About the Journal

Introduction

Global South Health Horizons (GSHH) is an international, multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the Centre for Epidemiology and Clinical Research (CECR) and dedicated to advancing health research with a focus on evidence from and for the Global South. Published under the highest ethical and academic standards, GSHH serves as a platform for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to share innovative, impactful, and contextually relevant health solutions. Our mission is to bridge health disparities by amplifying underrepresented voices in global health discourse while maintaining rigorous scientific integrity.

Aim and Scope

GSHH aims to:

  • Publish high-quality, evidence-based research with direct relevance to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
  • Amplify voices from the Global South in global health discourse.
  • Promote health equity by prioritising studies addressing systemic gaps in healthcare access, delivery, and policy.
  • Become the leading international journal for disseminating high-quality, innovative research in the basic medical sciences with an emphasis on evidence generated from and relevant to the Global South.
  • Cover a broad spectrum of health disciplines, including:
    • Public Health & Epidemiology
    • Clinical Medicine & Surgery
    • Nursing and Allied Health
    • Decolonising Global Health
    • Health Systems Strengthening and Resilience
    • Infectious Diseases and Emergency Preparedness
    • Non-Communicable Diseases
    • Maternal, Child, & Adolescent Health
    • Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-being
    • Environmental & Occupational Health
    • Social Determinants and Structural Inequities
    • Digital Health & Innovations
    • Traditional & Complementary Medicine
    • Climate Change and Planetary Health
  • ·       A section, Basic Medical Sciences, dedicated to original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, short communications, methods papers, and perspectives in the following core areas:

o   Anatomy and Morphological Sciences

o   Physiology and Functional Biology

o   Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

o   Medical Microbiology and Parasitology

o   Immunology and Host–Pathogen Interactions

o   Pharmacology and Toxicology

o   Cell and Developmental Biology

o   Genetics and Genomics

o   Neuroscience (basic research)

o   Experimental Pathology

Article Types Accepted

  • Original Research
  • Systematic & Narrative Reviews
  • Case Reports & Series
  • Brief Communications
  • Editorials & Perspectives
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Methodological Papers (Basic Medical Sciences)
  • Basic Translational Research (Basic Medical Sciences)

Open Access Policy

  • Immediate & Barrier-Free Access: All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and adaptation with proper attribution.
  • Author Rights: Authors retain copyright while granting the journal a non-exclusive publishing license.
  • Funding Model: Article Processing Charges (APCs) apply only after a manuscript has been accepted for publication.

    • No Article Processing Charges (APCs) for the first year to encourage submissions from LMIC researchers. Post-2025, a tiered fee structure will apply based on country income classification.

    • For manuscripts with a Nigerian corresponding author, the APC is ₦125,000.

    • For corresponding authors from other Global South Countries, the APC is USD 200.

    • For authors from other regions, the APC is USD 500.

  • Publication Frequency: Annual publication of three issues each in February, June and October.

Online ISSN (e-ISSN): International Standard Serial Number specifically assigned to the electronic version of the journal. e-3093-0014 

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Professor Olumide Abiodun, Centre for Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Nigeria. 0000-0002-3458-8776; 

 Editorial Advisors

Professor Akindele Adebiyi, University of Ibadan, Nigeria 0000-0003-1869-7910

Professor Olusoji Daniel, Team4Health, United States 0000-0002-1594-1984; 

Associate Editors

Professor Philip Adebayo, Aga Khan University, Tanzania 0000-0003-0194-6968

Dr Özge Karanfil, Koc University, Turkey 0000-0002-2319-0818

Dr Hassan A. Farman, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Iraq 0000-0001-6825-6502

Dr Atinuke Olaleye, Associate Clinic Wetaskiwin, Canada 0000-0003-4935-3926

Dr Haider Al-Ghanmi, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq 0000-0002-6078-3145

Dr Redha AlRedha, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Iraq 0009-0005-6774-5036

Dr Oluwafemi Kale, Klinikum der Universität München, Germany 0000-0003-2965-1723

Editorial Assistant

Ms Brightlyn Ekpeakhena, Centre for Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Nigeria

Editorial Policy

  • Ethical Compliance: Adheres to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.
  • Editorial Independence: Decisions are based solely on scientific merit, originality, and relevance, free from commercial or institutional influence.
  • Originality and Prior Publication: All submissions must be original and not under consideration, peer review, or accepted by any other journal. Additionally, no significant portion of the data presented in the submission should have been published previously. By submitting their work, authors confirm their adherence to these guidelines.
  • The journal will accept negative results studies so long as scientific merit, originality, and relevance are confirmed.
  • Diversity & Inclusion: The Editor-in-Chief oversees the editorial board, comprising experts from comprises experts from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and allied Global North partners.

Peer Review Policy

  • Double-Blind Review: Ensures impartiality (authors and reviewers remain anonymous).
  • Rigorous Evaluation: Minimum of two independent reviewers per manuscript, with a third reviewer for contentious decisions.
  • Fast-Track Option: Expedited review for time-sensitive public health research.

Peer Review Process

  1. Initial Screening (7 days): Checks for scope, plagiarism (<15% similarity), and formatting.
  2. Peer Review (4–6 weeks): Reviewers assess methodology, significance, and clarity.
  3. Editorial Decision: Accept/Revise/Reject, with detailed feedback.
  4. Post-Review: Revised manuscripts may undergo re-evaluation.
  5. Final Decision & Publication.

Peer Review Flowchart

Academic Fraud Policy

  • Zero Tolerance: Plagiarism, data fabrication/falsification, or duplicate submission leads to immediate rejection, retraction, blocklisting and institutional notification.
  • Screening Tools: Turnitin and/or iThenticate for plagiarism checks.
  • AI-generated content must be declared.
  • Retraction: The journal will retract articles when clear evidence demonstrates that the findings are unreliable due to misconduct (e.g., data fabrication or plagiarism) or honest error, following COPE guidelines.

Appeal and Complaint Policy

  • Appeals: Must be submitted within 30 days with a point-by-point rebuttal.
  • Complaints: Investigated by the Ethics Committee; resolved within 21 days.
  • Appeals and complaints to gshh@cecr.com.ng

Conflict of Interest Policy

  • Journal aligns with the ICMJE conflict of interest policy
  • Full Disclosure is required from authors, reviewers, and editors.
  • Management Strategies:
    • Exclude conflicted reviewers.
    • Recuse the involved editors from decision-making.

Digital Archiving and Repository Policy

  • Long-Term Preservation: All content is archived in LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, and Portico using the Open Journal System (OJS).
  • Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs): Assigned via CrossRef for permanent citation.
  • Authors are permitted to deposit all versions (including submitted, accepted, and published) of their articles in institutional and other repositories of their choice without an embargo.

Copyright Policy

  • Author Ownership: Authors retain copyright under CC BY 4.0 but grant the journal a non-exclusive publishing license.
  • Preprints: Encouraged (e.g., medRxiv, ResearchSquare), provided they are disclosed during submission.

Disclaimer Policy

  • Views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the journal’s stance.
  • No Liability: GSHH is not responsible for clinical decisions based on published content.