COPPHA Community of Practice established

The Coalition for Open Access Publishing of Public Health in Africa (COPPHA) Community of Practice (CoP) has been established to connect and support public health researchers, early career scholars, educators, and open science advocates across Africa. Led by PublicHealth.Africa (PHA) with support from the West and Central African Research and Education Network (WACREN), and closely aligned with Peoples-Praxis, the CoP is designed to strengthen open publishing practices and advance public health research on the continent.

The COPPHA CoP aims to drive the dissemination and discoverability of African public health research through innovative, no-fee open publishing models. In addition to promoting open access publishing, the community also seeks to advance public health education, foster professional development, and create mentorship opportunities for researchers and practitioners at different career stages.

The CoP provides a platform for members to exchange ideas, share best practices in open publishing, and collaborate on initiatives that enhance the quality and visibility of African public health research. Members will benefit from professional development opportunities in peer review, research methods, and open publishing through online courses and mentorship programs. A core activity of the CoP is to facilitate open peer review of preprints and other scholarly outputs, offering researchers transparent and constructive feedback to strengthen their work.

Beyond peer review and publishing, the CoP encourages collaboration in research and leadership development, positioning members to contribute meaningfully to the broader goals of open science and public health advancement in Africa.