The American Public Health Association is now accepting abstract submissions for oral and poster presentations for the Annual Meeting and Expo in San Antonio, TX, November 1 - 4, 2026. Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts on the meeting theme — Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan — and current and emerging public health issues.
Log in with your current APHA account (members and non-members) or create a new account if you have no previous account with APHA.
APHA 2026 will be an in-person meeting and selected presenters will be required to become a member of APHA, pay for registration, attend the meeting in-person and abide by any COVID-19 vaccination requirements. For general presenter questions, please email annualmeetingprogram@apha.org.
Abstract Submission Deadline — Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 11:59 PM (PDT). There will be no extensions.
Abstract Notification — Presenters will be notified of abstract status via email on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
Submission Rules
You do not have to be an APHA member to submit an abstract.
- If your abstract is accepted for presentation, the presenting author MUST become an individual APHA member and MUST register for the Annual Meeting. The membership requirement does not apply to APHA Learning Institutes faculty or invited session speakers.
- Abstract text is limited to 250 words or less, unless otherwise noted in a section’s Call for Abstracts.
- APHA does not accept abstracts or research from alcohol, tobacco, or firearms companies. Tobacco relationships are described as if you are employed, associated, or affiliated with a tobacco or non-therapeutic nicotine company or their subsidiaries, representatives, producers, wholesalers, retailers, associations, foundations, or trade organizations or received funding (direct or indirect) from a tobacco company to conduct this research.
- Accept/Reject notices will be sent to the individual listed as the presenter. It is the responsibility of the presenter to ensure that all authors are notified of the abstract status. Note: Only one author can present if the abstract is accepted.
- Abstracts submitted and accepted for the APHA Annual Meeting may not be presented at any other meeting or published prior to November 4, 2026.
Presenter Rules and Policies
- Presentations will be done in-person. Digital/Hybrid presentations are not available.
- Accepted presenters must abide by APHA’s policies and code of conduct rules (see 2026 Annual Meeting information).
- It is the policy of the American Public Health Association to hold events where physical and communication barriers do not exclude people with disabilities from attending and participating. Video presentations must include closed captioning for accessibility. See guidelines for creating an accessible presentation here.
- APHA records all oral presentations for on-demand viewing.
- Submission of an abstract constitutes a commitment by the presenting author to present the work in person if the abstract is accepted. If your plans change and you are unable to present, you must arrange for a qualified substitute presenter. If a substitute cannot be secured, please notify APHA at annualmeetingprogram@apha.org and include your abstract ID so that the abstract can be withdrawn.
- Presenters who fail to show up for their scheduled presentations without notifying the Program Chair of cancellation will not be permitted to present papers or posters at any APHA-sponsored meeting for two years following the "no-show."
- An author may not present more than three abstracts during an APHA Annual Meeting, and each abstract must be different. Duplicate submissions will not be accepted. Violators will be removed from the program.
- Presenters whose abstracts were accepted for presentation but subsequently withdrew their abstracts two or more times within the last five years will be excluded from the program.
- Certain member groups allow the submission of full session proposals that include four to five related abstracts on a shared topic. Since not all groups accept session proposals, please review the member group’s Call for Abstracts carefully. If session proposal instructions are not provided, the group is accepting individual abstracts only, which will be organized into sessions after review.
Review Process
- You may review, modify, or withdraw your abstract any time before Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 11:59 (PDT) by logging back into the abstract submission site. Check your email for the link or click on the link on the top right of the abstract submission page.
- Each abstract will be blind reviewed by the 2026 Review Committee, and decisions to accept or reject abstracts rest with the Program Chair of your member group.
- Presentation format and scheduling (date and time) will be determined by the Program Chair. Preferred presentation formats may be indicated upon submission but cannot be guaranteed.
Continuing Education Credit Guidelines
- APHA values the ability to provide continuing education credit to physicians, nurses, health educators, and those certified in public health at its annual meeting. Complete all required information when submitting an abstract, so credit can be claimed by attendees. These credits are necessary for attendees to keep their licenses and credentials. For a session to be eligible for continuing education credit, EVERY presenter, panelist, discussant, and/or faculty member must follow these guidelines:
- Do not use trade names or commercial product names.
- Include at least one measurable objective: Use ONLY the following measurable action verbs: Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List. Do not use (a) unmeasurable objectives such as “to understand” or “to learn” or (b) compound objectives.
- Submit a signed conflict of interest disclosure form with a relevant qualification statement (short biography).
For general inquiries regarding continuing education credit and/or conflict of interest statements, contact Education@apha.org.
Example of Acceptable Biographical Qualification Statement:
"I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the epidemiology of drug abuse, HIV prevention and co-occurring mental and drug use disorders. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies for preventing HIV and STDs in out-of-treatment drug users."
Begin your submission.
From the list below, select the APHA member group/topic area that best aligns with your work. If your abstract is accepted, it will be scheduled under that program. Once you select a program, a new window will open to begin the submission process.
- Read and follow the instructions provided by the specific member group.
- If you have questions about the submission process, email the program planner. Contact information is listed below.
Tip: APHA suggests that abstracts be developed and finalized off-line in a program such as Microsoft Word for ease of editing and then copied into the online submission form.
