Advancing Scholarship on the Politics of Health
An international, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to understanding how political processes, institutions, and power structures shape health outcomes worldwide.
Aims & Scope
Health Politics provides a multidisciplinary platform across political science, public health, sociology, economics, and ethics to advance scholarly understanding of how political processes, institutions, ideologies, and power structures shape health outcomes, health systems, and population well-being.
Our scope encompasses the political determinants of health; comparative and global health policy; governance and accountability in health systems; social movements and civil society; the political economy of health and welfare; and ethical and normative dimensions of health decision-making. We welcome submissions that bridge disciplines, incorporate historical or cross-national perspectives, and strengthen the evidence base for equitable and sustainable health policies worldwide.
Why Publish With Us
100% Gold Open Access
All articles are freely available upon publication under a Creative Commons (CC BY) license, maximizing your research impact.
No APCs (Launch Waiver)
No Article Processing Charges will be applied until the journal is indexed in Scopus/ESCI, supporting authors worldwide.
Rigorous Peer Review
All research manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review to ensure quality, fairness, and constructive feedback.
Call for Papers: Inaugural Issue
We are soliciting outstanding manuscripts for publication in Volume 1, Issue 1 (Spring 2026).
The inaugural issue will feature in-depth research exploring 'The Resilience of Public Health Systems in Times of Political Turmoil', focusing on the role of health policy and institutional governance during political and social crises.
We welcome all manuscript types (especially Original Research Articles and Theoretical Articles) that align with the journal's Aims & Scope.
📅 Submission Deadline: December 31, 2025
Editorial Leadership
Editors-in-Chief
Carles Muntaner, MD MHS PhD
University of Toronto, Canada
A world-renowned authority on the political determinants of public health, with over two decades of contributions to the study of inequality and health disparities.
Haejoo Chung, RPh, MSc, PhD
Korea University, South Korea
An expert in healthcare system governance, actively engaged in research on health policy and pharmaceutical regulation in East Asia.
Associate Editors
Being updated...
- Virginia Gunn – Cape Breton University, Canada
- Lauri Kokkinen – Tampere University, Finland
- Edwin Ng – University of Waterloo, Canada
- Rozina Somani – University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Editorial Board
Being updated...
- Seye Abimbola – University of Sydney, Australia
- Clare Bambra – Newcastle University, UK
- Insa Linnea Backhaus-Hoven – Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
- Joan Benach – Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain
- Bo Burström – Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
- Patrick Fafard – University of Ottawa, Canada
- Pablo Gálvez Fernández – University of Toronto, Canada
- Benjamin Goodair – The London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
- Patrick Hassenteufel – University of Versailles/Sciences Po, France
- Wonmo Jang – Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
- Helen Jordan – University of Melbourne, Australia
- Rockli Kim – Korea University, Republic of Korea
- Julia Lynch – University of Pennsylvania, USA
- Shai Mulinari – Lund University, Sweden
- Laura Sochas – University of Edinburgh, UK
- Monika Steffen – Grenoble Alpes University, France
- Young-jeon Shin – Hanyang University, Republic of Korea
Editorial Consultants
A panel of distinguished experts offering advisory input on emerging topics, ethical standards, and regional representation.
- Saerom Kim – Inje University, Republic of Korea
- Daseul Moon – People's Health Institute, Republic of Korea
Reviewer Guidelines
We rely on the expertise and generosity of our reviewers to maintain the quality and integrity of Health Politics. These guidelines outline our expectations and appreciation for your vital contribution.
Our Review Philosophy
Our goal is to provide authors with constructive, high-quality feedback, even if a manuscript is not accepted. We ask that all reviews be:
- Constructive: Feedback should be actionable, helping the author to improve their work, whether for this journal or another.
- Collegial & Respectful: We adhere to a professional, non-adversarial tone. Please critique the work, not the author.
- Timely: We are committed to providing authors with efficient decisions, which depends on the timeliness of your report.
Responsibilities & Ethics
We adhere to the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines for peer reviewers.
- Conflict of Interest (COI): Please decline to review if you have a competing interest (e.g., recent co-authorship, direct financial stake, close personal relationship, or are in direct competition). If unsure, please contact the Editorial Office.
- Confidentiality: Manuscripts are confidential. Please do not share, discuss, or use the content of the manuscript before publication. Our process is double-blind; please do not attempt to identify the author.
- Suspected Misconduct: If you suspect plagiarism, fabrication, or other ethical concerns, please contact the handling Associate Editor directly and privately.
Target Timelines
- Invitation Response: We ask for a response to review invitations within 3-5 days.
- Review Submission: We typically request that reviews be completed within 14-21 days.
- Extensions: We understand that schedules are demanding. If you require an extension, please request one through the submission system or by emailing the editor as soon as possible.
Reviewer Recognition
High-quality peer review is essential, and we are committed to recognizing this contribution. We offer formal recognition of your work through services like ReviewerCredits and/or Publons (part of Web of Science) and provide official certificates of appreciation upon request.
Editorial Process & Peer Review
Our editorial process ensures timely, fair, and rigorous evaluation of all submissions. Explore our review timelines and ethical standards below.
Service Level Targets (SLA)
We are committed to timely decisions. These are our target timelines from submission:
Note: Full peer review times may vary based on reviewer availability and manuscript complexity. Major revision authors are targeted 8–10 weeks for reply; minor revision authors 3–4 weeks.
Publication Ethics & Integrity
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Peer Review Standard
All research manuscripts utilize a double-blind review process to ensure impartiality and maintain a constructive tone in feedback.
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Research Integrity
We adhere to the spirit of COPE/ICMJE guidelines and require full disclosure of funding sources and author conflicts of interest (COI) statements.
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Transparency
We actively encourage data/code availability or a clear statement explaining any restrictions on sharing, to strengthen cumulative science.
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Conflict of Interest (COI)
Submissions involving any Editorial Board member are handled by a different editor to ensure impartiality; an audit trail is maintained for all COI routing.
Journal Policies
A comprehensive overview of our governing policies, standards, and operational details.
Technical Infrastructure & Discoverability
Technical Design and Infrastructure Plan: Ensuring long-term access, indexing, and optimal search engine performance.
- Archiving: Implementation of LOCKSS/CLOCKSS or Portico for permanent digital preservation, guaranteeing access even if the journal ceases publication.
- Discoverability (SEO): The website will implement dedicated academic SEO strategies, ensuring metadata is optimized for indexing by major platforms (Google Scholar, etc.) via CrossRef/DOI.
- Submission System (OJS): Manuscript submission and peer review will be managed via an external Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform for standardized workflow.
- Data Interoperability: Provision of API and data feeds to enable seamless synchronization with institutional repositories and research platforms.