Celebrating the diversity of publishing in the MJA and the MJA community in 2025

This issue of the MJA is especially large and diverse. One reason for the size of the issue is because of some process changes that we are making to how we publish, which will kick in at the beginning of 2026. We will be describing more about these changes on the Journal website over the next few weeks, including what you should expect for the Journal’s look and feel in 2026. However, the content mix and our priorities will not change and I’d like to use some of wide range of content in this issue to reflect on some of the areas that we see as our priorities to publish on.

The research article by Verlis and colleagues on greenhouse gas emissions associated with anaesthetic gases1 highlights one of our longstanding interests — the now very well established association between climate change and health outcomes. This article reports that between 2002 and 2022, the main anaesthetic gas that contributed to greenhouse gas emissions in Australia was desflurane, and that reduction in its use since 2017 was associated with a reduction in the overall emissions rate associated with anaesthetic gases. This article is a good example of the type of research that needs to be actively encouraged for us to build a comprehensive knowledge base of how the causes of climate change can be understood and how actions to mitigate them can be developed, particularly within the health sector.

A research article by Francia and colleagues on the epidemiology of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD)2 is especially important because this disease, which has an unacceptably large burden in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, is almost entirely preventable. As the authors say, “the significant ARF and RHD burden among Indigenous Queenslanders, and vast disparity with non‐Indigenous populations, calls for an urgent whole‐of‐government response”. We agree. One of the Journal highlights of the year was the second NAIDOC week issue led by a team of Indigenous Guest Editors, a process that has helped the Journal commit to prioritising work on Indigenous health led by Indigenous researchers and communities. This year we were also very honoured to be presented with the artwork from Uncle Paul Scott that was displayed on the Journal’s cover, and to meet his community. The editorial from that issue “Indigenous Health Special Issue 2025: carving our path with spirit, strength and solidarity” powerfully explained that issue’s purpose — and an ongoing priority for the MJA “to prioritise, platform, and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and excellence through health, clinical and academic dialogue”.3

A research article by Ey and colleagues on non‐technical errors associated with deaths in surgical care4 also reflects a key interest for the Journal, which is the importance of culture in medical practice. What this article shows so effectively is that although technical errors are all too common in surgery, non‐technical errors — caused, for example, by poor communication, lack of effective teamwork, flawed decision making and inadequate leadership — are equally important. The article reinforces how important culture is in a health care organisation: for those who work there and, even more importantly, for those who receive care there.

At the MJA, we also understand the importance of clinical guidelines informing practice across Australia and this year we have been fortunate enough to publish a number of these articles. This issue includes the first evidence‐based guidelines for Australia on male infertility.5 Infertility is common, with one in six couples affected, with male infertility contributing to up to 50% of infertility cases. As with all guidelines, publication is just the start and we are keen to promote their dissemination. A recent podcast from the first author, Darren Katz, put these guidelines in context (https://www.MJA.com.au/podcast/223/8/MJA‐podcasts‐2025‐episode‐21‐australias‐first‐male‐infertility‐guidelines).

Finally, a narrative review on generative artificial intelligence (AI)6 in clinical practice is incredibly timely, given the acceleration of AI across health care and society more widely over the past year. AI is now part of everybody’s life — in both our personal and professional spheres — and is increasingly the focus of governments, professional bodies and journals. In this article, Scott and colleagues assess the current state of generative AI for clinical practice and propose a phased approach to implementation, beginning with uses that are uncontroversial, such as relieving clerical and administrative burden, through to those uses that will need more care and oversight, such as consumer‐facing applications.

At the end of this year, I want to take the time to thank everybody who contributes to making the MJA what it is. This includes the dedicated Journal team, our external editorial advisory group (Box 1; https://www.MJA.com.au/journal/staff/MJA‐editorial‐advisory‐committee), the enormous numbers of reviewers (Box 2) and the many authors who submit to us every year. We understand that a journal like the MJA can only be successful through the support of the community that it serves, and we are very grateful for the trust placed in us by the Australian health care community.