Fast-Track Health, a global health organization supporting urban and national stakeholders to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), today announced its new Journal of Fast-Track Health. The new peer-reviewed, open-access journal will be published in partnership with MDPI, which publishes 511 other open-access journals. The inaugural issue is anticipated in October 2026.

The Journal of Fast-Track Health will serve as a rigorous academic and practice-oriented platform dedicated to accelerating responses to communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as the health impacts of climate change. The journal is designed to bridge the longstanding divide between urban and national health responses, which too often operate in silos, limiting integrated and cohesive interventions.

The quarterly journal will publish original research, interdisciplinary studies, implementation science, operational research, clinical and epidemiological investigations, community participatory research, case studies and best practice reviews, policy and perspective articles, and systematic reviews. Emphasis will be placed on advancing the health-related SDGs by aligning research, policy, and frontline implementation.

“Global health challenges are increasingly interconnected – from HIV and viral hepatitis to diabetes and climate-related health threats such as air pollution and excessive heat,” said Dr. José M. Zuniga, President/CEO of Fast-Track Health. “The Journal of Fast-Track Health is intentionally integrative. It will elevate rigorous science while accelerating its translation into practice, ensuring that lessons learned at the city level inform national policy and that national strategies are grounded in real-world implementation.”

According to Dr. Zuniga, MDPI was selected as the journal’s publisher because its extensive catalog of peer-reviewed journals across medicine, public health, environmental science, social sciences, and interdisciplinary research reflects the journal’s integrative approach. He noted the breadth of MDPI’s portfolio provides an ecosystem within which the Journal of Fast-Track Health can grow strategically and achieve international visibility.

“The Journal of Fast-Track Health aligns closely with MDPI’s commitment to high-quality, open-access publishing and multidisciplinary scholarship,” said Bob Vrooman, Head of Business Development at MDPI. “Its focus on global health interventions and related SGDs will make it a distinctive and timely addition to the scientific literature, supported by our expertise in Open Access. We are pleased to bring this important project to fruition in partnership with Fast-Track Health.”

The editorial team will be led by Dr. Zuniga as Founding Editor-in-Chief, supported by a Deputy Executive Editor, Managing Editor, Section Editors, and an international Editorial Board and Peer Review Panel. The Deputy Executive Editor will be Giselle Sebag, Executive Director of the International Society on Urban Health (ISUH), whose expertise in urban health governance and cross-sector collaboration will strengthen the journal’s commitment to integrating city-level innovation with national health priorities.

“Cities are where many of today’s most urgent health challenges are experienced most directly and where some of the most promising, equity-focused solutions are being developed. The Journal of Fast-Track Health offers an important platform to connect urban health practice, community knowledge, and local and global policy dialogue," said Ms. Sebag. “By elevating implementation-oriented, cross-sector, and place-based evidence, the journal can help advance more integrated responses to communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as the health impacts of climate change.”

Operating under an open-access model, the journal will ensure broad global accessibility to published research while maintaining rigorous peer-review standards. Importantly, authors will not be required to pay article processing charges during the journal’s first two years of publication (2026–2028). This launch phase investment reflects Fast-Track Health’s commitment to equitable access to publishing opportunities and to amplifying diverse global voices.

The journal’s website, a formal call for papers, editorial board announcements, and submission guidelines will be released in the coming months.

About Fast-Track Health

Fast-Track Health is a global health organization dedicated to accelerating responses to communicable and non-communicable diseases and addressing the health impacts of climate change. Through data-driven accountability, workforce development, policy innovation, and integrated urban-national collaboration, Fast-Track Health works to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals and build resilient, equitable health systems worldwide.

About MDPI

Headquartered in Switzerland, MDPI is a fully Open Access publisher with a portfolio of more than 500 journals across all scientific disciplines. To date, MDPI has published the works of over 4.5 million researchers, collaborating with an extensive network of academic institutions and scientific societies worldwide. Above all, MDPI is committed to ensuring that high-quality research is freely accessible to readers across the globe.

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