Editorial Policy

African Journal of Health and Medical Sciences (AFJHMS) is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of editorial integrity and scholarly publishing. The journal follows the principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and adheres to the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) best practices.

1. Editorial Independence

The editorial team of AFJHMS operates independently, ensuring that editorial decisions are based solely on the academic merit, relevance, and quality of the submitted manuscripts. The editorial board is free from any influence by publishers, sponsors, or other external entities.

2. Peer Review Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent reviewers who are experts in the relevant field. The reviewers' feedback is used to guide editorial decisions, which include acceptance, revision, or rejection of the manuscript.

3. Ethical Considerations

AFJHMS is committed to ethical publishing practices. Authors must adhere to ethical guidelines, including obtaining necessary ethics approvals for research involving human or animal subjects. The journal employs plagiarism detection software to ensure the originality of submissions.

4. Confidentiality

The editorial team ensures the confidentiality of the submitted manuscripts during the review process. Reviewers and editors must not disclose any information about a manuscript to anyone other than those involved in the review process.

5. Conflict of Interest

All members of the editorial board, reviewers, and authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. If a conflict is identified, appropriate steps will be taken to manage or eliminate it, ensuring the integrity of the editorial process.

6. Corrections, Retractions, and Appeals

AFJHMS is committed to correcting errors in published articles. Authors are expected to cooperate in prompt correction or retraction of errors. The journal provides a process for authors to appeal editorial decisions or address ethical concerns.

7. Transparency and Accountability

The editorial board is committed to transparency in the editorial process and accountability for all decisions made. The journal publishes annual reports on its editorial activities, including acceptance rates, review times, and other relevant metrics.

8. Open Access Policy

AFJHMS is an open-access journal, meaning all articles are freely available online immediately upon publication. The journal does not charge any article processing charges (APCs), as costs are covered by Jamhuriya University of Science and Technology, Mogadishu, Somalia.