Articles

Risky business: COVAX and the financialization of global vaccine equity

During the first year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVAX has been the world’s most prominent effort to ensure equitable access to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Launched as part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools A...

Authors: Felix Stein

Public health consequences after ten years of the Syrian crisis: a literature review

Ten years of the Syrian war had a devastating effect on Syrian lives, including millions of refugees and displaced people, enormous destruction in the infrastructure, and the worst economic crisis Syria has ev...

Authors: M. H. D. Bahaa Aldin Alhaffar and Sandor Janos

Interrogating the World Bank’s role in global health knowledge production, governance, and finance

In the nearly half century since it began lending for population projects, the World Bank has become one of the largest financiers of global health projects and programs, a powerful voice in shaping health age...

Authors: Marlee Tichenor, Janelle Winters, Katerini T. Storeng, Jesse Bump, Jean-Paul Gaudillière, Martin Gorsky, Mark Hellowell, Patrick Kadama, Katherine Kenny, Yusra Ribhi Shawar, Francisco Songane, Alexis Walker, Ryan Whitacre, Sumegha Asthana, Genevie Fernandes, Felix Stein…

Control, power, and responsibility: a qualitative study of local perspectives on problem drinking in Peruvian Andean highlands

Alcohol control has emerged as an important global health challenge due to the expanding influence of alcohol companies and limited control measures imposed by governments. In the Peruvian Andean highland, the...

Authors: Sakiko Yamaguchi, Raphael Lencucha and Thomas G. Brown

The Global Fund: why anti-corruption, transparency and accountability matter

The creation of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, also known as the Global Fund, was prompted by the lack of a timely and effective global response, and the need for financing to fight a...

Authors: Zhihao Chang, Violet Rusu and Jillian C. Kohler

Analysing the impact of trade agreements on national food environments: the case of Vanuatu

A large body of literature exists on trade liberalisation and the ways in which trade agreements can affect food systems. However, the systematic and objective monitoring of these and their impact on national ...

Authors: Amerita Ravuvu, Joe Pakoa Lui, Adolphe Bani, Anna Wells Tavoa, Raymond Vuti and Si Thu Win Tin

De-escalation strategies for non-pharmaceutical interventions following infectious disease outbreaks: a rapid review and a proposed dynamic de-escalation framework

The severity of COVID-19, as well as the speed and scale of its spread, has posed a global challenge. Countries around the world have implemented stringent non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) to control tra...

Authors: Charbel El Bcheraoui, Sophie Alice Müller, Eleanor C Vaughan, Andreas Jansen, Robert Cook and Johanna Hanefeld

Projecting health labor market dynamics for a health system in transition: planning for a resilient health workforce in Saudi Arabia

Health workforce planning is critical for health systems to safeguard the ability to afford, train, recruit, and retain the appropriate number and mix of health workers. This balance is especially important wh...

Authors: Tracy Kuo Lin, Tim A. Bruckner, Taghred Alghaith, Mariam M. Hamza, Mohammed Alluhidan, Christopher H. Herbst, Hussah Alghodaier, Adwa Alamri, Rana Saber, Nahar Alazemi and Jenny X. Liu

Do international trade and investment agreements generate regulatory chill in public health policymaking? A case study of nutrition and alcohol policy in South Africa

Trade and health scholars have raised concern that international trade and particularly investment disputes may be used by transnational health harmful commodity corporations (THCCs) to effectively generate pu...

Authors: Penelope Milsom, Richard Smith, Simon Moeketsi Modisenyane and Helen Walls

A chair at the table: a scoping review of the participation of refugees in community-based participatory research in healthcare

Refugees often face psychosocial complexity and multi-dimensional healthcare needs. Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods have been previously employed in designing health programs for refugee ...

Authors: Tali Filler, Pardeep Kaur Benipal, Nazi Torabi and Ripudaman Singh Minhas

Utilisation of quality antenatal, delivery and postnatal care services in Nepal: An analysis of Service Provision Assessment

Nepal has improved access and utilisation of routine maternal and newborn health (MNH) services. Despite improved access to routine MNH services such as antenatal care (ANC), and delivery and postnatal care (P...

Authors: Resham B. Khatri, Jo Durham and Yibeltal Assefa

The Health Impact Fund: making the case for engagement with pharmaceutical laboratories in Brazil, Russia, India, and China

Despite progress in global health, the general disease burden still disproportionately falls on low- and middle-income countries. The health needs of these countries’ populations are unmet because there is a s...

Authors: Vivian Chia-Jou Lee, Jacqueline Yao and William Zhang

Correction to: Conflict and COVID-19 in Yemen: beyond the humanitarian crisis

Authors: Mohammed Alsabri, Ayman Alhadheri, Luai M. Alsakkaf and Jennifer Cole

Global health classroom: mixed methods evaluation of an interinstitutional model for reciprocal global health learning among Samoan and New Zealand medical students

Global health education partnerships should be collaborative and reciprocal to ensure mutual benefit. Utilisation of digital technologies can overcome geographic boundaries and facilitate collaborative global ...

