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Patient–physician communication on herbal medicine use during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Hyea Bin Im, Jung Hye Hwang, Dain Choi, Soo Jeung Choi, Dongwoon Han
Introduction Lack of transparent communication between patients and physicians regarding the use of herbal medicine (HM) presents a major public health challenge, as inappropriate HM use poses health risks. Considering the widespread use of HM and the risk of adverse events, it is crucial for pregnant women to openly discuss their HM use with healthcare providers. Therefore, this systematic review
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Are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) the root cause of the Aboriginal health gap in Australia? BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Subash Thapa, Peter Gibbs, Nancy Ross, Jamie Newman, Julaine Allan, Hazel Dalton, Shakeel Mahmood, Bernd H Kalinna, Allen G Ross
### Summary box Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) encompass traumatic events that occur before the age of 18. There is a consensus among scholars that ACEs are broadly categorised into abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, and further into 10 distinct subtypes (eg, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, parent with mental illness, incarcerated relative/family
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National COVID-19 preparedness and response plans: a global review from the perspective of services for maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and older people BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Alexandra Czerniewska, Alyssa Sharkey, Anayda Portela, Sarah Drapkin, Saqif Mustafa
Introduction Infectious disease outbreaks have historically led to widespread disruptions in routine essential health services. Disruptions due to COVID-19 responses led to excess deaths, including among women and children. This review builds on earlier reviews of essential health services in national COVID-19 response and preparedness plans, focusing specifically on maternal, newborn, child, adolescent
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Towards a multi-lateral framework for cross-border surveillance and information sharing between Nigeria and neighbouring countries BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Olaoluwa Oluwafemi Akinloluwa, Virgil Lokossou, Geoffrey Okatubo, Oyeladun Okunromade, Onyekachi Nwitte-Eze, Samuel Alabi, Titilope Ajayi-Ogbe, Chinenye Ofoegbunam, Lionel Sogbossi, Kima Appolinaire, Melchior Anathase Aissi
Nigeria sits at the crossroads of West and Central Africa; two increasingly critical regions for global health security. To strengthen cross-border collaboration for health security between its neighbors from West and Central Africa, the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria through the public health authority at the Points of Entry—Port Health Services, led the design of a multi-lateral framework for
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African polyvalent antivenom can maintain pharmacological stability and ability to neutralise murine venom lethality for decades post-expiry: evidence for increasing antivenom shelf life to aid in alleviating chronic shortages BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Gabriela Solano, Sinead Cunningham, Rebecca J Edge, Gina Duran, Adriana Sanchez, Mauren Villalta, Rachel H Clare, Mark C Wilkinson, Amy E Marriott, Camille Abada, Stefanie K Menzies, Molly Keen, David G Lalloo, Ymkje Stienstra, Michael Abouyannis, Nicholas R Casewell, Guillermo León, Stuart Ainsworth
Introduction Antivenom is a lifesaving medicine for treating snakebite envenoming, yet there has been a crisis in antivenom supply for many decades. Despite this, substantial quantities of antivenom stocks expire before use. This study has investigated whether expired antivenoms retain preclinical quality and efficacy, with the rationale that they could be used in emergency situations when in-date
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Mass drug administration for neglected tropical disease control and elimination: a systematic review of ethical reasons BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Juliette Hoefle-Bénard, Sabine Salloch
Background Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of debilitating diseases and conditions afflicting more than one billion people in impoverished communities. Control of these diseases is crucial to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 and the pledge to ‘leave no one behind’. Relying on large-scale delivery of wide-spectrum drugs to individuals in at-risk communities irrespective
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Exploring equity in global health collaborations: a qualitative study of donor and recipient power dynamics in Liberia BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Brigid E Cakouros, Johannah Gum, Defne L Levine, Joseph Lewis, Antoinette H Wright, Bernice Dahn, Kristina Talbert-Slagle
Introduction Global health collaborations between individuals from high-resource and low-resource settings are complex and often built on hierarchical structures and power differentials that are difficult to change. There have been many calls and frameworks developed to facilitate more equity within these collaborations, yet little is known about the lived experiences of global health donors and recipients
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Public health emergencies in war and armed conflicts in Africa: What is expected from the global health community? BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Jean Kaseya, Nebiyu Dereje, Tajudeen Raji, Alain Ngashi Ngongo, Mosoka Papa Fallah, Nicaise Ndembi
