Lancet Public Health

About Lancet Public Health

About The Lancet Public Health

The Lancet Public Health is the flagship public-health journal of The Lancet family of journals, published monthly by Elsevier. It is a fully gold open access journal devoted to advancing public-health research, policy and practice, with an explicit mission to use science to improve health equity and social justice. The journal's print-free, online-only format reflects its commitment to making high-quality public-health evidence immediately and freely available to researchers, policymakers, clinicians and the public worldwide.

The journal carries the international standard serial number ISSN 2468-2667 (electronic, ISSN-L 2468-2667) and is published from the United Kingdom under the Elsevier imprint. Like the other specialty journals in The Lancet Group, it operates to The Lancet's editorial standards, is a signatory to the ICMJE recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing and publication of scholarly work in medical journals, and follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) code of conduct for editors.

In a relatively short publishing history, the journal has become one of the most cited venues in its field. According to the journal's own reporting of the 2025 Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate 2026), The Lancet Public Health ranks third among 443 journals in the "Public, Environmental & Occupational Health" category, and it ranks first among 725 journals in the equivalent Scopus category. That combination — gold open access, The Lancet's editorial infrastructure, and citation performance at the top of its field — makes it a distinctive venue for population-health research with policy ambitions.

History: a new journal for a new era in public health

The Lancet Public Health launched in 2016, with its first issue published in November 2016 (Volume 1). The launch editorial, titled "A new journal for a new era in public health," framed the new title as a response to a field in rapid transformation: public health was being reshaped by globalization, new data sources and methods, the Sustainable Development Goals agenda, and growing attention to equity and the social determinants of health. The Lancet's ambition was to create a dedicated home for the best public-health research — research that could inform policy and, ultimately, advance the health of the public.

The founding Editor-in-Chief is Audrey Ceschia, who had joined The Lancet Group in 2008 as a Senior Editor and has led the journal since its launch in 2016 from Barcelona, Spain. Her stated editorial commitment is to tackle the most pressing and neglected issues across all aspects of public health, in line with The Lancet's values and vision of using science as a means to improve health equity. From launch, the journal took a broad and inclusive approach to public health, actively welcoming interdisciplinary research that crosses the boundaries between epidemiology, social science, health economics, environmental science and clinical medicine.

The journal's early issues reflected that multidisciplinary ambition. The launch editorial highlighted inaugural studies on mathematical modelling of HPV vaccination effects for policy makers, the links between economic opportunity and health in the United States, and the association between socioeconomic status and HIV treatment outcomes in the United Kingdom — studies designed to add reliable evidence to policy debates. That pattern has continued: the journal has become a prominent outlet for research on COVID-19 control strategies, dementia forecasting, adverse childhood experiences, and other population-health topics with direct policy relevance.

Aims and scope

The journal's stated commitment is to tackle the most pressing issues across all aspects of public health, with a strong emphasis on using science to improve health equity and social justice. It takes a deliberately broad and inclusive view of public health and is interested in interdisciplinary research that can advance public-health policies and outcomes.

The journal publishes a range of content types, including original Articles, Reviews, Comments and Correspondence. Across these formats, it looks for work that can advance public-health policy and practice — from epidemiological research and modelling studies to policy analysis, health-economics evaluations and commentaries on contested public-health questions. The topical range evident in its published record includes infectious-disease control, chronic-disease prevention, mental health, health equity and the social determinants of health, environmental health, substance use, and health-system performance.

Because it sits within The Lancet family, the journal also benefits from The Lancet Group's global visibility infrastructure: the group reports millions of alert subscribers, hundreds of thousands of annual media mentions across its journals, and active podcast and webinar programmes — channels through which high-profile public-health papers can reach audiences well beyond academia.

Editorial leadership and governance

Editor-in-Chief: Audrey Ceschia (The Lancet Group, Barcelona, Spain). She joined The Lancet Group as a Senior Editor in 2008 and has been the founding Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Public Health since its 2016 launch. Her editorial programme centres on pressing and neglected public-health issues and on health equity.

Senior Editors: Shangrong Han (The Lancet Group, Beijing, China), who joined the journal in 2026 after work at The Lancet Digital Health and The Lancet Global Health, with interests in health equity and research that improves clinical practice and health policy; and Sophie Howard (The Lancet Group, London, UK), who joined at the start of 2024 after doctoral and postdoctoral research in microbiology and currently holds leave status. Both profiles are published on the journal's official about page.

The journal is supported by an International Advisory Board of key opinion leaders and researchers from around the world. The board provides subject, academic and geographical advice on an ad hoc basis when requested by the editorial team; members have no formal involvement in content selection or peer review and no editorial oversight of any journal section. The Lancet Group additionally appoints an Ombudsperson to record and, when required, investigate allegations of editorial maladministration, with files freely open to inspection.

