BMC Public Health is calling for submissions to our Collection on HIV stigma, which remains a critical barrier to achieving optimal health outcomes for individuals living with HIV. Stigma undermines their quality of life, access to healthcare, and overall well-being. Despite significant advancements in treatment and prevention, discrimination and stigma continue to perpetuate fear, isolation, and misinformation within communities.

The urgency to address HIV stigma is heightened in the context of global health initiatives, as we strive for a more inclusive society where individuals living with HIV are empowered, well-informed, and treated with dignity. This Collection aims to gather cutting-edge research and diverse perspectives that illuminate the multifaceted nature of HIV stigma, highlighting the intersections of culture, policy, and public health that shape the experiences of those affected.

The Collection welcomes scholarship that not only documents stigma but also advances new ways of understanding and responding to it. We particularly invite work that examines stigma as a social, structural, and relational force that shapes care, rights, intimacy, and everyday life for people living with HIV.

The scope of this Collection encompasses a range of topics related to HIV stigma, including but not limited to:

• Qualitative research that foregrounds the knowledge, agency, and perspectives of people living with HIV and others affected by stigma
• Psychosocial dimensions of stigma experienced by people living with HIV
• The role of HIV awareness campaigns in combating stigma
• Innovative and community engaged approaches to measuring or addressing stigma
• Policy analyses addressing stigma in healthcare settings
• Intersectional analyses of stigma across gender, sexuality, age and migration, social, environmental or structural determinants of health contributing to discrimination
• Impacts of digital spaces, media narratives, and global health governance on stigma

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities. We strongly encourage submissions from the global south and from teams that include community partners and lived experience experts.

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.

Digital exclusion poses significant barriers to health equity, particularly in the context of an increasingly technology-driven healthcare landscape. Many individuals, especially from underserved communities face challenges in accessing digital health resources, including telehealth services, electronic health records, and health information online, alongside challenges from other social determinants of health. This Collection seeks to explore the intersection of digital health access and health equity, focusing on the disparities that arise from unequal access to digital tools and resources.

Addressing digital health exclusion is critical for promoting health equity and ensuring that all individuals can benefit from advancements in digital health. Recent strides in telehealth and digital health interventions have demonstrated the potential for technology to improve access to care, yet they also reveal significant disparities that must be acknowledged. By understanding the factors that contribute to eHealth disparities, we can develop targeted digital inclusion strategies that address the unique needs of diverse populations, ultimately fostering a more equitable health system.

Topics for submission include but are not limited to:

• Equitable digital health systems: policy, infrastructure, and community engagement
• Digital health access among underserved communities
• Digital literacy and health outcomes across diverse populations
• Innovations and implementation strategies for bridging digital health gaps in underserved communities
• Measuring and monitoring digital health disparities: metrics and methodologies

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

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.