### SUMMARY BOX War and armed conflicts, in any form, threaten public health.1 Outbreaks of diseases have the propensity to cripple the growth of a nation, especially when they are transitioning in a conflict setting. Diseases can often debilitate a country that is marred by conflict and facing developmental challenges. It is, thus, necessary to make global health an essential aspect of peacekeeping
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Collaboration within the global vaccine safety surveillance ecosystem during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learnt and key recommendations from the COVAX Vaccine Safety Working Group BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Rebecca E Chandler, Madhava Ram Balakrishnan, Daniel Brasseur, Philip Bryan, Emmanuelle Espie, Katharina Hartmann, Corinne Jouquelet-Royer, James Milligan, Linda Nesbitt, Shanthi Pal, Alexander Precioso, Paulo Takey, Robert T Chen
This analysis describes the successes, challenges and opportunities to improve global vaccine safety surveillance as observed by the Vaccine Safety Working Group from its role as a platform of exchange for stakeholders responsible for monitoring the safety of vaccines distributed through the COVAX mechanism. Three key elements considered to be essential for ongoing and future pandemic preparedness
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Climate change and malaria, dengue and cholera outbreaks in Africa: a call for concerted actions BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Jean Kaseya, Nebiyu Dereje, Raji Tajudeen, Alain Ngashi Ngongo, Nicaise Ndembi, Mosoka Papa Fallah
### Summary box Climate is rapidly changing and bringing extensive direct and indirect adversities to public health globally, either by increasing the seriousness and frequency of public health emergencies or causing new, unanticipated problems. Nearly half (approximately 3.6 billion) of the global population is highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change as they live in regions with high vulnerability
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The impact of policy and policy communication on COVID-19 vaccination inequalities among Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia: a comparative cross-sectional interrupted time-series analysis BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Wilson Gomez, Julián A Fernández-Niño, José Rafael Guillén, Megan Stevenson, Jennifer Ortíz, Miguel Ángel Barriga Talero, Jhon Jairo López, Ricardo Luque Núñez, Paul Spiegel, Kathleen R Page, Jhon Fredy Ramirez Correa, Damary Martínez Porras, Andrea L Wirtz
Introduction Equitable access to vaccines for migrants and refugees is necessary to ensure their right to health and to achieve public health goals of reducing vaccine-preventable illness. Public health policies require regulatory frameworks and communication to effect uptake of effective vaccines among the target population. In Colombia, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Plan implicitly included Venezuelan
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Maternal and perinatal health research during emerging and ongoing epidemic threats: a landscape analysis and expert consultation BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Mercedes Bonet, Magdalena Babinska, Pierre Buekens, Shivaprasad S Goudar, Beate Kampmann, Marian Knight, Dana Meaney-Delman, Smaragda Lamprianou, Flor Muñoz Rivas, Andy Stergachis, Cristiana M Toscano, Joycelyn Bhatia, Sarah Chamberlain, Usman Chaudhry, Jacqueline Mills, Emily Serazin, Hannah Short, Asher Steene, Michael Wahlen, Olufemi T Oladapo
Introduction Pregnant women and their offspring are often at increased direct and indirect risks of adverse outcomes during epidemics and pandemics. A coordinated research response is paramount to ensure that this group is offered at least the same level of disease prevention, diagnosis, and care as the general population. We conducted a landscape analysis and held expert consultations to identify
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Designathons in health research: a global systematic review BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Warittha Tieosapjaroen, Elizabeth Chen, Tiarney Ritchwood, Chunyan Li, Jamie L Conklin, Abdulhammed Opeyemi Babatunde, Arturo M Ongkeko, Ucheoma Nwaozuru, Joseph D Tucker, Nina T Castillo Carandang, Jason J Ong
Introduction A designathon is a three-stage participatory activity informed by design thinking. There is a growing literature on designathons in health. This study synthesised designathons’ effectiveness and implementation-related factors to address health challenges. Methods We searched Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Scopus and the ClinicalTrials.gov registry for articles containing primary data
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We need to talk about ‘bad’ resilience BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Dell D Saulnier, Stephanie M Topp
In this analysis, we argue against seeing health system resilience as an inherently positive concept. The rise in the popularity of health system resilience has led to its increasingly normative framing. We question this widely accepted perspective by examining the underlying assumptions associated with this normative framing of ‘good’ resilience. Our focus is on the risks of accepting the assumption
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Assessing the effectiveness of the expanded hepatitis A vaccination program in China: an interrupted time series design BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Yueqian Wu, Pengyu Wang, Yong Huang, Jinwei Chen, Yikun Chang, Junxi Li, Yibing Wang, Yuantao Hao, Wangjian Zhang, Zhicheng Du
