RSTMH announces new journal title and Co-Editors in Chief
The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) is delighted to announce the title of its new journal, Artificial Intelligence in Global Health, alongside the appointment of its Co-Editors-in-Chief, Dr Peiling Yap and Rohit Malpani.
Building on the success of our Special Collection on AI and Global Health, Artificial Intelligence in Global Health will be the only publication dedicated exclusively to advancing research and discourse on the role of artificial intelligence in global health.
The journal will cover all types of AI systems and their application across global health research, delivery, and policy making, including research and development, translation, biomedical informatics, diagnostics, treatment, surveillance, and policy making. AI has implications in all areas of health, from maternal health to elderly care, infectious and non-communicable diseases, acute and chronic conditions, and we welcome submissions across this range of disciplines.
By bringing together diverse perspectives and evidence, we hope to showcase and encourage discussions and shared learnings around the benefits and risks, ethics, and issues of equitable access and adoption, regulations, and utilisation of AI in global health contexts.
Whilst the journal welcomes submissions from authors worldwide, authors will be encouraged to demonstrate how their research contributes or can be applied to improving health outcomes, systems, or policies in low- and middle-income countries to ensure the journal's relevance to global health priorities.
“Given the transformative power of artificial intelligence in shaping our societies and healthcare systems, it has been described as both the greatest equalizer and divider of our time,” said Dr Peiling Yap, Co-Editor-in-Chief. “With the launch of Artificial Intelligence in Global Health, we are committed to spotlighting work that advances equitable access and adoption of AI in healthcare. I am honored to serve in this role and look forward to collaborating with my co-editor, RSTMH, and the global community to bring high-quality research and thought-provoking perspectives to the field.”
Rohit Malpani, Co-Editor-in-Chief, added: “I am honored to partner with my co-editor-in-chief and the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene to build this journal into a home for the global health community. My hope is that Artificial Intelligence in Global Health will serve as a catalyst for contributors—particularly from low- and middle-income countries—to lead the design and implementation of AI in ways that strengthen public health and safeguard the rights, interests, and values of the populations they serve.”
The journal is due to launch and open for submissions in May 2026. Launch events, and more information on how to submit to the journal, will be announced in the coming weeks.
If you are interested in submitting to the journal, reviewing for the journal, or joining the editorial team, please contact RSTMH Managing Editor Tom Pinfield at thomas.pinfield@rstmh.org.
Rohit Malpani is an independent consultant who focuses on the ethical use of artificial intelligence for health, the development of and access to antibiotics for global health, and strengthening access to medicines. He is currently an advisor to the World Health Organization, the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership, and occasionally for philanthropies and non-governmental organizations. Previously, Mr Malpani was the Director of Policy and Analysis for the Medecins Sans Frontieres Access Campaign, and a senior advisor to Oxfam. He started his career as an attorney for the law firm Wilson Sonsini. Mr Malpani has a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the New York University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Rice University. He is currently completing a Doctorate in medical ethics for the University of Nuremberg Erlangen. He published his first book (with a co-author) in February 2026 entitled Pharma Monopoly: The Battle for the Future of Medicines.
Dr. Peiling Yap is a pharmacist and infectious-diseases epidemiologist by training, with more than 15 years of experience in the global and public health sectors in several settings around the world. Dr. Yap is currently the Chief Scientist of HealthAI – The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health, a not-for-profit based in Geneva, where she is responsible for knowledge synthesis and training curriculum development for regulators and policymakers to strengthen their capacity to regulate AI in health, leveraging globally-defined Responsible AI standards, processes and tools. She is also leading on the establishment of HealthAI’s Community of Practice which aims to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among diverse stakeholders on the implementation of regulatory mechanisms and global standards for Responsible AI in health.
We at RSTMH were deeply saddened to hear that Professor Sir Nicholas White died a few days ago. Sir Nicholas was a distinguished clinician and scientist who was internationally recognised as the leading figure in improving the treatment of malaria worldwide, and his work has made a lasting contribution to global health research.
