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 manuscripts 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 accessible, acceptable, and sustainable health care for migrants and refugees. Migration, referring to the movement of people from one place to another, either across or within state borders, is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. It can occur due to various factors, including economic opportunities, persecution, war, conflict, and environmental changes. Mass migration poses significant challenges to the health and well-being of migrants and refugees, as they often face barriers to accessing quality healthcare services and are at increased risk of physical and mental health issues.

In October 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) published its first-ever global research agenda on health, migration and displacement. The agenda prioritized the generation of evidence on inclusive universal health coverage and primary health care among these unresearched groups. It was also highlighted that multisectoral research is needed to address the determinants of health for migrant populations. By strengthening equitable and inclusive research collaborations, novel evidence and knowledge obtained could hopefully be translated into policy and practice that improve health and healthcare services for migrant populations.

In response to this global research agenda and to capture global efforts and novel approaches in this multi-disciplinary area, BMC Global and Public Health is pleased to announce a call for papers for our upcoming collection entitled ‘Making health care more accessible, acceptable and sustainable to migrants and refugees', guest edited by Dr. Wen Chen, from the School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, China.

This call for papers seeks to advance our understanding of the health needs and experiences of migrants and refugees and the strategies and approaches that can make health care more accessible, acceptable, and sustainable for migrants and refugees.

We are now inviting the submission of manuscripts of outstanding interest covering the breadth of multi-disciplinary studies, ranging from observational to interventional, that are focused on migrant and refugee health and health care. We envision this work to inform future research, frameworks, intervention development, and policy.

We encourage submissions that address the following themes:

Health disparities and inequalities among migrants and refugees

Barriers to accessing healthcare systems for migrants and refugees

Mental health and psychosocial well-being of migrants and refugees

Infectious diseases and public health challenges in migrant and refugee populations

Innovative models and approaches of health care delivery for migrants and refugees

Policy and advocacy efforts to improve migrant and refugee health

We encourage work from local, regional, and global partnerships and collaboration among scientists from multi-disciplinary 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 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.