Introduction China initialised the expanded hepatitis A vaccination programme (EHAP) in 2008. However, the effectiveness of the programme remains unclear. We aimed to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of EHAP in the country. Methods Based on the provincial data on the incidence of hepatitis A (HepA), the population and meteorological variables in China, we developed interrupted time series
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Pharmaceuticalisation as the tobacco industry’s endgame BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Yogi Hale Hendlin, Elieen Le Han, Pamela M. Ling
Context Declining smoking prevalence and denormalisation of tobacco in developed countries reduced transnational tobacco company (TTC) profit during 1990s and 2000s. As these companies faced increasingly restrictive policies and lawsuits, they planned to shift their business to socially acceptable reduced-harm products. We describe the internal motivations and strategies to achieve this goal. Methods
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‘They treat us like machines’: migrant workers’ conceptual framework of labour exploitation for health research and policy BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Sabah Boufkhed, Nicki Thorogood, Cono Ariti, Mary Alison Durand
Background The exploitation of migrant workers ranks high on global political agendas including the Sustainable Development Goals. Research on exploited workers, using assessment tools where exploitation is defined by professional experts, indicates serious health concerns and needs. Yet, migrant workers are rarely asked about their understanding of a phenomenon they may experience. Our study aimed
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Israeli necropolitics and the pursuit of health justice in Palestine BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Layth Hanbali, Edwin Jit Leung Kwong, Amy Neilson, James Smith, Sali Hafez, Rasha Khoury
#### Summary box In the 10 weeks since our BMJ Global Health editorial was published,1 a further 16 882 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel’s ongoing violence in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.2 3 As of 28 December, at least 21 624 people are known to have been killed across occupied Palestine since 7 October, with thousands of people still missing, many of whom are presumably
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Importance of a broader view of the Hamas–Israel war BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Philip Greenland, Oren Lakser, Lisa Lipschutz
### Summary box We write in response to the editorial by Smith et al 1 on ‘violence in Palestine’ and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that has ensued. This one-sided editorial deserves a response that takes a broader view and highlights critical omissions and alternative interpretations of the situation. The editorial rightly decries the overall humanitarian and healthcare crisis in Gaza while completely
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Transferable data exclusivity vouchers are not the solution to the antimicrobial drug development crisis: a commentary on the proposed EU pharma regulation BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Astrid Berner-Rodoreda, Frank Cobelens, Anne-Mieke Vandamme, Günter Froeschl, Jolene Skordis, Elil Renganathan, Ellen t’Hoen, Mario Raviglione, Albrecht Jahn, Till Bärnighausen
### Summary box Access to pharmaceutical products worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic when key developers of active pharmaceutical ingredients and medicinal products prioritised their national markets. These challenges led to a stronger commitment by the European Union (EU) to become more autonomous in developing and providing access to pharmaceutical products for its population.1 In April 2023,
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Data-driven decision-making for district health management: a cluster-randomised study in 24 districts of Ethiopia BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Bilal Iqbal Avan, Mehret Dubale, Girum Taye, Tanya Marchant, Lars Åke Persson, Joanna Schellenberg
Background Use of local data for health system planning and decision-making in maternal, newborn and child health services is limited in low-income and middle-income countries, despite decentralisation and advances in data gathering. An improved culture of data-sharing and collaborative planning is needed. The Data-Informed Platform for Health is a system-strengthening strategy which promotes structured
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Impact of topical applications of sunflower seed oil on neonatal mortality and morbidity in southern Nepal: a community-based, cluster-randomised trial BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Joanne Katz, Subarna K Khatry, Laxman Shrestha, Aimee Summers, Marty O Visscher, Jeevan B Sherchand, James M Tielsch, Seema Subedi, Steven C LeClerq, Luke C Mullany
Introduction Hospital-based studies have demonstrated topical applications of sunflower seed oil (SSO) to skin of preterm infants can reduce nosocomial infections and improve survival. In South Asia, replacing traditional mustard with SSO might have similar benefits. Methods 340 communities in Sarlahi, Nepal were randomised to use mustard oil (MO) or SSO for community practice of daily newborn massage
