Public Humanities is a new international open-access, cross-disciplinary, peer-reviewed journal at the intersection of humanities scholarship and public life. The journal invites proposals for themed issues that pose urgent questions on contemporary public issues that require rigorous and relevant humanities knowledge.
The journal invites submissions for the upcoming Themed Issue Global Health Solidarity, which will be Guest Edited by Prof. Caesar Alimsinya Atuire and Dr. Julian Natukunda.
Abstract submissions will be accepted from 1 June 2025 to 30 October 2025.
The deadline for submissions (final articles) is 30 May 2026.
Description
Solidarity has long been invoked as a moral imperative in global health, a guiding principle in times of crisis, and a bridge across health inequalities. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the recent monkeypox outbreaks, the rhetoric of solidarity has shaped discussions on pandemic preparedness, vaccine nationalism, equitable resource distribution, and global cooperation. However, amid changing geopolitical landscapes, weakening multilateral ties, and shifting patterns of global health investment, translating solidarity into meaningful and transformative action remains a significant challenge.
When enacted meaningfully, solidarity holds transformative potential. It has been theorised as a key mechanism for advancing health justice, decolonising global health governance, and rebalancing power dynamics in international cooperation, particularly in bridging health disparities between the Global North and South.
Yet, a persistent issue is the ambiguity surrounding what solidarity truly means and what its practical demands should be in global health. Its conceptualisation and practice are often shaped by the positionality of those defining and enacting it. If the positionalities are entrenched, negotiating a shared understanding to inform fair practice is almost impossible. This paves the way for ideological impositions and practices that are sometimes harmful. The ambiguities associated with the conceptualisation of solidarity must be clarified to verify, measure, or prove its practice.
This themed issue seeks to deepen and clarify the conceptualisations and practices of solidarity, exploring how it is operationalised or undermined across different sectors and governance structures. In this volume, the contributors will share perspectives on solidarity from the viewpoints expressed in the Global North and South. We invite interdisciplinary submissions from scholars, policymakers, and practitioners across various academic and professional backgrounds, and early-career researchers.
This issue offers a unique opportunity to engage with a critical global health concern, and produce a masterpiece that will serve as a reference document on solidarity and provide descriptors of a measuring tool that could be used to assess the practice of solidarity by global health policymakers and programme implementers.
Authors have the option to submit any of the following article types:
| Article type | Length | Abstract required | Description |
| Article | 6,000-8,000 words | Yes | Presents original research findings according to the typical research article format. |
| Roundtable | No more than 4,000 words (per contribution) | Yes | Considers the current ‘state of the field’, or reflects on seminal events or processes, or explores different methodological approaches or potential avenues for future research. Workshops or conferences often provide the initial stimulus for roundtables. |
| Case Study | No more than 8,000 words | Yes | An article that provides an in-depth, detailed examination of a particular case within a real-world context. |
Submission guidelines:
Abstract submission
We invite the submission of abstracts, which will be peer reviewed as the first stage of the process. Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be invited to submit a full article.
Please submit your abstracts to globalhealthsolidarity@ug.edu.gh by October 30, 2025.
Full paper/article submission
All submissions should be made through the Public Humanities online peer review system. Author should consult the journal’s Author Instructions prior to submission. The deadline for submissions (final articles) is 30 May 2026.
Submissions should be written in accessible language for a wide readership across and beyond the humanities. Articles will be peer reviewed for both content and style. Articles will appear digitally and open access in the journal.
All authors will be required to declare any funding and/or competing interests upon submission. See the journal’s Publishing Ethics guidelines for more information.
Contacts
Prof. Caesar Alimsinya Atuire
Email: caesar.atuire@ndm.ox.ac.uk or caatuire@ug.edu.gh
Questions regarding peer review can be sent to the Public Humanities inbox at publichumanities@cambridge.org
Guest Editors
Prof. Caesar Atuire is a Ghanaian philosopher and health ethicist, currently the Ethics and Governance Lead for the MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine and Co-Associate Director of Oxford Global Health. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the University of Ghana, and President of the International Association of Bioethics (2024–2026). Caesar leads a global Wellcome Discovery Award project on solidarity, aiming to explore conceptualisations of solidarity and develop a solidarity index for global health funders. His work blends conceptual and empirical bioethics, with a focus on solidarity, decolonisation, and rethinking ethical frameworks to address inequities in global health.
Dr Julian Natukunda is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford with a PhD in International Health. Her work on the Global Health Solidarity project aims to advance the development of a pioneering solidarity index to inform global health research and funding. With expertise in health communication, implementation science, and knowledge translation, Julian bridges research and practice through strategic stakeholder engagement and research uptake. Her work reflects a deep commitment to reimagining global health through inclusive, equity-driven approaches.