By: Henrietta Avollah Afful
The Society for AIDS in Africa, (SAA), has launched a new scientific journal on the sidelines of the ongoing ICASA 2025 conference in Accra. The publication, named the African Journal for AIDS and Infectious Diseases (AJAID), aims to advance research and promote knowledge sharing on HIV and other infectious diseases across the continent.
AJAID is designed as a continental, peer-reviewed platform that enables African researchers to publish evidence-based studies on HIV and AIDS, emerging infections, and related public-health challenges.
According to SAA, the journal will prioritize locally relevant science and help bridge the longstanding gap in Africa-led research output.
Speaking at the launch event held at the John Dramani Mahama Room at the Conference Center, AJAID Comittee Chairperson, Nigeria, Prof. Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan congratulated the Society for AIDS in Africa for its bold initiative. She described the launch as a significant milestone in the history of Africa’s scientific community.
“We are not just attending a conference, we are witnessing the birth of a new vessel for African Scientific execellence” Prof. Morenike Folayan said.
She emphasized that the journal represents more than just an academic publication, calling it “a new vessel for African scientific excellence.”
“For too long, the story of HIV and AIDS and other infectious diseases in Africa has been told through the lens that are not our own. While we value global collaboration, there is an undeniable necessity for a platform that prioritises the African context, one that provides a dedicated space for high quality, locally relevant research that directly informs our policies and practises. The African Journal for AIDS and Infectious Diseases in Africa is that platform. This journal is not merely a collection of articles, it is a strategic tool designed to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and public health impact.” Prof. Morenike Folayan added.
Prof Folayan emphasized that AJAID is not merely a collection of articles but a strategic tool aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The journal is anchored on four core pillars:
SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: AJAID aims to connect African researchers with global partners, fostering both north-south and south-south collaborations, and strengthening institutional research capacity.
SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being: By rigorously vetting and publishing breakthrough research on HIV/AIDS and co-infections, AJAID seeks to accelerate the deployment of life-saving treatments and prevention strategies across Africa.
SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: Through an open-access model, the journal ensures that researchers at all career stages, from early-career scientists to established experts, can contribute, democratizing the production of knowledge.
“Health inequalities is often fuelled by a lack of access to knowledge, and by providing an open and accessible platform for the African researchers, ranging from early-career scientists to established experts, we are democratising the production of knowledge.” she added.
Equity and Interdisciplinary Excellence: The journal will support interdisciplinary research, capacity-building initiatives, and the development of Africa-specific solutions to infectious disease challenges.
Prof. Folayan noted that AJAID will begin as a P-1 level journal, facilitating rapid indexing in major databases such as PubMed. She invited researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and community advocates to submit manuscripts, reviews, and case studies to help build a lasting repository of African knowledge.
For his part, SAA President, Dr. David Pagwesese Parirenyatwade, welcomed the initaitive, noting that while Africa bears a disproportionate burden of HIV/ AIDS, research reflecting the continent’s socio-cultural, economic, and structural realities often struggles to gain international visibility and influence.
He emphasized that AJAID will foster collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and health institutions, strengthen research capacity, and generate evidence to guide interventions, treatment protocols, and public health policies.
The launch of the bilingual journal concluded with the unveiling of AJAID’s logo and website by ICASA officials, signaling a new chapter in Africa’s health research and response efforts.