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Costs-effectiveness and cost components of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions affecting antibiotic resistance outcomes in hospital patients: a systematic literature review BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Kasim Allel, María José Hernández-Leal, Nichola R Naylor, Eduardo A. Undurraga, Gerard Joseph Abou Jaoude, Priyanka Bhandari, Ellen Flanagan, Hassan Haghparast-Bidgoli, Koen B Pouwels, Laith Yakob
Introduction Limited information on costs and the cost-effectiveness of hospital interventions to reduce antibiotic resistance (ABR) hinder efficient resource allocation. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review for studies evaluating the costs and cost-effectiveness of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions aimed at reducing, monitoring and controlling ABR in patients. Articles
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Market making and the production of nurses for export: a case study of India–UK health worker migration BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Sibille Merz, Benjamin M Hunter, Susan F Murray, Ramila Bisht
Background High-income countries increasingly look to the international recruitment of health workers to address domestic shortages, especially from low-income and middle-income countries. We adapt conceptual frameworks from migration studies to examine the networked and commercialised nature of the Indian market for nurse migration to the UK. Methods We draw on data from 27 expert interviews conducted
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Safeguarding in practice: anticipating, minimising and mitigating risk in teenage pregnancy research in urban informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Lilian Otiso, Rosie Steege, Inviolata Njoroge, Linet Okoth, Phil Tubb, Elizabeth Nyothach, Penelope A Phillips-Howard, Sally Theobald, Miriam Taegtmeyer
Safeguarding challenges in global health research include sexual abuse and exploitation, physical and psychological abuse, financial exploitation and neglect. Intersecting individual identities (such as gender and age) shape vulnerability to risk. Adolescents, who are widely included in sexual and reproductive health research, may be particularly vulnerable. Sensitive topics like teenage pregnancy
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The role of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention during response to COVID-19 pandemic in Africa: lessons learnt for future pandemics preparedness, prevention, and response BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Mosoka Papa Fallah, Tajudeen Raji, Alain Ngashi Ngongo, Nicaise Ndembi, Ahmed Ogwell, Mohammed Abdulaziz, Merawi Aragaw, Senga Sembuche, Elizabeth Gonese, Nebiyu Dereje, Peter Materu, Jean Kaseya
The African continent has been highly affected by recurrent emerging and re-emerging public health threats, including Ebola, Marburg, Mpox, Measles, Dengue Fever, Cholera, COVID-19, and others, which have adversely affected the lives and livelihoods of the African people.1 2 Despite decades of recurring outbreaks, the African public health emergency management system is characterised by a limited capacity
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Colonialism in the new digital health agenda BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Sharifah Sekalala, Tatenda Chatikobo
The advancement of digital technologies has stimulated immense excitement about the possibilities of transforming healthcare, especially in resource-constrained contexts. For many, this rapid growth presents a ‘digital health revolution’. While this is true, there are also dangers that the proliferation of digital health in the global south reinforces existing colonialities. Underpinned by the rhetoric
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In search of a ‘good number’: knowledge controversy and population estimates in the endgame of hepatitis C elimination BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Tim Rhodes, Kari Lancaster, Sophie Adams
We explore the contentious life of a metric used to assess a country’s progress in relation to global disease elimination targets. Our topic is hepatitis C elimination, and our context is Australia. A fundamental metric in the calculation of progress toward hepatitis C elimination targets, as set by the WHO, is the population prevalence of people living with hepatitis C. In Australia, this modelled
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The economic impact of international travel measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Ying Liu Bazak, Beate Sander, Eric Werker, Salta Zhumatova, Catherine Z Worsnop, Kelley Lee
Introduction Assessment of the use of travel measures during COVID-19 has focused on their effectiveness in achieving public health objectives. However, the prolonged use of highly varied and frequently changing measures by governments, and their unintended consequences caused, has been controversial. This has led to a call for coordinated decision-making focused on risk-based approaches, which requires
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Global approaches to tackling antimicrobial resistance: a comprehensive analysis of water, sanitation and hygiene policies BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Ciara M Weets, Rebecca Katz
Background Unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) contributes to a high burden of disease and exacerbates factors that promote the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Enforceable policies are foundational to curbing inappropriate use of antimicrobials and providing safe WASH. While many countries have established National Action Plans for AMR that include provisions for WASH, few have
