Public Health is an international, multi-disciplinary peer-reviewed journal, published by Elsevier. It is one of the world’s oldest public health journals, having been in continuous publication since 1888.
Our impact
2024 Impact Factor
5-year Impact Factor
in Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
What does Public Health publish?
Public Health aims to publish international articles focused on all aspects of the science and philosophy of; public health, public health services and public health systems, seeking to challenge the status quo to improve the health and care of populations or communities.
The journal will publish robust and ethically sound articles of any study type whereby the focus is consistent with our aim.
Our topics
- Public health theory, models and frameworks
- Epidemiology – social and political
- Need or impact assessments with a strategic/population level focus
- Effectiveness, management and re-design of health and social care services/support, and wider determinant services such as education, welfare, employment services to improve public health
- Health Protection including control of communicable diseases
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- Development of public health programmes or interventions
- Public health governance, audit and quality
- Public health law and ethics
- Public health policy and comparisons
- Capacity in public health systems and workforce
What is the readership of Public Health?
The target market of the journal is researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who are engaged in public health policy and programmes, public health services and public health systems.
Latest calls for papers
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This special issue seeks to explore how AI can support prevention-focused public health, from early detection, risk and forecasting, to behavioural nudges or addressing the social determinants of health.
We aim to showcase innovative research and critical perspectives that look to explore how AI can not only treat or manage health but can prevent disease, reduce inequalities and promote well-being at scale.
Guest Editors include Dr Alisha Davies and Dr Elliott Roy-Highley.
The deadline for submissions to this special issue is 31st May 2026.
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Public Health invites submissions for a special issue dedicated to Integrated Care (IC), a concept that describes a collaborative model for organising healthcare systems, particularly for chronic disease management, that pulls together health systems, social science, managerial and patient-centred perspectives. Can IC be the centrepiece of health and social care reform?
Guest Editors include Ng Chirk Jenn and Low Lian Leng.
The deadline for submission to this special issue is 30th September 2026.
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Submit a paper
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Editorial Board
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Andrew Lee, Sheffield, UK
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Michael Taylor, University of Nottingham, UK
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Cathy Johnman, NHS Lanarkshire, UK
Evangelos Kritsotakis, University of Crete, Greece
Ryan Swiers, Sunderland City Council, UK
Perihan Torun, Istanbul Medipol University, Türkiy
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Syed Muslim Abbas, Primary Health Care Corporation, Qatar
Subhashis Basu, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, UK
Rachel Clark, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, UK
Efthalia Massou, University of Cambridge, UK
Fiona Robertson, NHS Lothian, UK
Danielle Solomon, University College London, UK
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John Beard, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, USA
Petri Böckerman, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Noriko Cable, University College London, UK
Linda Degutis, Yale School of Public Health, USA
John Goddeeris, Michigan State University, USA
Sian Griffiths, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Michael Kelly, University of Cambridge, UK
Giuseppe La Torre, Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy
Roger Magnusson, The University of Sydney, Australia
Susannah Mayhew, The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK
Gerry McCartney, University of Glasgow, UK
George Morris, UK
Mala Rao, Imperial College London, UK
Devi Sridhar, The University of Edinburgh, UK
John Wilkinson, UK
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Natalia Camicia, Managing Editor
Hannah Moore, Editorial Officer
Megan Stalham, Editorial Assistant