CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

The Scientific Committee of the 2027 Southern African HIV Clinicians Society Conference invites papers of high quality in HIV research relevant to the Southern Africa context. Work that introduces new research, ideas and understanding to the field is encouraged.

Deadline:  Abstracts must be submitted electronically by Sunday, 16 May 2027.
Guidelines:  Abstracts must be submitted online. Abstract submissions are peer-reviewed for scientific content, logical presentation, and current interest of the topic to the scientific community.

A limited number of accepted abstracts will be considered for oral presentations.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE SHARED ONCE ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS OPEN

TRACKS

1. Antiretroviral Treatment – New and emerging antiretroviral therapies including long-acting agents, real-world outcomes of existing regimens, and management of ART toxicities.
2. Paediatric and Adolescent – Prevention and management of HIV and related conditions in children and adolescents, including VTP, neonatal treatment, outcomes and complications of ART, treatment failure, adolescent-specific challenges and retention in care.
3. Primary Health Care and Nursing – Practical, skill-focussed sessions for primary care practitioners managing HIV and related conditions in outpatient settings, with a focus on real-world challenges and strategies.
4. Basic Science – HIV evolution and phylodynamics;  retrovirology, innate and adaptive immune responses, HIV pathogenesis and immune function, latency and viral reservoirs, host genetics and systems biology, transmission and early infection and vaccine development.
5. Other Infectious Diseases – Prevention, diagnosis, treatment and complications of opportunistic infections, including new strategies in prevention, new diagnostic tools and rapid point of care platforms.
6. HIV Treatment Failure and Drug Resistance – HIV and TB drug resistance, including detection and management of HIV and TB treatment failure and drug-resistance, and genotypic resistance testing platforms.
7. HIV Cure Research – Reservoir dynamics, novel therapeutic strategies, and translational approaches toward HIV remission and cure.
8. Operations Research – Facility- and programme-level interventions that improve HIV prevention, care, treatment and retention in care.
9. Prevention – Biomedical HIV prevention methods, treatment as prevention, and structural and behavioural interventions to reduce HIV transmission.
10. Tuberculosis – All aspects of TB as it relates to HIV, including integration, co-management, complications and M/XDR TB.
11. Women’s Health – HIV in women, including fertility, HIV in pregnancy, long-term impacts of ART in women and cervical cancer.
12. Key Populations – Needs and challenges of populations most at risk of HIV.
13. Non-Communicable Diseases – Diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, renal and liver disease, and obesity, in people living with HIV.
14. Ethics – Ethical and legal issues healthcare workers may face when working with HIV.
15. Clinical Skills Building – Interactive, case-based and practical skills-based presentations, highlighting key lessons and teaching points for clinicians at the coalface.

The conference scientific committee will select the top abstracts, which will be featured in a “best abstracts” session during the conference.