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Unlocking the potential of informal healthcare providers in tuberculosis care: insights from India BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Poshan Thapa, Padmanesan Narasimhan, Kristen Beek, John J Hall, Rohan Jayasuriya, Partha Sarathi Mukherjee, Surbhi Sheokand, Petra Heitkamp, Prachi Shukla, Joel Shyam Klinton, Vijayshree Yellappa, Nitin Mudgal, Madhukar Pai
In 2022, tuberculosis (TB) remained a major global health concern, second only to COVID-19 in mortality from a single infectious agent. Over 10 million people contract TB annually, with two-thirds of cases from eight high-burden countries. India alone accounted for 27% of the global burden, totalling an estimated 2.8 million cases.1 Notably, approximately 18% of these people were considered ‘missing’
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Malaria trends in districts that were targeted and not-targeted for seasonal malaria chemoprevention in children under 5 years of age in Guinea, 2014–2021 BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Donal Bisanzio, Mamadou Sitan Keita, Alioune Camara, Timothée Guilavogui, Thierno Diallo, Hamidou Barry, Adam Preston, Lamine Bangoura, Eliane Mbounga, Lia S Florey, Jean-Luc Taton, Aissata Fofana, Richard Reithinger
Background Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is a main intervention to prevent and reduce childhood malaria. Since 2015, Guinea has implemented SMC targeting children aged 3–59 months (CU5) in districts with high and seasonal malaria transmission. Objective We assessed the programmatic impact of SMC in Guinea’s context of scaled up malaria intervention programming by comparing malaria-related
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Disseminating information on acute public health events globally: experiences from the WHO’s Disease Outbreak News BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Harsh Lata, Neil Jan Saad Duque, Eri Togami, Alessandro Miglietta, Devin Perkins, Aura Corpuz, Masaya Kato, Amarnath Babu, Tshewang Dorji, Tamano Matsui, Maria Almiron, Ka Yeung Cheng, Lauren E MacDonald, Jukka Tapani Pukkila, George Sie Williams, Roberta Andraghetti, Carmen Dolea, Abdirahman Mahamud, Oliver Morgan, Babatunde Olowokure, Ibrahima Socé Fall, Adedoyin Awofisayo-Okuyelu, Esther Hamblion
WHO works, on a daily basis, with countries globally to detect, prepare for and respond to acute public health events. A vital component of a health response is the dissemination of accurate, reliable and authoritative information. The Disease Outbreak News (DON) reports are a key mechanism through which WHO communicates on acute public health events to the public. The decision to produce a DON report
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Medical schools in Africa: seeing momentum BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Julie Rosenberg, Miina Juvonen, Melanie Z Ng, Nneka Arinzeh, Theodosia S A Adanu, Herbert Ninsiima, Rodas Temesgen, Grace Ajuwon, Oluwaseun A Abiodun-Asanre, Sara Pellegrom, Rebecca Weintraub, Tadiwos Hailu
Africa’s health system depends on “the production, distribution and retention” of human resources for health, as the Team Lead for the Health Workforce Unit at the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa wrote. Health workers are at “the heart of the region’s health system performance.”1 Yet, as of 2016, the region only had 14.5% of required physicians.2 Given the essential role medical
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The climate missing: identifying bodies and preventing disappearances linked to climate change BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Malcolm Araos, Matthew Wolfe
### Summary box The absence of a missing person has significant negative consequences for the health of families. The kin of individuals who disappear in the context of forced separations reliably report depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, somatisation and a special, incomplete form of grief termed ‘ambiguous loss’.1 2 Neither scholars nor law enforcement officials offer a consensus definition
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Redefining global health and shifting the balance: the ARC-H principle BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Anisa Jabeen Nasir Jafar, Shama Patel, Rob Mitchell, Anthony Redmond
### Summary box On one hand, ‘global health’ is a straightforward notion of health around the world. On the other, it is a complex concept subject to increasing scrutiny, particularly in light of the evolving discourse on decolonisation.1 Although the definition proposed by Koplan et al (ie, ‘an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in
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Health journal coverage of climate change and health: a bibliometric study BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Joy Muhia, Melissa L Rethlefsen, Ben Rossington, Florence Wedmore, Anandita Pattnaik, Richard Smith, Sara Schroter
Objectives To find what proportion of a broad set of health journals have published on climate change and health, how many articles they have published, and when they first published on the subject. Design Bibliometric study. Setting and participants We conducted electronic searches in Ovid MEDLINE ALL for articles about climate change and human health published from 1860 to 31 December 2022 in 330
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A model-based approach to estimating the prevalence of disease combinations in South Africa BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Leigh F Johnson, Reshma Kassanjee, Naomi Folb, Sarah Bennett, Andrew Boulle, Naomi S Levitt, Robyn Curran, Kirsty Bobrow, Rifqah A Roomaney, Max O Bachmann, Lara R Fairall
