Annali di Igiene: continuity, renewal and a vision for 2026 and beyond

Gaetano Maria Fara, Carlo Signorelli
Editors-in-Chief, Annali di Igiene Editorial

The year 2026 marks a turning point in the long history of Annali di Igiene, a journal founded in 1889 that has accompanied the evolution of public health in Italy for over a century. Today, amid profound global transformations in scientific publishing, our renewed editorial structure aims to safeguard the journal's independence while enhancing its scientific ambition and international relevance.

The recent change of ownership — from Società Editrice Universo (SEU) to a new partnership between the publisher Mattioli 1885, the Lombardy Academy of Public Health, and the Sanità Futura Foundation — paves the way for a modern, efficient, and community-focused editorial vision. We warmly thank Dr. Paolo Cioni, representing the new publisher, for his support and commitment to this ambitious renewal.

This unique governance model, shared equally between a professional publisher and the scientific community, is designed to preserve our identity and enable the journal to grow in an increasingly competitive landscape. In this new phase, Annali di Igiene will strengthen its focus on four key areas that reflect the pillars of contemporary public health: preventive medicine, environmental health (including the rapidly expanding domain of design and health), and health policy, along with cross-cutting themes that connect scientific evidence, practice, and real-world decision-making. These priorities guide our manuscript selection and the development of new article formats, ensuring alignment with topics with high potential for scientific impact and relevance for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

The new editorial cycle focuses on improving the quality and impact of published works, prioritizing contributions based on recent original data, timely evidence, and topics that can inform public health policy. Equally important is our commitment to a rapid and transparent editorial process, supported by updated guidelines and the introduction of Public Health Rapid Reports to ensure the timely dissemination of urgent findings related to epidemics, environmental threats, and emerging health challenges. We also reaffirm our intention to maintain affordable publication costs, enabling young researchers and public health departments to disseminate their work without the financial barriers that increasingly characterize the global publishing market. A significant part of this renewal lies in the expansion of our editorial board, which now includes a new generation of talented and scientifically productive public health professionals, alongside senior scholars who bring continuity, expertise, and institutional memory. The journal recognizes the value of engaging both early-career scientists and experienced leaders, as this intergenerational balance reflects the very nature of modern public health.

As Europe prepares for the 1st European Congress on Public Health Education and Training, to be held in Milan in July 2026, we hope that Annali di Igiene will become an increasingly active platform for the community of European Public Health Schools and Programs, a place where ideas, data, innovation, and reflections on education and practice can converge. The relaunch of the journal is a collective effort. We sincerely thank the members of the new Editorial Board and all the colleagues who are supporting this transition, with particular gratitude to Professor Emeritus Gabriele Pelissero, whose scientific leadership and entrepreneurial experience were instrumental in successfully completing the journal's acquisition. Further, a special and affectionate recognition goes to Dr. Rosella del Vecchio, who for over thirty-five years, as Managing Editor, has offered the Journal her organizational, editorial, and linguistic expertise.

We now invite the broader scientific community to contribute high-quality manuscripts, commentaries, briefings, and letters, helping us strengthen the journal's bibliometric indicators, expand its readership, and reaffirm its role as an independent and authoritative voice in public health. We look to this new chapter with ambition, responsibility, and gratitude, confident that with your contributions, Annali di Igiene will continue to grow and serve the public health community in Italy and around the world.