The Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) invites applications from distinguished scholars, clinicians, and public health experts across Africa and the global South to serve as the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of its newly launched peer-reviewed publication.

▌ 1. BACKGROUND: SOCIETY FOR AIDS IN AFRICA (SAA)

Founded in 1989, the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) is an African-led and African-owned membership organisation that collaborates with national, sub-regional, regional, continental, and international partners to promote evidence-based policies, catalyse research, and strengthen health systems across Africa in the fight against HIV/AIDS, co-morbidities, and emerging infectious diseases.

SAA envisions an African continent free of AIDS, TB, Malaria, and emerging infections — a continent where communities are empowered, stigma and discrimination are eliminated, and equitable access to treatment, care, and support prevails for all, including people living with HIV (PLHIV) and key populations.

As the organiser of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) — the largest and only bilingual HIV/AIDS conference on the continent — SAA has convened scientific, civil society, government, and community voices for over three decades, advancing the global response to HIV/AIDS and supporting Africa’s progress toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In December 2025, SAA officially launched the Africa Journal on AIDS and Infectious Diseases (AJAID), a peer-reviewed, open-access publication designed to amplify African research voices, disseminate high-quality evidence on HIV, STIs, TB, Malaria, Hepatitis, and emerging infectious diseases, and inform continental and global health policy.

“SAA seeks an outstanding academic leader to steer AJAID into a world-class publication that centres African knowledge, promotes scientific rigour, and accelerates the end of AIDS in Africa.”

▌ 2. POSITION OVERVIEW

The Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of AJAID is a prestigious voluntary leadership appointment. The EiC will provide the strategic and intellectual direction of the journal, uphold editorial integrity, and champion AJAID’s growth as a leading platform for African-led research on infectious diseases.

Term: Three (3) years, renewable once based on performance.

 

▌ 3. TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

• Provide overall scientific leadership and editorial vision for AJAID, defining its thematic scope, strategic priorities, and publication policies.
• Recruit, appoint, and oversee an Editorial Board that is geographically diverse, multidisciplinary, and representative of African expertise.
• Manage and supervise the peer-review process, ensuring rigour, fairness, timeliness, and compliance with international editorial standards (COPE guidelines).
• Make final editorial decisions on all submitted manuscripts in consultation with Associate Editors and reviewers.
• Work closely with SAA leadership to develop and implement the journal’s publication strategy, including indexing targets (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, DOAJ, AJOL) and open-access policy.
• Solicit high-impact special issues, commentaries, and reviews aligned with ICASA themes and continental public health priorities.
• Champion research capacity building by mentoring early-career African researchers and supporting their pathway to publication.
• Represent AJAID at relevant scientific conferences, including ICASA, and promote the journal to the global research community.
• Collaborate with SAA to establish partnerships with institutions, funders, and indexing bodies to ensure sustainability and impact.
• Provide regular reports to the SAA Journal Committee on journal performance, editorial metrics, and strategic progress.
• Ensure the journal upholds the highest standards of research ethics, equity, and inclusion, including addressing publication bias and promoting authorship from low- and middle-income countries.
• Support fundraising and resource mobilisation efforts to sustain the journal’s operations and open-access mandate.

▌ 4. REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• A terminal degree (MD, PhD, or equivalent) in Medicine, Public Health, Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, or a closely related field.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in academic research and/or clinical practice in HIV/AIDS, STIs, TB, Malaria, or infectious diseases.
• Demonstrated track record of peer-reviewed publications in high-impact international journals (strong h-index preferred).
• Prior editorial experience — as Editor, Associate Editor, or Guest Editor — in a reputable peer-reviewed journal.
• Deep knowledge of editorial management systems (e.g., ScholarOne, Editorial Manager, OJS) and publishing workflows.
• Familiarity with COPE guidelines, research ethics, and open-access publishing principles.
• Strong understanding of the African public health landscape and the unique challenges and opportunities of publishing African research.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills; ability to manage a diverse Editorial Board.
• Having the ability to foster a culture of trust and bring together the members of the editorial board.
• Ability to analyse and manage challenges and complex situations with objectiveness; resilience, strong communication, and dignity toward others.
• Proficiency in English; proficiency in French is an added advantage given ICASA’s bilingual mandate.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, ethical principles and inclusion in scientific publishing.
• Affiliation with an academic institution, research organisation, or equivalent professional body.
• Having sufficient availability with ability to dedicate at least 30% time to the editorial responsibilities of the role on an ongoing basis.

5. APPLICATION TIMELINE

08 June 2026	Advertisement published and applications open.
19 June 2026	Deadline for receipt of all applications and supporting documents.
23 June 2026	Longlist review by SAA Journal Committee completed.
25 June 2026	Shortlisted candidates notified and invited for virtual interviews.
30 June 2026	Interviews conducted (virtual, by appointment).
15 July 2026	Final appointment decision communicated to selected candidate.
01 August 2026	Anticipated commencement date for inaugural Editor-in-Chief.

 

SAA reserves the right to amend this timeline. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. SAA is an equal opportunity and inclusive organisation and strongly encourages applications from women, early-career scholars, and researchers from under-represented African countries.

▌ 6. HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit a complete application package comprising:

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS 1. Curriculum Vitae (CV) — with full publication list 2. Letter of Motivation — max. 2 pages, outlining your vision for AJAID 3. Editorial Strategy Statement — max. 1 page 4. Contact details of three (3) professional referees 5. All letters should be Address to: AJAID Journal Committee All documents must be submitted as a single PDF by 30th June 2026 at 23:59 (WAT) to: 📧 info@saafrica.org Subject line: Application – AJAID Editor-in-Chief – [Applicant Full Name] Enquiries: info@saafrica.org | www.saafrica.org | Tel: +233 (0) 303 936 814