Background The development of strategies to better detect and manage patients with multiple long-term conditions requires estimates of the most prevalent condition combinations. However, standard meta-analysis tools are not well suited to synthesising heterogeneous multimorbidity data. Methods We developed a statistical model to synthesise data on associations between diseases and nationally representative
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Incarceration and TB: the epidemic beyond prison walls BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Guillermo Sequera, Sarita Aguirre, Gladys Estigarribia, Katharine S Walter, Olivia Horna-Campos, Yiran E Liu, Jason R Andrews, Julio Croda, Alberto L Garcia-Basteiro
Globally, incarceration is a well-documented risk factor for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis (TB) disease.1 Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Latin America (LA) experience incidence rates of TB that are 26 times higher (95% CI 17.1 to 40.1) than those in the general population, and this disparity is the largest in the world.2 Over the last decade, the prison population in
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Are we moving into a new era for alcohol policy globally? An analysis of the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-30 BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Jim McCambridge, Matthew Lesch
The Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-30 (GAAP) represents an important milestone in policy implementation at the global level on alcohol and health. There has, however, been little attention paid to the GAAP in the research literature. With a focus on the alcohol industry, this analysis examines the content of, and prospects for, the GAAP. It is clear why stronger action on alcohol and health is needed
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Rapid diagnostic testing: the key to ensuring sufficient supply and safe access to blood in emergencies BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Nikathan Kumar, Riya Sawhney, Nobhojit Roy, Nakul Raykar
### Summary box Recently, the WHO published a strategic framework for management of blood in an emergency situation, when blood banking operations are disrupted.1 In the wake of ongoing global events, it is timely, important guidance to promote resilience in blood systems worldwide. Maintaining a safe blood supply is an essential part of a health system and in the care of our sickest patients. How
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An incomplete picture: data limitations in costed National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS) BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Ciara M Weets, Stephanie Eaneff, Rebecca Katz
#### SUMMARY BOX Transparent, reliable estimates of cost are critical to inform discussions about the future of financing for pandemic preparedness and response (PPR). Estimates of global investment requirements for national-level capacity building for health security under the International Health Regulations (IHR) range from US$107.2 billion to US$204 billion1 over a 5-year period, but limited information
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Towards a better understanding of real-world home-visiting programs: a large-scale effectiveness study of parenting mechanisms in Brazil BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Morgan Rebecca Healy, Eduardo Viegas da Silva, Anton Rask Lundborg, Fernando Pires Hartwig, Tiago Neuenfeld Munhoz, Adriane Xavier Arteche, Paul G Ramchandani, Joseph Murray
Background The scale-up of parenting programmes to support early childhood development (ECD) is poorly understood. Little is known about how and when early interventions are most effective. Sustainability of ECD programming requires a better understanding of the mechanisms of real-world interventions. We examined the effects on caregiving practices of Primeira Infância Melhor (PIM), a state-wide home-visiting
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Primary healthcare system and provider responses to the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Mustafa Basij-Rasikh, Elisa S Dickey, Alyssa Sharkey
Introduction Existing health system challenges in Afghanistan were amplified by the Taliban’s August 2021 government takeover during which the country faced an evolving security situation, border closures, banking interruptions, donor funding disruptions and international staff evacuations. We investigated factors that influenced health sector and health service delivery following the takeover. Methods
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Why a good law is not always good enough: a global review of restrictions to supportive laws for sexual and reproductive health and rights BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Laura Ferguson, Michelle Elizabeth Anderson, Mengjia Liang, Emilie Filmer-Wilson
Laws and regulations provide the framework for implementing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)-related policies, programmes and services. They can promote the fulfilment of health and human rights; however, they may also limit the achievement of these goals. This study uses data collected under Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 5.6.2 to analyse SRHR-related laws and restrictions
