Twelve years on: a call for papers for another special collection of articles on South Asia

Abstract

The BMJ will revisit its ground breaking South Asia theme issue of 2004 Twelve years ago we published a special theme issue of The BMJ on South Asia,1 the first time that the journal had devoted a full issue to a region outside Europe. Bringing together scientists and health professionals at a time of conflict in South Asia, the theme issue covered a range of topics relevant to the region. It argued that while politics divide us, opportunities exist for people to unite across borders to tackle common health challenges. Much has changed in 12 years. South Asia is a powerhouse of economic development, and some of the conflicts, such as those that affected Nepal and Sri Lanka, have ended. Even our definition of South Asia is different. In 2004, we focused on the seven countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Today, any consideration of South Asia must include Afghanistan, which joined SAARC in 2005, and Myanmar, which is emerging from decades of military dictatorship. …