THE HEALTH OF DISPLACED PEOPLE: A CHALLENGE FOR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH

About this call for papers
This call for papers is led and funded by the European Educational Programme in Epidemiology (EEPE) in collaboration with the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), and combined with the “Rodolfo Saracci Best Paper Award 2025”.
All accepted papers will be published Open Access and free of any Article Processing Charges. The best paper will receive a cash award (CHF 3’000).
The manuscript Submission Deadline is 30 June 2025. Manuscripts accepted for publication by 31 May 2025 will automatically enter the competition for the “Rodolfo Saracci Best Paper Award 2025”.

Context
Rodolfo Saracci’s editorial, published in IJPH, sets the context for this call. As emphasized by Saracci, humanitarian crises leading to displacement entail a wide range of “exodus hazards” that potentially impact health and health systems before, during, and after the displacement.

It is estimated that there are currently at least 110 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Epidemiological and other scientific investigations are needed to characterize their health status and the pathogenic short- and long-term role of “exodus hazardous”, and to identify circumstances and interventions that favour or hamper the provision of health services, at least of the most basic kind. Because of their mobile character, the study of displaced populations is problematic. The topic is therefore relatively understudied, even compared with studies of stabilized, non-forcibly migrant populations.

Submissions that address topics relevant to Rodolfo Saracci’s editorial are welcome. This is a joint special issue of PHR and IJPH. For PHR, we invite high-quality Reviews (all types) and Policy Briefs. For IJPH, we invite Original Articles.

Rodolfo Saracci Best Paper Award 2025 (CHF 3’000)
The Guest Editorial Board (GEB), led by Rodolof Saracci, will act as the jury for the award. Decisions made by the GEB are final. The winner may opt for a cash award of CHF 3’000, a donation to a proposed charity, or a full APC waiver for one manuscript in IJPH or PHR (valid until the end of 2026).

Further information
IJPH and PHR double-blind peer-review and author guidelines apply. Submitted manuscripts must fully comply with the IJPH/PHR rules for article type, length and format (please consult the information for authors on the IJPH or PHR website). Submissions that are not considered to fit the call by the Guest Editor-in-Chief will be assessed for suitability as regular submissions to IJPH and/or PHR.

Please submit the complete manuscript. Abstract submissions will not be accepted for this call. In case of acceptance after peer review, articles will be published in the online special issue approximately 3 weeks after acceptance.

Contact:
IJPH Editorial Office: ijph@swisstph.ch
PHR Editorial Office: phr@swisstph.ch

Article types and fees

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Commentary
• Editorial
• Guidance
• Hints and Kinks
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Original Article
• Policy Brief
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Commentary
• Editorial
• Guidance
• Hints and Kinks
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Original Article
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Society Statement
• Systematic Review
• Theory & Concept
• Young Researcher Editorial