The 2015 African Journal Partnership Project Meeting in Malawi
In June 2015, editors from leading medical journals across Africa met with international counterparts at the Game Haven Lodge in Malawi to strengthen African medical research and amplify the continent's scientific voice.
Explore the MeetingImagine a conference room nestled within the serene Game Haven Lodge in Malawi's Chimwenya Game Park, where the morning air buzzes with more than just insects and birds. Here, over continental breakfasts, a different kind of continental connection is being forged. In June 2015, editors from leading medical journals across Africa met with their counterparts from prestigious international publications like JAMA and The New England Journal of Medicine. This was the 11th annual African Journal Partnership Project (AJPP) meeting, a vibrant gathering dedicated to strengthening African medical research and ensuring that valuable scientific findings from the continent reach the global stage 1 .
The significance of this meeting extended far beyond the picturesque setting. For years, valuable research conducted in African countries often remained invisible to the international scientific community, not because it lacked quality, but because African medical journals faced systemic challenges in distribution and recognition 2 .
The 2015 AJPP meeting in Malawi, with its theme "Promoting Scientific Integrity for African Medical Science and Journals," aimed to change this paradigm through a powerful formula: pairing African journals with international partners to build capacity, enhance quality, and amplify Africa's scientific voice 1 8 .
June 11-12, 2015
Game Haven Lodge, Bvumbwe, Malawi
The African Journal Partnership Project emerged in 2004 from a simple but powerful idea conceived by the Fogarty International Center (FIC) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in 2003 1 3 . They recognized that despite the wealth of health-related research being conducted across Africa, the continent's medical journals struggled with visibility, resources, and technical capacity.
The program's founding premise was that "valuable research being carried out in African countries is often not available to a wider international audience" 2 . A central goal has always been to strengthen participating African journals enough to be accepted into MEDLINE and other scholarly indexes, dramatically increasing the global visibility of African research 2 3 .
| African Journal | International Partner(s) |
|---|---|
| African Health Sciences (Uganda) | The BMJ |
| Ghana Medical Journal | The Lancet |
| Malawi Medical Journal | Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) |
| Mali Médical | Environmental Health Perspectives |
| Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences | Annals of Internal Medicine |
| Medical Journal of Zambia | New England Journal of Medicine |
| Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research | Ghana Medical Journal & The Lancet |
| Annales Africaines de Médicine | Mali Médical & Environmental Health Perspectives |
These partnerships were not about imposing Western publishing models, but rather about mutual learning and collaboration . As one participant noted, the enthusiasm in the meeting room was "lively and infectious," creating an atmosphere where knowledge flowed freely across continents 1 .
The 2015 AJPP meeting was hosted at Game Haven Lodge in Bvumbwe, Malawi, on June 11-12 1 . The venue provided a captivating backdrop for discussions that would shape the future of African medical publishing.
"I went into the venue with an open mind, expecting only that the conference would be educational... But thanks to the tangible buzz that could be felt from the very first interactions at breakfast on day one, this conference was not endured; it was savoured."
The meeting began with a keynote address from Professor Mfutso-Bengo, a bioethics specialist from the University of Malawi 1 8 . His presentation helped set the philosophical tone for the entire gathering by exploring the meaning of scientific integrity and ethical research reporting.
"that which you can see"
Chichewa word for "truth"
"to believe"
Foundation of ethical science
Reported receiving a high volume of submissions but facing associated problems, including "potential authors attempting to bribe their way into the journal" and "a relative lack of peer reviewers for the high volume of submissions" 8 .
Editor in Chief Aiah Gbakima explained that publishing activities had been at a standstill because the "entire editorial board has been deeply involved in the response to the Ebola outbreak" 8 .
Shared its success story: submissions had soared from 42 in 2008 to over 150 in 2015, and the journal had achieved its highest-ever impact factor of 0.837 4 .
Beyond formal presentations, the meeting featured interactive discussions about ethical implications of hypothetical publication-related scenarios and practical workshops on technical aspects of journal production 1 .
Participants learned what these organizational names and acronyms actually meant 1 .
