The Lancet, we hope, is at least partly known for being committed to supporting global health research and policy. Publication last year of a series of colossal research papers on the global burden of disease was just one example of our enthusiasm. But there is another side to global health—the work of researchers in low-income and middle-income countries who address urgent domestic concerns that don't always make it onto the front pages of general medical journals. The treatment of a little-known yet devastating childhood infection in Papua New Guinea; the delivery of antiretroviral treatment by nurses in South Africa; diabetes case management by rural health workers in Iran. All these research topics, and more, deserve high-profile dissemination.
In order to expand our capacity to publish high-quality, locally relevant, robustly designed research, we are delighted to announce the forthcoming launch of The Lancet Global Health. This latest addition to The Lancet's family of specialty journals will be an online-only open-access journal—there will be no need to subscribe or to register to read any of the content, authors will retain copyright, and reuse will be permitted by means of Creative Commons licensing. An article-processing fee will be levied on acceptance to cover editorial and production costs.
We invite submissions of original research on any aspect of global health; please submit your paper through our online submission system EES. The Lancet's usual rigorous standards of peer review and technical editing will apply.