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Open Forum - Special Collection: Reflecting on the Past and Shaping the Future
Reconfiguring global primary care evidence: The essential role of regional journals
Submitted: 09 December 2025 | Published: 18 March 2026
About the author(s)
Shailendra Prasad, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States; and, The Global Engagement Network for Primary Health Care, Minneapolis, United States; and, Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United StatesKlaus B. von Pressentin, The Global Engagement Network for Primary Health Care, Minneapolis, United States; and, Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Bassim Birkland, The Global Engagement Network for Primary Health Care, Minneapolis, United States; and, Department of Family Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; and, Seed Global Health Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
Ramakrishna Prasad, The Global Engagement Network for Primary Health Care, Minneapolis, United States; and, National Centre for Primary Care Research and Policy, Academy of Family Physicians of India, Bengaluru, India
Esther M. Johnston, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States; and, The Global Engagement Network for Primary Health Care, Minneapolis, United States; and, Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
Diego Garcia-Huidobro, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States; and, The Global Engagement Network for Primary Health Care, Minneapolis, United States; and, Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Pontificiia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Abstract
Primary care research (PCR) strengthens health systems and informs policy, but is dominated by high-income country (HIC) institutions and authors creating epistemic injustice by marginalising local knowledge from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and reinforcing structural inequities. Regional journals are vital for providing accessible, relevant evidence by lowering publishing barriers, supporting emerging researchers, enabling multilingual dissemination, and creating practice-focused knowledge for local health systems. Strengthening regional publishing is essential for a diverse, equitable global evidence base that improves the relevance, impact, and fairness of global PCR.
Contribution: This article advances primary care scholarship by invoking epistemic justice and emphasising regional journals as vital for equitable knowledge. It references journals such as South African Family Practice, which celebrates 45 years of local research and mentorship. It links representation, research, and publishing, critiques citation metrics, and offers strategies to improve regional journals and promote justice in global primary care evidence.
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