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Can earlier BCG-Japan and OPV vaccination reduce early infant mortality? A cluster-randomised trial in Guinea-Bissau BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Sanne Marie Thysen, Igualdino da Silva Borges, Jailson Martins, Alexander Dahl Stjernholm, Jesper Sloth Hansen, Leontino Manuel Vieira da Silva, Justiniano Sebastião Durga Martins, Aksel Jensen, Amabelia Rodrigues, Peter Aaby, Christine Stabell Benn, Ane Baerent Fisker
Objective To assess the effect of providing BCG and oral polio vaccine (OPV) at an early home visit after delivery. Design Cluster-randomised trial, randomising 92 geographically defined clusters 1:1 to intervention/control arms. Setting Bandim Health Project Health and Demographic Surveillance System, Guinea-Bissau. Participants 2226 newborns enrolled between July 2016 and August 2019. Interventions
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Damage to medical complexes in the Israel–Hamas war: a geospatial analysis BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Danielle N Poole, Daniel Andersen, Nathaniel A Raymond, Rob Grace, Trevor Smith, Kaveh Khoshnood, Hani Mowafi
Introduction Medical facilities are civilian objects specially protected during armed conflict by international humanitarian law (IHL). These protections are customarily applied regardless of the conflict, parties or contexts involved. Attacks on medical care have characterised the bombardment campaign of the Gaza Strip beginning 7 October 2023. This study presents evidence regarding patterns of damage
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Enhanced or hindered research benefits? A realist review of community engagement and participatory research practices for non-communicable disease prevention in low- and middle-income countries BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Sonja Klingberg, Bipin Adhikari, Catherine E Draper, Edna Bosire, Deborah Nyirenda, Priscilla Tiigah, Ferdinand C Mukumbang
Introduction Community engagement and participatory research are widely used and considered important for ethical health research and interventions. Based on calls to unpack their complexity and observed biases in their favour, we conducted a realist review with a focus on non-communicable disease prevention. The aim was to generate an understanding of how and why engagement or participatory practices
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Representations of an Ebola ‘outbreak’ through Story Technologies BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Raphael Frankfurter, Maya Malik, Sahr David Kpakiwa, Timothy McGinnis, Momin M Malik, Smit Chitre, Mohamed Bailor Barrie, Yusupha Dibba, Lulwama Mulalu, Raquel Baldwinson, Mosoka Fallah, Ismail Rashid, J Daniel Kelly, Eugene T Richardson
Background Attempts to understand biosocial phenomena using scientific methods are often presented as value-neutral and objective; however, when used to reduce the complexity of open systems such as epidemics, these forms of inquiry necessarily entail normative considerations and are therefore fashioned by political worldviews (ideologies). From the standpoint of poststructural theory, the character
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Examining local smoke-free coalitions in Armenia and Georgia: context and outcomes of a matched-pairs community-randomised controlled trial BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Carla J Berg, Regine Haardörfer, Arevik Torosyan, Ana Dekanosidze, Lilit Grigoryan, Zhanna Sargsyan, Varduhi Hayrumyan, Lela Sturua, Marina Topuridze, Varduhi Petrosyan, Alexander Bazarchyan, Michelle C Kegler
Introduction Local coalitions can advance public health initiatives such as smoke-free air but have not been widely used or well-studied in low-income and middle-income countries. Methods We conducted a matched-pairs community-randomised controlled trial in 28 communities in Armenia and Georgia (N=14/country) in which we helped establish local coalitions in 2019 and provided training and technical
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Accelerating and sustaining progress: PEPFAR’s path to achieving 95-95-95 by 2030 BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Michael Ruffner, Michael Reid, Allyala Nandakumar, Maureen Bartee, Sarah Dominis, Uzaib Y Saya, John N Nkengasong
Over the past two decades, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has played a pivotal role in catalysing an unprecedented scale-up of HIV services, yielding remarkable dividends. Thanks to PEPFAR, about 5.5 million children have been born HIV-free,1 25 million lives saved, and over 20 million people are on life-saving treatment across 54 countries.2 Countries like Botswana, Eswatini
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Health research mentorship in low-income and middle-income countries: a global qualitative evidence synthesis of data from a crowdsourcing open call and scoping review BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Eneyi E Kpokiri, Kamryn McDonald, Yoseph Gebreyohannes Abraha, Lyda Osorio, Tilak Chandra Nath, Victor A Talavera-Urdanivia, Olaoluwa Pheabian Akinwale, Yukari Carol Manabe, Barbara Castelnuovo, Weiming Tang, Daniel Yilma, Michael Mihut, Oliver Ezechi, Juliet Iwelunmor, Mirgissa Kaba, Alemseged Abdissa, Joseph D Tucker
Introduction Research mentorship is critical for advancing science, but there are few practical strategies for cultivating mentorship in health research resource-limited settings. WHO/TDR Global commissioned a group to develop a practical guide on research mentorship. This global qualitative evidence synthesis included data from a crowdsourcing open call and scoping review to identify and propose strategies
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Authorship reflexivity statements: additional considerations BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Melissa Taylor, Eva Heinz, Mtisunge Gondwe, Refiloe Masekela, Ben Morton, Rose Oronje, Andre Vercueil, Seye Abimbola, Angela Obasi
