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Focus Africa

Edited by:

Professor Mendinatou Agbetou Houessou, MSc, MD, University of Parakou, Benin
Professor Najib Kissani, MD, Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco 
Professor Mona Nada, MD, Cairo University, Egypt

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 20 December 2025


The Journal of Headache and Pain is calling for submissions to our Collection on Focus Africa. We invite submissions of original research, systematic and narrative reviews, editorials, rapid reviews, and commentaries on topics including, but not limited to:
• The prevalence, burden, and impact of migraine and other headache disorders across African countries
• Socio-economic and cultural determinants of headache disorders in Africa
• Insights into the pathophysiology of migraine from an African perspective
• Barriers to headache care, healthcare inequalities, and policy solutions

The collection welcomes researchers from author groups all with their main affiliated institution in Africa. Cross-continental authorship groups are welcome to submit their work to The Journal of Headache and Pain outside of this collection.

Image credit: © SDI Productions / Getty Images / iStock

About the Collection

The Journal of Headache and Pain is calling for submissions to our Collection on Focus Africa. Migraine is a major cause of disability worldwide, yet research efforts and healthcare strategies remain unevenly distributed across regions. In Africa, diverse populations and healthcare landscapes present unique challenges in the recognition, diagnosis, and management of migraine and other headache disorders. This thematic collection, Focus Africa, aims to enhance understanding of these conditions by exploring epidemiological trends, healthcare disparities, cultural influences, financial constraints, gender-related factors, and the availability of treatment options across the continent.

We invite submissions of original research, systematic and narrative reviews, editorials, rapid reviews, and commentaries on topics including, but not limited to:

  • The prevalence, burden, and impact of migraine and other headache disorders across African countries
  • Socio-economic and cultural determinants of headache disorders in Africa
  • Insights into the pathophysiology of migraine from an African perspective
  • Barriers to headache care, healthcare inequalities, and policy solutions

This Collection provides a dedicated platform for African researchers and clinicians to contribute to global headache science while addressing the specific needs of the region. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, Focus Africa aims to drive meaningful advancements in migraine and headache disorders research and care across the continent. 

Therefore, the collection welcomes researchers from author groups all with their main affiliated institution in Africa. Cross-continental authorship groups are welcome to submit their work to The Journal of Headache and Pain outside of this collection.

Springer Nature offers article processing charges (APC) waivers and discounts for articles published in our fully open access journals whose corresponding authors are based in the world’s lowest income countries (see our APC waivers and discounts policy for further information). Requests for APC waivers and discounts from other authors will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may be granted in cases of financial need (see our open access policies for journals for more information). All applications for discretionary APC waivers and discounts should be made at the point of manuscript submission; requests made during the review process or after acceptance are unable to be considered. Should applications for financial support via the above process be unsuccessful, authors are encouraged to reach out to the journal.

Image credit: © SDI Productions / Getty Images / iStock

  1. Migraine is a prevalent debilitating neurological illness that stands among the top causes of disability and significantly impacts the quality of life. Migraine-related functional impairment involves physical,...

    Authors: Ahmed Amir Samir, Ahmed W. Hageen, Ahmed Elgammal, Mostafa Meshref, Mennatullah A. El-Refaay, Mohamed Medhat Taalap, Ali Elsaeed Nassef, Rawan Ali Bedewe, Ahmed Almeldein and Ibrahim Ali Kabbash
    Citation: The Journal of Headache and Pain 2025 26:114

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original research, systematic and narrative reviews, editorials, rapid reviews and commentaries. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. 

Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. Please, select the appropriate Collection title “Focus Africa" under the “Details” tab during the submission stage.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer-review process. The peer-review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.