We received notification on 15 March, 2023, that Clarivate has discontinued coverage of IJERPH due to the journal failing the Content Relevance criterion. On the 31 March, we formally appealed the decision. Unfortunately, on 15 June, we were informed that Clarivate would uphold their original decision.

While this outcome is disappointing for IJERPH, as well as for our authors, academic editors, and the entire scientific community supporting our journal, we see it as an opportunity to reflect and prepare for the future direction of the journal.

On 5 July, Prof. Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou, the founding Editor in Chief of IJERPH, along with five Section Editors in Chief, gathered with us in Basel to discuss the future of the journal. The meeting provided an opportunity to propose best strategies that will ensure high scientific rigor as well as a clear scope and aim of IJERPH. 

Since its launch in 2004, IJERPH's vision and mission have evolved to be more complete and comprehensive in engaging scientific communities. In light of this, we will take the necessary time to refresh the journal's aims and scope, ensuring they align with the organic expansion of IJERPH. Additionally, we will restructure the journal sections into broader categories, encouraging collaborative research and transdisciplinary approaches for authors. We are confident that these next steps will enhance the scientific strength and societal impact of our journal.

We believe this is an exciting moment for IJERPH to explore new ideas and further evolve. We extend our gratitude to the Editorial Board and authors for their unwavering support during this restructuring phase.

We would like to highlight some of the remarkable achievements of IJERPH to date:

• Founded by Prof. Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou in 2004
• Indexed in PubMed in 2008
• Received its first Impact Factor in 2012
• Published its 5000th paper in 2017
• Over 60,000 papers published as of June 30, 2023
• 131,628,173 paper views in 2018-2022
• Over 28,000 mentions in prominent news outlets
• 17,000 papers cited 10 times or more as of June 30, 2023
• No.1 journal in the 2022 Google Scholar Metrics in the category of Public Health
• Awarded several editions of Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards since 2018.

These achievements demonstrate the journal's significant contributions to the field and its impact on global health. We are proud of the exceptional work accomplished by the IJERPH editorial board and journal team and look forward to building upon this success in the years to come.

Stay tuned for further updates on the aims and scope of IJERPH.