Authorship of scientific publications is key currency in academic systems. It demonstrates scientific contribution and scholarship and is an important tangible output that can strongly influence career progression and access to important resources such as grant income. However, the integrity of authorship as an indicator of contribution is threatened by normalised unfair practices. One such unfair
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Colonisation and its aftermath: reimagining global surgery BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Rennie Qin, Barnabas Alayande, Isioma Okolo, Judy Khanyola, Desmond Tanko Jumbam, Jonathan Koea, Adeline A Boatin, Henry Mark Lugobe, Jesse Bump
Coloniality in global health manifests as systemic inequalities, not based on merit, that benefit one group at the expense of another. Global surgery seeks to advance equity by inserting surgery into the global health agenda; however, it inherits the biases in global health. As a diverse group of global surgery practitioners, we aimed to examine inequities in global surgery. Using a structured, iterative
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Institutional leadership after Dobbs: a mixed methods analysis of US medical schools' public statements regarding abortion BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Sarah M McNeilly, Vivian E Kim, Carmen Conroy, Antoinette Danvers
Introduction Medical schools, as significant and influential organisations within their communities, have the potential and the capacity to impact abortion policy. Organisations often engage in advocacy by issuing public statements that clarify their stance on specific policies. This study analyses the quantity and quality of publicly discoverable statements that US medical schools issued regarding
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Convergence of HIV and non-communicable disease epidemics: geospatial mapping of the unmet health needs in an HIV hyperendemic community in South Africa BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Diego F Cuadros, Chayanika Devi, Urisha Singh, Stephen Olivier, Alison C Castle, Yumna Moosa, Johnathan A Edwards, Hae-Young Kim, Mark J Siedner, Emily B Wong, Frank Tanser
Introduction As people living with HIV (PLHIV) are experiencing longer survival, the co-occurrence of HIV and non-communicable diseases has become a public health priority. In response to this emerging challenge, we aimed to characterise the spatial structure of convergence of chronic health conditions in an HIV hyperendemic community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods In this cross-sectional
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Mentorship as an overlooked dimension of research capacity strengthening: how to embed value-driven practices in global health BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Candice Bonaconsa, Vrinda Nampoothiri, Oluchi Mbamalu, Sipho Dlamini, Surya Surendran, Sanjeev K Singh, Raheelah Ahmad, Alison Holmes, Muneera A Rasheed, Marc Mendelson, Esmita Charani
Mentorship in global health remains an overlooked dimension of research partnerships. Commitment to effective mentorship models requires value-driven approaches. This includes having an understanding of (1) what mentorship means across different cultural and hierarchical boundaries in the health research environment, and (2) addressing entrenched power asymmetries across different aspects including
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Lessons learnt from COVID-19 to reduce mortality and morbidity in the Global South: addressing global vaccine equity for future pandemics BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Rebecca Martin, Allan Maleche, Jill Gay, Haram Fatima
COVID-19, which killed more than 6 million people, will not be the last pandemic. Vaccines are key to preventing and ending pandemics. Therefore, it is critical to move now, before the next pandemic, towards global vaccine equity with shared goals, intermediate steps and long-term advocacy goals. Scientific integrity, ethical development, transparency, accountability and communication are critical
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Rapid ethnographic appraisal of community concepts of and responses to joint pain in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Elizabeth F Msoka, Christopher Bunn, Perry Msoka, Nateiya M Yongolo, Emma Laurie, Sally Wyke, Emma McIntosh, Blandina T Mmbaga
Introduction Musculoskeletal disorders, experienced as joint pain, are a significant global health problem, but little is known about how joint pain is categorised and understood in Tanzania. Understanding existing conceptualisations of and responses to joint pain is important to ensure both research and interventions are equitable and avoid biomedical imposition. Methods Rapid ethnographic appraisal
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European priority review vouchers for neglected disease product development BMJ Glob. Health (IF 8.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 David B Ridley, Agustín Martín Lasanta, Ffion Storer Jones, Sarah K Ridley
Introduction Neglected diseases are a significant global health challenge. Encouraging the development of therapeutics and vaccines for these diseases would address an important unmet medical need. We propose a priority review voucher programme for the European Union (EU). The developer of a drug or vaccine for a neglected disease would receive a voucher for accelerated assessment of a different product