Abstracts

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Abstract Submission details will be available 7 September 2026

The Scientific and Organising Committees invite researchers, laboratory professionals, consultants and industry specialists to submit abstracts for Oral presentation, Poster presentation, Lightning talk (A short, focused presentation of 5 minutes), Interactive workshop or Panel discussion at the 6th Fanus Conference.

We invite submissions under one of the following topics:

Topic 1: Nutrition Across the Life Course
This topic welcomes research on nutrition needs, exposures, interventions, and outcomes from preconception through older age. It includes maternal, infant and young-child nutrition; adolescent nutrition; school health and feeding; adult nutrition; healthy ageing; family and intergenerational influences; and nutrition at key life transitions. Studies addressing nutrition equity across sex, gender, disability, rural–urban location, and socioeconomic position are encouraged.
Topic 2: All Forms of Malnutrition, Micronutrients and Diet-Related Disease
This topic covers undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and excesses, overweight, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases across the triple burden of malnutrition. Relevant abstracts may address dietary intake and dietary quality, assessment and surveillance, stunting, wasting, anaemia, micronutrient status, nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions, food fortification, supplementation, biofortification, and double- or triple-duty actions. Research on nutrition in relation to diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other diet-related conditions is welcome.
Topic 3: Food Systems, Food Environments and Sustainability
This topic focuses on how food is produced, processed, distributed, marketed, purchased, prepared, and consumed—and how these processes shape diets, nutrition, health, livelihoods, and environmental outcomes. It includes healthy and affordable diets; food and nutrition security; retail and informal food environments; food marketing; food prices; food procurement; value chains; agricultural and nutrition linkages; food loss and waste; sustainable diets; and food-system transformation. Abstracts examining equity, affordability, employment, and the nutrition transition within African food systems are particularly relevant.
Topic 4: Clinical Nutrition, Metabolism and Personalised Nutrition
This topic invites research on nutritional assessment, diagnosis, prevention, and management in clinical and care settings. It includes medical nutrition therapy; enteral and parenteral nutrition; nutrition in acute and chronic disease; nutrition support in hospital and community care; metabolic health; nutrigenomics; nutrigenetics; microbiome research; body composition; and personalised or precision nutrition. Research on clinical guidelines, patient outcomes, service delivery, and implementation of nutrition care is also appropriate.
Topic 5: Digital Innovation, Data Systems and Implementation Science
This topic covers the development, evaluation, and application of digital, data-driven, and innovative approaches to nutrition research, programmes, practice, and decision-making. Relevant work includes digital dietary assessment; mobile health; tele-nutrition; artificial intelligence; machine learning; nutrition surveillance; food-environment monitoring; data quality; interoperable information systems; digital behaviour-change interventions; and responsible use of emerging technologies. It also welcomes implementation science, programme evaluation, scale-up, quality improvement, and research on translating effective nutrition interventions into routine practice.
Topic 6: Governance, Policy and Public Health
This topic addresses the political, institutional, legal, financial, and social conditions that shape nutrition and population health. Abstracts may examine nutrition policy design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation; multisectoral governance; food and health regulation; fiscal and trade policies; social protection; school nutrition; public procurement; food-based dietary guidelines; accountability; financing; advocacy; and community participation. Research that examines policy coherence, equity, power, commercial determinants of health, or evidence-to-policy pathways is encouraged.
Topic 7: Food Safety, One Health and Safe, Nutritious Food Systems
This topic focuses on protecting health and nutrition through safe food systems using a One Health approach that recognises connections among people, animals, plants, and the environment. It includes foodborne disease; microbiological, chemical, and physical food hazards; antimicrobial resistance; contaminants; food handling; hygiene and sanitation; safe complementary foods; food safety in informal markets; food safety regulation; risk communication; and food-safety capacity building. Studies linking food safety with nutrition security, livelihoods, trade, environmental health, and vulnerable populations are especially suitable. Food safety is increasingly recognised as integral to nutrition resilience and food security in Africa.
Topic 8: Indigenous Foods, Biodiversity, Culture and Food Sovereignty
This topic welcomes research on the role of indigenous, traditional, and underutilised foods in healthy, sustainable, culturally meaningful, and resilient diets. It includes food biodiversity; traditional food knowledge and practices; African food heritage; indigenous crops and animal-source foods; wild and cultivated foods; dietary diversity; local processing and value addition; consumer acceptability; ethical commercialisation; and protection of community knowledge and benefit-sharing. Abstracts that explore how indigenous food systems can contribute to nutrition security, livelihoods, climate adaptation, and food sovereignty are encouraged.
Topic 9: Climate Resilience, Nutrition Security and Humanitarian Action
This topic explores nutrition in the context of climate change, environmental shocks, disasters, conflict, displacement, and other crises. It includes climate-sensitive nutrition risks; droughts, floods, heat, and changing disease patterns; climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agriculture; resilient food supply chains; anticipatory action; emergency nutrition programming; humanitarian food assistance; refugee and displaced populations; social protection; and post-crisis recovery. Research on adaptation, mitigation co-benefits, local resilience, and protecting vulnerable groups against food and nutrition insecurity is welcome.

General Guidelines

Abstract submissions must be submitted online. Emailed submissions will not be accepted. The official Conference language is English.

Submissions can be of original research.

See below for more information.

  • Abstract submissions should be original, topical, and current.
  • The title of your abstract should not exceed 30 words.
  • The body text of your abstract should not exceed 500 words.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 28 February 2027.

Authors will be notified of acceptance by 25 May 2027.

If accepted, at least one of the listed authors must be registered and be in attendance to present your work.  Presenting authors should be registered by 25 July 2027.

The scientific programme committee will endeavour to schedule abstracts according to the author’s preference but reserves the right to decide on the final form.

Abstract Structure & Formating

Abstracts must be structured as follows:

  • Introduction
    Brief background to the research topic, clearly identifying the problem and the aim of the study.
  • Methodology
    A concise description of the study design, methods, and techniques used.
  • Results
    Clear and specific presentation of results obtained. Abstracts stating “results will be presented” or “will be discussed” will not be accepted.
  • Discussion and Conclusions
    Interpretation of findings, significance of results, and implications for clinical practice or future research.

Review and Selection

Abstract Review

All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the FANUS2027 Scientific Programme Committee. Abstracts will be evaluated based on scientific merit, relevance to the conference themes, clarity, and originality.

Notification of acceptance or rejection

  • All submitting authors will be informed in writing of the outcome of their abstract submission.
  • Only the submitting author will receive official correspondence and is responsible for informing co-authors.

Abstract withdrawal

An abstract may be withdrawn upon written request by the submitting author.

  • Requests must include the submitting author’s name and abstract title.
  • Withdrawal requests should be sent to: janine@soafrica.com