Editorial decision-making follows The Lancet Group's stated standards: the Editor-in-Chief is the final arbitrator of all decisions, including whether a paper goes to peer review, publication decisions in light of reviewers' remarks, scope and commissioning choices, and appeals. Editors may not submit research articles to Lancet journals and must exclude themselves from decisions on papers in which they or their family, colleagues or institutions have a vested interest.

Metrics and rankings

The Lancet Public Health is among the most highly ranked journals in public health. The journal's official about page reports the following, attributed to the 2025 Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, released 2026) and to Scopus:

• 3rd of 443 journals in the Journal Citation Reports category "Public, Environmental & Occupational Health" (2025 JCR, Clarivate 2026).
• 1st of 725 journals in the Scopus category covering public health, environmental and occupational health.

The journal's about page does not publish a standalone Journal Impact Factor number, so readers seeking the current figure should consult the Journal Citation Reports directly. Third-party metadata aggregators variously report historical impact-factor and H-index figures; these should be treated as secondary sources, not as the journal's own statements. The journal itself notes that the Journal Impact Factor and CiteScore are just two measures of a journal's performance, and it points readers to additional impact metrics.

For context from open bibliometric data, OpenAlex records roughly 1,666 works and more than 112,000 citations for the journal's source record, with an OpenAlex-computed H-index in the 150s. OpenAlex metrics are computed differently from SCImago metrics and the Clarivate Journal Impact Factor, and should not be conflated with them.

Open access policy and article processing charges

The Lancet Public Health is a gold open access journal. All content — including Reviews and Comments, not only original research articles — is published under a gold open access licence and is immediately and freely available to anyone. Authors retain copyright of their work, and articles are published under a Creative Commons licence (the Directory of Open Access Journals lists CC BY, CC BY-NC and CC BY-NC-ND licence options for the journal).

The article processing charge (APC) applies only to full-length articles that undergo peer review. The journal states that the APC supports the costs of publishing, including internal and external peer review, technical copy editing, typesetting and graphics, online hosting, archiving and promotion, and that it is paid by authors, their institutions or their funding bodies upon acceptance.

On fees and waivers, the journal states that ability to pay should never be a barrier to publication and that waivers and discounts are available. The Directory of Open Access Journals lists a publication fee of up to US$5,780 for the journal, with a waiver policy reported. APC figures change over time and may be subject to taxes and institutional arrangements; authors should confirm current fees, waiver eligibility and licence terms with the publisher before submission. The journal is digitally preserved through CLOCKSS and Portico, and articles carry DOIs via Crossref.

Abstracting and indexing

According to the journal's official about page, The Lancet Public Health is indexed by the following abstracting and indexing services:

• Crossref
• Current Contents – Clinical Medicine
• Current Contents – Social & Behavioral Sciences
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
• Embase
• Essential Science Indicators
• GoOA (National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
• MEDLINE
• OAJ (OA Journal Index, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
• PubMed
• Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE)
• Scopus
• Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)

Indexing in both MEDLINE/PubMed and the major citation indices (SCIE, SSCI, Scopus) means published work is discoverable across the principal biomedical and social-science literature databases.

Landmark papers

The following highly cited articles, all published in The Lancet Public Health, illustrate the journal's influence. Each DOI below was verified as resolving (HTTP 200) in the Crossref registry on 2026-10-11, with bibliographic details drawn from the Crossref record.

1. "Estimation of the global prevalence of dementia in 2019 and forecasted prevalence in 2050: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019" — Nichols E, Steinmetz JD, Vollset SE, et al. (2022). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00249-8. This Global Burden of Disease analysis projected the trajectory of dementia prevalence to mid-century, becoming one of the most cited papers in the journal's history (over 4,700 citations recorded in Crossref).
2. "The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis" — Hughes K, Bellis MA, Hardcastle KA, Sethi D, Butchart A, Mikton C, et al. (2017). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30118-4. This systematic review synthesized evidence linking cumulative adverse childhood experiences to adult health outcomes, and has been cited more than 4,600 times.
3. "The effect of control strategies to reduce social mixing on outcomes of the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan, China: a modelling study" — Prem K, Liu Y, Russell TW, Kucharski AJ, Eggo RM, Davies N, et al. (2020). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30073-6. Published early in the COVID-19 pandemic, this modelling study assessed how physical-distancing and control measures would alter the epidemic's course in Wuhan, informing policy discussion worldwide (over 1,400 citations).

The journal's COVID-19 portfolio more broadly — including prospective cohort studies of infection risk among front-line health-care workers — attracted exceptional attention during the pandemic, consistent with the journal's aim of publishing research that can directly inform policy.

