of the three-day symposium are: to discuss high quality applied research on HIV/AIDS in the workplace, in ways that are useful to academics, business people and other interested stakeholders, with a view to informing and improving workplace practices; and to strengthen the existing network of researchers in this field (both junior and established).

Call for Abstracts
Abstracts are invited on any topic dealing with HIV/AIDS in the Workplace. We are particularly keen to receive proposals for papers that address the following three core areas (starred), which will be prioritized among abstract submissions. Authors submitting papers on these topics may apply for a research incentive, with special funding reserved for a cadre of junior researchers (details below). Note that these categories are indicative not exhaustive and we invite research from other parts of Africa.

1. Treatment as Prevention

Many workplaces now run or support treatment programmes that complement the public provision of ART. The emphasis on treatment as a prevention method by the World Health Organisation is an important approach. Prevention of new infections in children through PMTCT is an obvious example of this paradigm. Individuals on ART become less infectious, with a range of well-documented benefits to their health and survival. Notably, HIV transmission can be dramatically reduced when HIV-positive individuals are treated, their partners undergo counselling and testing, with couples receiving prevention counselling - and the HIV-positive partner receiving adherence support to maintain an undetectable viral load. 'Treatment as prevention', however, is not fully understood nor widely accepted. Papers that address this theme are invited. These could include:

  • Maximising ART effects for primary prevention
  • Evidence-based combination strategies
  • Preventing mother to child HIV transmission programmes in the workplace
  • Interventions to support working mothers
  • Family approaches to ART as prevention

2. Partnerships for Prevention (Public, Private, Community)

Since the primary mode of HIV transmission in South Africa is sexual intercourse, workplace programmes cannot ignore sexual norms, practices and networks. Accordingly, they cannot ignore what happens beyond the offices and factory gates. Yet, extending an organisation's programme beyond its employees presents great financial and logistical challenges. Papers dealing with the role of companies in responding to HIV/AIDS in communities, and partnerships across sectors, could include:

  • Public-private partnerships
  • Traditional healers and workplace programmes
  • Trade union responses to HIV/AIDS
  • Role of companies in responding to HIV/AIDS in communities
  • Community and workplace peer education

3. Prevention

Despite free prevention and treatment initiatives, many people in South Africa are not able to access such services, due to a range of socio-cultural, economic and related barriers. This theme will focus on research in the areas of biomedical and structural interventions, particularly those that effectively link theory to an evidence base; research on programmatic workplace interventions that have been evaluated and shown to be 'effective'; and, methods for monitoring, measuring and reporting on such success. Papers could include the following:

  • Biomedical interventions to prevent HIV infection
    • Male and female condom
    • Cervical barrier methods
    • STI management
    • Male circumcision
    • Microbicides
    • Vaccines
    • Combination prevention
  • Research in the behavioural sciences
  • Sexuality and reproductive health and rights in the workplace and beyond
  • Structural approaches to preventing HIV
    • Studies that look particularly at addressing women's structural factors and HIV risk; and those that focus on men
    • Studies that look at the drivers of HIV infection and how they can be prevented or mitigated, e.g., concurrent partnerships
  • Defining, monitoring, measuring and reporting prevention success
  • Effective HIV prevention programming, whether oriented to large, medium or small scale workforces

4. Other/Emerging

  • Workplace priority interventions identified in the South African National HIV & AIDS and STI Strategic Plan 2007-2011 or other Regional NSPs.
  • Prevention in an era of fiscal austerity
  • HIV/AIDS programmes in SMMEs and the informal economy
  • HIV/AIDS programmes for atypical workers and workplaces
  • THE NHI

Publication and Dissemination in the African Journal of AIDS Research (AJAR)
All presented papers will be published as proceedings of the conference. Additionally, there is a preliminary indication that selected and revised papers will be edited to form the content of a special edition of the African Journal of AIDS Research (a DoE and IBSS accredited international journal) on prevention.

Invited Participants
We invite academics and managers, participants from NGOs, government, trade unions, students and others with management responsibility for HIV/AIDS programming to attend.

Research Incentives
In order to encourage original, high-quality research on HIV/AIDS in the workplace, a limited number of research incentives, in varying amounts of R5,000 to R15,000 per completed paper, will be provided. Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis.

Who Should Apply for Research Funding?
All authors proposing to submit papers in identified priority areas are invited to apply. We especially encourage younger HIV/AIDS researchers to submit proposals for funding.

Guidelines for Abstract Submissions
Please provide details of the research to be conducted and its relevance; describe the research methods that will be used; and, any preliminary lessons learned. The abstract template must be completed. Proposals not submitted in this format will not be considered. Indicate whether you are applying for research funding in your application. The body of the abstract should not exceed 400 words. Please also append a one-page curriculum vitae with full contact details to the abstract form. Please state your existing sources of funding and any application under consideration (note that existing funding does not mean your research would be excluded from consideration). Research must NOT have been previously published. Abstracts will be selected on the basis of a competitive review process. Funding decisions will be made by the Symposium Steering Committee, a body composed of individuals from NGOs, academia, and the private sector.

Selection Criteria for Abstracts: Relevance; originality of the research; methodology and design; strong contribution to the knowledge base; and practical (or policy) outcomes.

Selection Criteria for Funding: These will be the same as for abstracts. In addition, the proposed research should meet a priority need. We will also take into consideration whether access to alternative funding sources is available and whether the applicant is a young, black and/or female researcher. Please provide a one page motivation for funding.

Each application should include:

  1. Completed abstract form
  2. One page motivation for funding (if needed)
  3. Appendix - identify your existing sources of funding (if appropriate)
  4. One page CV

Deadline for All Abstract Submissions - 28 April 2010
Check the SABCOHA website for further details. We will post these as they become available: http://www.sabcoha.org/

Contact Persons

  • Anita Volker, Events, Membership Liaison & Secretariat, South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA)
    Tel: +27 11 880 4821 * Cell: +27 83 408 0640 *info@sabcoha.co.za
  • Tamlynne Wilton, Head: Conference Management Department, Conference Management Division
    Tel: +27 (012) 816 9068 * tamw@foundation.co.za

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ABSTRACT FORM

Return this abstract form via email to Anita Volker (email address below). Each application should include the following:

  • Completed abstract form (this document)
  • One page motivation for funding (if applying) with an explanation of existing sources of funding, if appropriate
  • One page CV

    *Please do not append any additional documents or pages. They will not be considered.

    Deadline for abstract submissions: 28 April (Wednesday) 2010
    Deadline for notification of abstract outcome: 31 May (Monday) 2010
    Deadline for final paper submission: 20 October (Wednesday) 2010

    Anita Volker, Events, Membership Liaison & Secretariat, South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA)
    Tel: +27 11 880 4821 * Cell: +27 83 408 0640 *info@sabcoha.co.za





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