Author Guidelines

African Health Frontier welcomes high-quality, original submissions that contribute to advancing health research, innovation, and practice in Africa. We accept manuscripts from researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and innovators worldwide, with a strong preference for African-led or Africa-focused research.

1. Manuscript Types Accepted

• Original Research Articles (5,000–8,000 words)
• Review Articles (Systematic, Scoping, or Narrative) – up to 10,000 words
• Short Communications / Brief Reports (2,000–3,500 words)
• Case Studies (Clinical, Policy, or Implementation) – 3,000–5,000 words
• Perspectives / Opinion Pieces (1,500–3,000 words)
• Policy Analyses and Commentaries

2. Submission Requirements

All manuscripts must:

• Be original and not under consideration elsewhere
• Follow the journal’s formatting guidelines
• Include a clear statement on ethical approval (where applicable)
• Be written in clear, grammatically correct English (British or American)

Manuscript Preparation

• File format: Microsoft Word (.docx)
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced
• Margins: 2.5 cm (1 inch) on all sides
• Include line numbers
• Abstract: 250–300 words (structured for research articles)
• Keywords: 4–6 keywords
• References: APA 7th edition style
• Figures and Tables: Placed at the end or embedded with captions

All manuscripts must be in English. Authors whose first language is not English may want to have their manuscript professionally edited before submission to improve readability.

Word Processing Formats: Acceptable formats for your manuscript are Word (DOC, DOCX).

Article Length: Articles should be between 5000 and 8000 words in length. This includes all text, for example, the structured abstract, references, all text in tables, and figures and appendices.

Abstract: All articles must have a structured abstract that states in 250 words or fewer the purpose, methodology, findings, originality, and research implications of the study.

Keywords: Please provide up to 10 keywords on the title page which encapsulate the principal topics of the paper.

Citations and References: Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts conform to the journal citation style. All references must be complete and accurate.

Figures and Tables: Include all figures and tables in the manuscript PDF file. Figures and tables should not be submitted in separate files.

Submission Process

Submission: Manuscripts should be submitted online. The submission system will prompt you to enter the necessary information about your manuscript.

Peer Review: The journal operates a double-blind peer review process. Authors must ensure that their names and affiliations do not appear anywhere in the manuscript.

Revision: Based on the feedback received from the reviewers, authors may be required to revise their manuscripts.

Acceptance and Publication: Authors will be asked to complete a ‘Journal Publishing Agreement.

Peer Review Process

African Health Frontier operates a double-blind peer review system to ensure the highest standards of scholarly quality, fairness, and objectivity.

Overview of the Review Process

1. Initial Editorial Screening All submitted manuscripts are first reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or assigned Handling Editor to determine suitability for the journal. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s scope, formatting requirements, or minimum quality standards may be desk-rejected at this stage. This process usually takes 1–2 weeks.

2. Double-Blind Peer Review Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers (usually three for research articles).

   • The identities of the authors are concealed from the reviewers.
   • The identities of the reviewers are concealed from the authors. This ensures unbiased and objective evaluation.

3. Reviewer Evaluation Reviewers are asked to evaluate manuscripts based on the following criteria:

   • Originality and scientific contribution
   • Methodological rigor and soundness
   • Relevance to African health contexts and development priorities
   • Clarity of presentation and quality of writing
   • Ethical compliance and data integrity
   • Practical or policy implications

   Reviewers provide detailed comments and recommend one of the following decisions:

   • Accept as is
   • Minor revisions
   • Major revisions
   • Reject

4. Editorial Decision The Editor-in-Chief or Handling Editor makes the final decision based on the reviewers’ reports. Authors receive the reviewers’ comments and a clear editorial decision letter.

5. Revision and Re-submission Authors are usually given 2–4 weeks (depending on the extent of revisions) to address reviewers’ comments. Revised manuscripts may be sent back to the original reviewers for further evaluation if necessary.

6. Final Acceptance and Production Once the manuscript meets all quality standards and revisions are satisfactorily completed, it is accepted for publication. The article then moves to copyediting, typesetting, proofreading, and online publication.

Average Timeline

• Initial screening: 1–2 weeks
• First round of peer review: 4–6 weeks
• Revision period: 2–4 weeks
• Final decision to publication: 2–3 weeks

Target average time from submission to first decision: 6–8 weeks Target average time from submission to final publication: 3–4 months

Key Features of Our Review Process

• Rigorous and constructive feedback aimed at improving manuscript quality
• Diversity of reviewers (African and international experts)
• Rapid review for timely and urgent topics (where possible)
• Transparency — Authors receive full reviewer reports
• Ethical standards — The journal strictly follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines

Appeals Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief. Appeals are reviewed carefully by a senior editorial member.