More influential articles

Beyond the landmark papers above, several other Lancet Public Health articles have become widely cited reference points in their areas (DOIs verified in Crossref, HTTP 200, 2026-10-11):

• "Prevalence, risk factors, and management of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in adults aged 60 years or older in China" — Jia L, Du Y, Chu L, et al. (2020). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30185-7 (over 1,650 citations). A large-scale epidemiological study mapping dementia burden in China, informing national prevention and care strategies.
• "Risk of COVID-19 among front-line health-care workers and the general community: a prospective cohort study" — Nguyen LH, Drew DA, Graham MS, et al. (2020). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30164-X (over 1,650 citations). An early-pandemic prospective study quantifying elevated infection risk among health-care workers, with direct implications for protective-equipment policy.
• "Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among older Americans" — Santini ZI, Jose PE, York Cornwell E, et al. (2020). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30230-0 (over 1,400 citations). A study linking social disconnectedness to mental-health symptoms in older adults — emblematic of the journal's attention to the social determinants of health.

Together, these papers illustrate the journal's signature profile: large-scale, policy-relevant population research on topics — dementia, pandemic risk, social isolation — where evidence can change how health systems act.

Publishing in The Lancet Public Health: guidance for authors

As a highly selective, top-ranked journal, The Lancet Public Health expects submissions to demonstrate both scientific rigour and clear relevance to public-health policy or practice. The following guidance reflects the journal's stated editorial processes and policies:

• Scope fit: The journal takes a broad, inclusive view of public health and welcomes interdisciplinary research. Papers should address population-health questions — epidemiology, prevention, health policy, health economics, environmental and social determinants — and explain their implications for policy or practice. Off-scope manuscripts are typically desk-rejected.
• Article types: Original Articles, Reviews, Comments and Correspondence. The APC applies only to peer-reviewed full-length articles.
• Peer review: Manuscripts undergo internal review by the editorial team followed by external peer review. The DOAJ record notes anonymous peer review, with an average reported submission-to-publication time of around 23 weeks (an average, not a guarantee).
• Authorship and ethics: As an ICMJE signatory and COPE adherent, the journal applies standard requirements on authorship, conflicts of interest, ethical approval and reporting guidelines. The journal screens for plagiarism.
• Open access compliance: All content is gold open access under a Creative Commons licence, with authors retaining copyright — a configuration compatible with most funder open-access mandates. Manuscripts are accepted in English.
• Submission: Manuscripts are submitted through the publisher's online system linked from the journal's homepage at thelancet.com.

The journal does not publish an official acceptance rate. Given its ranking (3rd of 443 in its JCR category), authors should expect intense competition and submit only their strongest, most policy-relevant work.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ISSN of The Lancet Public Health?
The electronic ISSN is 2468-2667 (ISSN-L 2468-2667).

Who publishes The Lancet Public Health?
It is published by Elsevier as part of The Lancet Group of journals.

When was The Lancet Public Health launched?
The journal launched in 2016; its first issue appeared in November 2016 (Volume 1).

Who is the Editor-in-Chief?
Audrey Ceschia, who joined The Lancet Group in 2008 and has been the founding Editor-in-Chief since the journal's 2016 launch.

Is The Lancet Public Health open access?
Yes. It is a gold open access journal: all content is immediately and freely available under a Creative Commons licence, and authors retain copyright. The APC applies only to peer-reviewed full-length articles.

What is the article processing charge?
The journal states that waivers and discounts are available and that fees should be confirmed with the publisher; the Directory of Open Access Journals lists a fee of up to US$5,780. Figures change over time, so verify the current quotation before submitting.

How is the journal ranked?
Per the journal's official about page: 3rd of 443 journals in "Public, Environmental & Occupational Health" (2025 Journal Citation Reports, Clarivate 2026) and 1st of 725 in the corresponding Scopus category.

Where is the journal indexed?
MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Embase, DOAJ, Current Contents and Crossref, among others.

How do I submit a manuscript?
Through the publisher's online submission system, linked from the journal's homepage at thelancet.com; manuscripts are accepted in English.

Does the journal publish COVID-19 research?
Yes — the journal published influential COVID-19 studies during the pandemic, including modelling of control strategies in Wuhan and cohort studies of health-care-worker risk, consistent with its policy-focused mission.

Sources and verification notes

Facts in this profile are drawn from official sources: the journal's about page (thelancet.com/lanpub/about), the launch editorial "A new journal for a new era in public health" (The Lancet Public Health, Vol 1, November 2016), the Directory of Open Access Journals journal record, the NLM/DOAJ metadata, and the Crossref registry (for article DOIs, verified 2026-10-11). Bibliometric ranks are as reported by the journal itself with attribution to Clarivate and Scopus. Where a figure is not published by the journal or publisher — such as an acceptance rate or a standalone impact-factor number — this profile says so explicitly rather than supplying an unofficial value.