Submissions

Author Guidelines

All Authors are required to register on our journal management system to submit a manuscript or, if already registered, can simply log in and begin the submission process.

Authors are encouraged to carefully review the following submission guidelines before submitting a manuscript to the Health Press. Manuscripts that do not comply with these requirements will be returned to the authors for revision and resubmission prior to further consideration.

Download Instructions for Authors

Criteria for Publication 

1. Appropriateness
   Submissions should focus on original research, disease outbreak investigations, public health surveillance activities, or interventions aimed at detecting, preventing, or responding to public health events in Zambia. Articles must be relevant to a wide range of stakeholders, including district, national, and global public health professionals, policymakers, clinicians, researchers, academics, and both traditional and social media audiences.
2. Originality
   Submissions must present original content. Articles should not reproduce previously published information, including existing guidelines or recommendations. All articles will be subjected to plagiarism checks using appropriate software.
3. Scientific Quality
   Articles must be grounded in sound scientific methodology and supported by sufficient and relevant data to address the public health issue under consideration. Appropriate guidelines need to be followed, such as STROBE for observational studies, CONSORT for randomised clinical trials, and PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
4. Timeliness
   Submissions should include the most current data available from surveillance systems, surveys, or studies. Priority is given to articles based on ongoing or recently completed investigations. Data currency requirements are as follows:
   
   • Outbreak investigations: Data should be no more than 10 months old at the time of submission.
   • Surveillance data: Should not be more than 10 years old.
   • Other types of data: Should be no older than 3 years.
5. Clarity
   Manuscripts should follow the principles of plain language (see: plainlanguage.gov). Content should be concise, well-organized, and written with the reader in mind. Use terminology that is appropriate for both local and international audiences. Minimize the use of acronyms and abbreviations, and ensure they are clearly defined on first use.

Review Process

All reports submitted to The Health Press must initially be screened and approved by the editorial team. Once screened and approved, manuscripts will be forwarded for double-blinded peer review by a subject-matter expert, in which both the authors’ and reviewers’ identities are concealed. Authors will be invited to respond to reviewers' comments within a stipulated time frame. Acceptance for publication will be based on the recommendations at least three (3) reviewers and the editorial team following completion of the review process. Final approval for publication will be granted by the Editor-in-Chief.