Promoting Health Equity for Vulnerable Groups in Low-Resource Settings
A Special Issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601) belonging to the section "Global Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 732
Editor
Interests: public health; health promotion; health systems; health policy and planning; healthcare; infectious diseases; nursing care; epidemiology; infection control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Health equity is a central pillar of global health, emphasizing fairness in access to care and outcomes across populations [1,2]. Vulnerable groups, including those in low-resource settings, rural communities, migrants, people with disabilities, and marginalized populations, face systemic barriers that exacerbate inequities [3,4]. Closing these gaps is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (health) and SDG 10 (inequality) [5]. From the Alma-Ata Declaration [6] to the Astana Declaration [7], global commitments have recognized equity as a foundation of universal health coverage (UHC). Yet, despite decades of progress, inequities persist in low- and middle-income countries [8]. This Special Issue aims to advance dialog and evidence on promoting health equity in low-resource settings and among vulnerable groups. We welcome contributions that address the following:
- Social and structural determinants of health inequities.
- Equity-oriented health financing and policy reforms.
- Culturally responsive health promotion and prevention.
- Digital and community-based innovations for underserved populations.
- Governance frameworks enabling inclusive health systems.
- Empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods).
- Policy analyses and equity-focused reviews.
- Case studies showcasing innovative practices.
- Theoretical and conceptual papers on equity and justice.
- Implementation research on scaling equity-promoting interventions in LMICs
We invite original research articles, systematic reviews, case studies, and policy analysis papers that address disease-specific health equity framed within the SDGs, including but not limited to the following:
- Communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria (SDG 3.3)
- Non-communicable diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes (SDG 3.4) [5]
- Maternal, neonatal, and child health inequities (SDG 3.1, 3.2)
- Mental health and substance use (SDG 3.4, 3.5)
- Health inequities in pandemic preparedness and universal health coverage (SDG 3.8, 3.d)
Reference
- Marmot, M.; Friel, S.; Bell, R.; Houweling, T.A.; Taylor, S.; Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Lancet 2008, 372, 1661–1669. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(08)61690-6.
- World Health Organization. A conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health. Available online: https://www.afro.who.int/sites/default/files/2017-06/SDH_conceptual_framework_for_action.pdf (accessed on 16 September 2025)
- World Health Organization. Equity, social determinants and public health programmes. Available online: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/44289/9789241563970_eng.pdf (accessed on 16 September 2025)
- E Kruk, M.; Gage, A.D.; Arsenault, C.; Jordan, K.; Leslie, H.H.; Roder-DeWan, S.; Adeyi, O.; Barker, P.; Daelmans, B.; Doubova, S.V.; et al. High-quality health systems in the Sustainable Development Goals era: time for a revolution. Lancet Glob. Health 2018, 6, e1196–e1252. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2214-109x(18)30386-3
- United Nations. Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Available online: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (accessed on 16 September 2025)
- World Health Organization. Declaration of Alma-Ata. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Primary Health Care, Alma-Ata, USSR, 6–12 September 1978; WHO: Geneva, Switzerland, 1978. Available online: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/starfield/declaration_alma… (accessed on 21 December 2022).
- World Health Organization, UNICEF. Declaration of Astana. Global Conference on Primary Health Care, Astana, Kazakhstan. Geneva: WHO; 2018. Available online: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/primary-health/declaration/gcphc-declaration.pdf (accessed on 16 September 2025)
- Victora, C.G.; Barros, A.J.; Axelson, H.; A Bhutta, Z.; Chopra, M.; França, G.V.; Kerber, K.; Kirkwood, B.R.; Newby, H.; Ronsmans, C.; et al. How changes in coverage affect equity in maternal and child health interventions in 35 Countdown to 2015 countries: an analysis of national surveys. Lancet 2012, 380, 1149–1156. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61427-5.
Prof. Dr. Takalani Grace Tshitangano
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- health promotion
- health policy and systems
- health program development and evaluation
- infection control
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
