Selecting the Correct Abstract Category

Most categories reflect an organism or disease-based approach. For multidisciplinary or less traditional topics, the following guidelines may help:

Differential Diagnosis: For abstracts related to differential diagnosis that cut across multiple abstract categories, use Clinical Tropical Medicine. If the abstract content distinguishes bacterial diagnosis from others, use Bacteriology-Other Bacterial Infections.

Measures for Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs): Use this category for topics involving control efforts for multiple NTDs. For abstracts on diseases classified as NTDs that lack a focus on integrated control, use the appropriate organism category. For example, Chagas disease belongs with Parasites — Kinetoplastida; onchocerciasis belongs with Parasites — Helminths — Filaria; and trachoma belongs with Bacteriology.

Global Health: This broad category focuses on global public health topics related to planetary health, globalization, health disparities and global health partnerships. Use this category for abstracts related to global health education and training, measuring and modeling health outcomes, global health workforce development and capacity strengthening, policy and advocacy to promote global health research and infrastructure development, improving health metrics for low- and low-middle-income countries, promoting north-south health and research partnerships, integrating community case management, technology and other innovations for care delivery in low-resource settings, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and human rights.

Malaria: The malaria subcommittee receives the most submissions of any ASTMH subcommittee. To increase your chance of acceptance for an oral presentation, please consider the following guidelines:

• Abstracts focused on integrated management of diseases, including but not limited to malaria, should be submitted to Integrated Control Measures for NTDs.
• Abstracts focused on clinical practice should be submitted to Clinical Tropical Medicine.
• Abstracts that focus on mathematical or statistical modeling of Falciparum infection or disease should be submitted to Global Health.
• For mosquito-focused abstracts, use Entomology.

One Health: Use this category for abstracts addressing zoonotic disease transmission in humans, animal/human ecology and for veterinary aspects of human diseases. In most cases, this category should not be used for abstracts with a singular focus on diseases in humans or animals without exploring the link between the two. For example, abstracts on the prevalence of human Lyme disease in a given region would belong with Arthropods/Entomology: Ectoparasite-Borne Disease, while an abstract on the effects of deer culls on the incidence of human Lyme disease would be appropriate for One Health.

Respiratory Viruses: For abstracts focused on coronavirus and influenza, use Virology if the content addresses agents of disease, and use Pneumonia, Respiratory Infections and Tuberculosis if the content addresses disease processes.

Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Environmental Health: Use this category for abstracts dealing with health effects of water pollution, environmental toxins, etc., in addition to traditional WaSH-E topics. An abstract dealing with health effects of air pollution can be submitted here or to the Pneumonia, Respiratory Infections and Tuberculosis category, depending on the content.