BMC Global and Public Health is calling for submissions to our Collection on implementation science in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Implementation science, crucial for achieving health-related United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focuses on bridging the gap between evidence-based practices and their real-world application by practitioners and policymakers. This interdisciplinary approach aims to maximize the impact of evidence-informed interventions, acknowledging the contextual differences between high-income countries (HIC) and low- and middle-income countries. While theories and frameworks from HIC may not directly apply to LMIC contexts, there is a need to amplify insights from LMIC implementation science studies to ensure progress towards global health goals.

Health interventions would never reach their expected impact unless wisely implemented. Implementation science refers to the study of methods that facilitate the uptake of evidence-based practice into regular use by practitioners and policymakers and is increasingly recognized as important for achieving health-related United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It seeks to close the gap between what is known and what to do, thus improving health services and outcomes through an interdisciplinary approach. Successful implementation strategies could maximize the beneficial impact of evidence-informed interventions (including programs, policies, and practices) at scale in real-world contexts. Given the extent to which context shapes implementation, implementation science may be highly contextualized, and concepts, principles, and methods from one setting may not be readily transportable to another. This should be considered when comparing implementation science studies from high-income countries (HIC) and low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This is why certain implementation science theories, models, and frameworks developed in HIC are only readily applicable in LMIC with further adaptations. However, inherent publication biases that advantage academic cultures, philosophies, and systems from HIC have limited the visibility of implementation science studies from LMIC and insights into how the field has differentially evolved in LMIC, where more progress for achieving the UN SDGs is still needed.

The limited insights from LMIC may have further impacted our understanding of how implementation science can be applied to achieve health equity – since addressing health inequities is a major priority in resource-limited settings, where most of the LMIC population resides.

To capture global efforts and novel approaches in this multidisciplinary area, BMC Global and Public Health is pleased to announce a call for papers for our upcoming Collection entitled ‘Evolving implementation science concepts and methods in low- and middle-income countries’, guest edited by Dr Olakunle Alonge, from the Sparkman Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA and Dr Meredith B. Brooks, PhD, MPH, from the Boston University School of Public Health, USA.

We are now inviting the submission of Research, Comment, Review, and Opinion articles of outstanding interest covering the breadth of multidisciplinary studies, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and multi-methods studies that apply concepts and methods from implementation science to improve health services and outcomes, especially health equity, in LMICs. We envision this work advancing the growth of the field of implementation science globally.

We encourage submissions that address the following themes:

New concepts, theories, or frameworks for implementation science in LMIC contexts

New methodology that advances implementation evaluation and mechanisms investigation

Implementation trials and hybrid implementation-effectiveness trials for public health intervention

Pilot/feasibility studies of full-scale implementation projects

Studies of adaptation and implementation of evidence-based public health interventions in LMIC

Explorations of sociocultural factors for successful implementation of public health projects

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

We encourage work from local, regional, and global partnerships and collaboration among scientists from multidisciplinary fields using multiple methodologies. Please note that we are not able to consider studies that are too clinically focused. We further ask that authors be attentive to the use of non-stigmatizing/preferred language in their manuscripts as outlined in relevant language guidelines for their respective fields.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer-review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

BMC Global and Public Health is calling for submissions to our Collection on One Health, recognizing the intricate interconnection between human, animal, plant, and environmental health in addressing complex global health challenges. The One Health approach, championed by quadripartite organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE), and the World Health Organization (WHO), seeks to unite various sectors and disciplines to tackle issues ranging from biodiversity preservation to food security and infectious disease control.

Effectively tackling complex global health problems increasingly necessitates the recognition that the health of humans, wild and domestic animals, plants, and the broader environment are inextricably interconnected. One Health as an approach to support health across humans, animals, and the wider environment brings together sectors and disciplines at local, national, and international levels to preserve biodiversity, prevent and respond to emerging infectious diseases, mitigate climate change impacts, and support food security, among others.

In 2022, the quadripartite organizations—FAO, UNEP, WOAH (formerly OIE), and WHO—launched the One Health Joint Plan of Action to advocate and support One Health initiatives at the global, regional, and national levels. The corresponding implementation guide was launched in 2023. While One Health approaches continue to be adopted, significant barriers to effective implementation remain, including challenges in coordination and collaboration across sectors, difficulties in data-sharing and the lack of regulatory frameworks, and unequal and inequitable access to resources.

BMC Global and Public Health is s pleased to announce a call for papers to capture novel perspectives in One Health implementation to address global health threats. The upcoming collection entitled ‘Beyond disciplinary silos: Intersectoral collaboration for One Health implementation’ will be guest edited by Dr Mauricio Coppo and Dr Angeline Ferdinand from the University of Melbourne, Australia. We envision this work to inform future research, frameworks, intervention development, and policy.

This special collection invites the submission of Research, Comment, Review, and Opinion articles that highlight One Health approaches incorporating collaborative efforts between human, animal and/or environmental sectors. This special collection seeks to advance our understanding of how best to foster policy and operational environments that support successful advances in addressing health challenges at the intersection between humans, animals, and the environment. While taking an explicitly intersectoral approach, articles may tackle a broad range of issues and challenges. This may include:

Initiatives to facilitate sharing surveillance data across sectors

Intersectoral cooperation in the areas of food security, environmental conservation, or infectious disease surveillance

One Health strategies for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response

One Health initiatives to address and reduce antimicrobial resistance

One Health for food safety, food security, and sustainable food production

Evaluation of One Health initiatives or programs and relevant facilitators or challenges

Impacts of climate change on patterns of infectious disease

Development of governance mechanisms to facilitate One Health pathogen genomics for surveillance

Interventions underpinned by the One Health Joint Plan of Action to address health threats to humans, animals, plants, and the environment

Strategies to foster improved intersectoral governance and shared decision-making

Development of One Health policy to improve human, animal, and environmental health

Please note that all articles must include a human health aspect, and Research articles must include human health data in their analysis. We encourage work from local, regional, and global partnerships, collaboration among stakeholders from multidisciplinary fields, and the use of multiple methodologies. We ask that authors be attentive to the use of non-stigmatizing/preferred language in their manuscripts as outlined in relevant language guidelines for their respective field.

We encourage work from local, regional, national, and global partnerships and collaboration among multidisciplinary scientists using multiple methodologies. We ask that authors be careful to use non-stigmatizing/preferred language in their manuscripts as outlined in relevant language guidelines for their respective fields.

Contributions to this Collection will provide valuable insights to guide policy-making and practical solutions in public health. We invite researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share evidence that advances our understanding of how to better predict and mitigate the impact of infectious diseases on populations, especially those disproportionately affected by health inequities.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer-review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.