Abstract Submission
Submit Abstract
Please read submission guidelines and instructions below before submitting an abstract.
Abstract submissions will close at 11:59pm AEST on Wednesday 8 April 2026.
Abstract submissions are OPEN
The AFHC 2026 Scientific Committee warmly invites researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and urban health champions to submit abstracts for oral and poster presentations at the 11th Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities, taking place 1–3 September 2026 at UNSW Sydney, Australia.
We invite abstract submissions that advance understanding, policy and practice in areas such as urban health policy, healthy environments, equitable access to services, climate and planetary health, Indigenous and traditional knowledge systems, governance and leadership, liveable cities, demographic change and health across the life course, and other topics relevant to healthy cities and wellbeing.
Our Approach
This conference takes place on the unceded lands of the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples. We acknowledge their ongoing custodianship of Country and pay respect to Elders past and present.
In marking the 40th anniversary of the Ottawa Charter, we also take this opportunity to reflect critically on how knowledge is produced, shared, and valued. We are committed to creating space for multiple ways of knowing, learning, and communicating.
We actively encourage submissions that:
- Are grounded in Indigenous, traditional, or community-held knowledge systems
- Use storytelling, yarning circles or other culturally grounded approaches
- Come from practitioners, community members, advocates, and policymakers, as well as academics
- Reflect the diversity of the Asia–Pacific region and the Global South
- Challenge conventional abstract, presentation, or session formats
Please take the time to carefully read through the submission guidelines before submitting an abstract.
Category A: Research Presentations
Report on research findings, methodological developments, or reviews relevant to healthy cities and conference themes.
Presenters may submit original, or previously presented abstracts.
Required Structure:
- Background/Objective – What question or problem does this research address?
- Methods – How was the research conducted?
- Results – What were the key findings?
- Discussion – What do these findings mean for healthy cities?
Please take the time to carefully read through the submission guidelines.
Category A: Policy and Practice Presentations
Share case studies, innovations, or lessons learned from implementing healthy cities initiatives.
Required Structure:
- Setting/Context – Where and in what context did this work take place?
- Challenge/Opportunity – What problem or opportunity was being addressed?
- Approach/Action – What was done and how?
- Outcomes and Learnings – What happened and what can others learn from this?
Presentation Format Options
When submitting, please indicate your preference:
- Oral presentation (10 min + 5 min Q&A)
- Poster presentation (electronic display with scheduled discussion time)
- No preference (committee will assign based on program needs)
Please take the time to carefully read through the submission guidelines.
Category B: Interactive Sessions
Duration: 75 minutes total
Design and facilitate an engaging session that brings together diverse perspectives to explore a topic in depth. These sessions move beyond traditional presentations and may include debating critical issues, generating new ideas, building practical skills, fostering cross‑sector dialogue, or advancing collective action.
Session Format Options
We strongly encourage creative and participatory formats. Options include but are not limited to:
- Symposium
- Workshop
- Panel Discussion
- Yarning Circle
- Walking/Mobile Session
- World Cafe
- Fishbowl
- Simulation/Game
- Art-Based Session
- Technology Showcase
- Film/Documentary
Please take the time to carefully read through the submission guidelines.
Key Dates
Submissions open
Submissions close
Authors notified of submission outcomes
Author registration deadline
Monday 16 February 2026
Wednesday 8 April 2026
Mid-May 2026
Tuesday 30 June 2026
Submitting your abstract in the portal
Abstract submission is a two-step process. Please follow the instructions carefully to ensure your submission is uploaded into the abstract submission portal correctly.
STEP 1: Create an author account and contact profile
To access the abstract submission portal, you will first need to create an account.
On the landing page, select either Sign in or Create New Account. Under the New Account heading, click Create New Account, then enter your email address and create a password. Once this is complete, you will be able to sign in to the portal.
After signing in, you will be prompted to update your contact information. This step is required before you can access the full abstract submission features. To do this, click the Contact Information tab in the top menu and select Create Contact at the bottom of the page to complete the short form.
STEP 2: Submitting your abstract
Once you have created your Contact Profile, you will be able to submit your abstract by selecting Submit Abstract from the top menu bar. Please ensure you take the time to read through the instructions provided throughout the submission process.
Before submitting your abstract, you will be required to provide the following information:
- An Abstract Title and selection of the Presentation Type
- Select the most relevant Theme and available Keywords for your abstract
- The name, organisation, position, and institutional affiliation of all presenting authors and co-authors
- The presenting authors’ biography
If you need to edit the abstract after submitting and it is before the submission deadline, please email our Conference Organisers at afhc2026@arinexgroup.com. After the submission deadline, no further changes can be made to abstracts.
General policies and requirements
- All presenting authors will be required to register and pay for conference registration, travel and accommodation to ensure that their abstract(s) are included in the final program.
- Copyright permission must be obtained by author(s) where previously published work is reproduced.
- Abstracts will not be accepted via fax, email, mail or USB/CD.
- All required fields on the online abstract submission form must be completed.
- It is the responsibility of the submitting author to ensure that the abstract is submitted correctly.
- After an author has submitted their abstract, they must check their submission to ensure the document has been uploaded correctly.
- Authors can check their submission by clicking on the viewing option in the submission form.
- The Conference Organisers will not be held responsible for abstract submissions not received via the website or for submission errors caused by internet services outages or other unforeseen events.