History of AIPT

Founded in 1906 by Charles Nicolle, Director of the Institut Pasteur de Tunis and later
awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine (1928), the Archives de l’Institut Pasteur de Tunis
(AIPT) is one of the oldest biomedical publications in Africa. It was created to disseminate
research conducted at the Institute, particularly in microbiology, infectious diseases, and
public health.
In 1921, the journal was temporarily replaced by a joint publication of the Pasteur Institutes in
the region - Archives des Instituts Pasteur de l’Afrique du Nord. In 1923, this publication was
split, giving rise once again to two distinct journals: Archives de l’Institut Pasteur de Tunis
and Archives de l’Institut Pasteur d’Algérie.
During the first half of the 20 th century, the journal played an active role in the dissemination
of scientific knowledge across North Africa. Between 1936 and 1942, it featured a dedicated
section titled Chronicles of the Institut Pasteur de Tunis, reporting on the Institute’s scientific
life, including news, laboratory notes, thesis summaries, and scientific announcements.

Publication was suspended from 1943 to 1954, before resuming in 1955 with an expanded
editorial scope, including the Institute’s activity reports alongside scientific articles.
Over the decades, the journal progressively opened to external contributions while
maintaining a strong focus on human, animal, and environmental health, now framed within
an integrated One Health approach.
Today, AIPT is a biannual, peer-reviewed operating under a diamond open access model. It is
indexed in several national and international databases (PIST.tn, EBSCO, ProQuest…) and is
actively engaged in editorial modernization, combining digital dissemination with the
preservation of its printed heritage.