By Ruth Malone, Editor

When the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was being negotiated several years back, I was among many others around the world who were impressed with the unanimity and power exerted by the African countries’ delegates. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is in many respects because of strong advocacy from African countries that we have as strong a global treaty to work with. For that reason, I was excited to meet with African tobacco control advocates, researchers and policymakers from 14 African countries whom I met in Johannesburg, South Africa recently for a Tobacco Control journal-sponsored publishing workshop (see photo). These are individuals who are doing incredible work, often with very limited resources and often at some personal risk due to government corruption and/or industry influence. Editorial board member Stella Aguinaga Bialous and I travelled to Johannesburg to hear about the work underway across the continent. We brainstormed with the group about their ideas for articles and discussed the requirements for submitting papers, the mentorship program for promising papers offered by the journal under Bloomberg sponsorship, and the global interest in the activities taking place on the African continent. We are looking forward to publishing more great research and advocacy work from African countries!