The 2015 meeting's theme of "Promoting Scientific Integrity for African Medical Science and Journals" wasn't merely rhetorical—it represented a fundamental commitment to ensuring that African research meets the highest global standards while remaining relevant to local contexts 1 .
The discussions at the meeting highlighted how the AJPP had already contributed significantly to building research integrity capabilities across the continent 9 .
This focus on integrity helped address one of the subtle challenges facing African journals: the perception that local publications might be less rigorous than their international counterparts. By embedding ethical standards into the fabric of these journals, the AJPP was building confidence among African researchers that publishing locally didn't mean compromising on quality 7 9 .
The success of the AJPP partnership model became evident through both quantitative metrics and qualitative improvements in journal operations. The program's multidimensional approach addressed not just the technical aspects of publishing, but also the human and institutional elements necessary for sustainable operations.
| Area of Impact | Specific Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Submission Process | Increased manuscripts submitted; decreased acceptance rates; reduced time from submission to publication; increased international submissions |
| Technical Capacity | Implementation of web-based manuscript submission systems; decreased reviewer time from 3 months to 1 week for some journals; website development |
| Visibility & Recognition | Indexing in MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other international databases; higher Impact Factors; increased online presence |
| Capacity Building | Training for authors, reviewers, and editors; establishment of internships; participation in international editorial organizations |
Beyond these metrics, perhaps the most telling outcome was what participants came to call the "AJPP magic" – the program's remarkable ability to achieve significant impact with relatively limited resources 8 .
This magic was embodied by the passion and dedication of participants who, in the words of one representative, found the meeting refreshingly "wasn't even boring!" (as such meetings are supposed to be, right?)" 1 .
The AJPP identified several critical components necessary for strengthening medical journals in resource-limited settings. These elements formed a kind of "scientific toolkit" that enabled African journals to compete on the global stage:
| Toolkit Component | Function & Importance |
|---|---|
| Hardware & Software | Computers, printers, scanners provided to editorial offices to establish basic technological infrastructure 2 9 |
| Online Submission Systems | Web-based platforms like ScholarOne Manuscripts streamline peer review, reduce processing time, and facilitate international submissions 5 |
| Digital Preservation | XML conversion enables compatibility with PubMed Central and other archives, ensuring long-term accessibility of research |
| Business Planning Support | Workshops on sustainable business models help journals develop financial independence and long-term viability 2 7 |
| Training & Mentorship | Programs for authors, reviewers, and editors build local expertise and create a sustainable editorial ecosystem 2 9 |
| Internship Programs | Cultivate the next generation of editors, addressing critical succession planning needs 2 4 |
This comprehensive approach addressed both immediate needs (equipment) and long-term sustainability (training, succession planning). As the then-editor of Malawi Medical Journal noted, the internship program had been particularly successful, with intern Andrew Mataya showing "phenomenal passion, dedication, and commitment" that benefited the journal tremendously 4 .
Hardware, software, and online systems
Workshops, mentorship, and internships
Business models and strategic planning
The 2015 AJPP meeting in Malawi represented more than just another academic conference—it embodied a transformative approach to global scientific collaboration. By fostering genuine partnerships based on mutual respect and shared learning, rather than prescriptive solutions, the project demonstrated the power of relationship-driven development in scientific publishing 1 8 .
The progress achieved through these partnerships had tangible benefits for global health equity. As research from Malawi Medical Journal and other partner publications became more visible internationally, the unique health challenges and innovative solutions emerging from the African continent gained prominence in the global scientific discourse 4 7 .
Perhaps the most enduring legacy of the 2015 meeting was its contribution to creating a self-sustaining ecosystem of medical publishing in Africa. Through training programs, internships, and the cultivation of regional networks, the AJPP was building capacity that would extend far beyond the individual journals initially involved in the partnership 4 9 .
"The thread of the successes of the MMJ while I have been editor has been the African Journal Partnership Project."
The 2015 gathering in Bvumbwe demonstrated that with the right support, African journals could compete on equal footing with international publications while maintaining their distinctive focus on locally relevant health issues. In doing so, these journals have become powerful vehicles for ensuring that African research not only contributes to global science but directly benefits the communities where the research originates—truly making "choonadi" (truth) visible to all 1 .