AJHESP Scope

AJHESP publishes scholarship at the intersection of health economics, health systems, and health policy in Africa and comparable settings. Before submitting, authors should confirm that their manuscript satisfies all three dimensions of the journal's scope: the E (Economics), the S (Systems), and the P (Policy). A manuscript that is strong in one dimension but absent from another may be returned at the desk-review stage.

E — Economics: Does your paper have an economic dimension?

The Economics dimension does not require a specific quantitative method. AJHESP applies a broad definition: a paper has an economic dimension if it engages with resource allocation, costs, financing flows, incentive structures, value for money, expenditure analysis, insurance design, or the economic consequences of health policy decisions. Formal economic evaluation (cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, cost-benefit) clearly qualifies. Similarly, qualitative and mixed-methods studies analyse the economic dimensions of health system behaviour.

Examples of papers that qualify:

• A cost-effectiveness analysis of a vaccine programme in a low-income setting
• A qualitative study on why households do not enrol in health insurance, examining economic barriers
• An analysis of domestic resource mobilisation for health in Francophone West Africa
• A modelling study projecting the fiscal impact of UHC reforms
• A policy analysis of health budget execution and leakages at subnational level

Examples of papers that do not qualify:

• A clinical trial with no economic analysis or costing component
• An epidemiological study reporting disease burden without a financing or policy dimension
• A nutrition intervention study with no engagement with health system economics

S — Systems: Does your paper engage with at least two WHO health system building blocks?

AJHESP uses the World Health Organization’s six health system building blocks as its systems framework. To qualify under the Systems dimension, a manuscript must engage substantively with at least two of the six building blocks. Authors are required to identify which building blocks their paper engages with on the title page. Engagement means the building block is central to the research question, the analysis, or the findings — not merely mentioned in passing.

P — Policy: Does your paper engage with policy implications?

AJHESP is a policy-facing journal. This means that every paper submitted to AJHESP should clearly demonstrate the implications of its research for policy. This applies to all submissions, including theoretical and methodological papers.

• Level 1 — All papers: Every submission must include a clear statement of policy implications. Even primarily theoretical or methodological contributions must explain how their findings connect to health system decision-making in African or comparable settings. A methods paper that has no connection to a real health system problem is not within scope. A theoretical paper that develops an analytical framework should explain what that framework enables policymakers or planners to do differently.
• Level 2 — Policy Paper article type: Authors submitting under the Policy Paper article type must go further. They must identify the specific policy question being addressed, the decision-makers or institutions for whom the findings are relevant, and what action the evidence supports. Vague or generic recommendations are not accepted under this article type.

A paper meets the policy relevance requirement if it:

• Analyses a policy decision, reform, or intervention and its consequences
• Produces evidence that would be useful to a health ministry, finance ministry, or planning body
• Examines the political economy or governance dimensions of a health financing or systems problem
• Develops or applies a method that improves policy-relevant measurement or evaluation in African health systems
• Provides a comparative analysis of policy approaches across countries, regions, or settings
• Is primarily theoretical or methodological but includes a substantive discussion of policy implications

A paper does not meet the policy relevance requirement if it:

• Has no identifiable connection to health system decision-making, even in its implications
• Produces findings that are entirely context-free with no application to any specific health system
• Addresses a clinical question with no system-level, financing, or policy dimension

Self-Assessment Tip: If you are unsure whether your paper meets the policy relevance requirement, ask: would a health ministry adviser, a finance ministry analyst, or a planning officer find this paper directly relevant to a decision they are facing? [cite: 48] If yes, you are likely in scope. If the honest answer is no, reconsider the framing of your manuscript before submission.