Authors: Roshit K. Bothara, Malama Tafuna’i, Tim J. Wilkinson, Jen Desrosiers, Susan Jack, Philip K. Pattemore, Tony Walls, Faafetai Sopoaga, David R. Murdoch and Andrew P. Miller

When actions do not match aspirations - comparison of the European Union policy claims against what has been negotiated for health services, trade and investment

Obligations arising from trade and investment agreements can affect how governments can regulate and organise health systems. The European Union has made explicit statements of safeguarding policy space for he...

Authors: Meri Koivusalo, Noora Heinonen and Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen

A qualitative exploration of pharmacovigilance policy implementation in Jordan, Oman, and Kuwait using Matland’s ambiguity-conflict model

As Arab countries seek to implement the ‘Guideline on Good Pharmacovigilance Practice (GVP) for Arab countries’, understanding policy implementation mechanisms and the factors impacting it can inform best impl...

Authors: Hamza Y. Garashi, Douglas T. Steinke and Ellen I. Schafheutle

The World Health Organization and the global standardization of medical training, a history

This article presents a history of efforts by the World Health Organization and its most important ally, the World Federation for Medical Education, to strengthen and standardize international medical educatio...

Authors: George Weisz and Beata Nannestad

Advancing sustainable development goals through immunization: a literature review

Immunization directly impacts health (SDG3) and brings a contribution to 14 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as ending poverty, reducing hunger, and reducing inequalities. Therefore, im...

Authors: Catherine Decouttere, Kim De Boeck and Nico Vandaele

Global research publications on irrational use of antimicrobials: call for more research to contain antimicrobial resistance

Irrational use of antimicrobials is highly prevalent. It is a major driving factor for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Research on irrational antimicrobial use is important for developing policies and regulati...

Authors: Waleed M. Sweileh

In-flight transmission of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and the outbreak potential of imported clusters of COVID-19: a review of published evidence

International air travel has been highlighted as a concern since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to importation of cases. We summarise the available evidence for in-flight transmission of w...

Authors: David Kelly, Niamh Bambury and Mairin Boland

Intellectual property and access to medicines: mapping public attitudes toward pharmaceuticals during the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiation process

Transparency and accountability are essential components at all stages of the trade negotiation process. This study evaluates the extent to which these principles were upheld in the United States’ public consu...

Authors: Anna S. Y. Wong, Clarke B. Cole and Jillian C. Kohler

Is the development of obesogenic food environments a self-reinforcing process? Evidence from soft drink consumption

Understanding how the development of obesogenic food environments and the consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages influence each other can help policymakers to identify effective ways to curb the cu...

Authors: Fabrizio Ferretti, Michele Mariani and Elena Sarti

German-speaking medical students on international electives: an analysis of popular elective destinations and disciplines

International medical electives are a well-established part of the curriculum of many western medical schools. It is widely accepted that these electives contribute to improved clinical examination and communi...

Authors: Maximilian Andreas Storz, Ann-Kathrin Lederer and Eric Pieter Heymann

Dynamically adjusted strategy in response to developments in the COVID-19 pandemic as a new normal

Presently, the developments of COVID-19 situation in different countries and regions have clearly differentiated. Due to differences in resources, infrastructure, and awareness of epidemic prevention and contr...

Authors: Weifeng Shen

Exploring the role of gender and women in the political economy of health in armed conflict: a narrative review

The ripple effects of protracted armed conflicts include: significant gender-specific barriers to accessing essential services such as health, education, water and sanitation and broader macroeconomic challeng...

Authors: Kristen Meagher, Bothaina Attal and Preeti Patel

Equity across the cancer care continuum for culturally and linguistically diverse migrants living in Australia: a scoping review

International evidence suggests migrants experience inequitable access, outcomes and treatment quality across the cancer care continuum. There is currently limited research assessing equity across the cancer c...

Authors: Brighid Scanlon, Mark Brough, David Wyld and Jo Durham

Associations of environment and lifestyle factors with suboptimal health status: a population-based cross-sectional study in urban China

Suboptimal health status (SHS), an intermediate state between chronic disease and health, is characterized by chronic fatigue, non-specific pain, headaches, dizziness, anxiety, depression, and functional syste...

Authors: Yunlian Xue, Zhuomin Huang, Guihao Liu, Zicheng Zhang, Yefang Feng, Mengyao Xu, Lijie Jiang, Wenyuan Li and Jun Xu

A human rights-based approach to non-communicable diseases: mandating front-of-package warning labels

Across the globe, the consumption of energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods and beverages has escalated rates of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), driven by deceptive marketing tactics from the food...

Authors: Andrés Constantin, Oscar A. Cabrera, Belén Ríos, Isabel Barbosa, Ariadna Tovar Ramírez, Margherita M. Cinà and Silvia Serrano Guzmán

Global infectious disease research collaborations in crises: building capacity and inclusivity through cooperation

The initial research requirements in pandemics are predictable. But how is it possible to study a disease that is so quickly spreading and to rapidly use that research to inform control and treatment?

Authors: Jonathon P. Fanning, Srinivas Murthy, Nchafatso G. Obonyo, J. Kenneth Baillie, Steve Webb, Heidi J. Dalton and John F. Fraser

Conflict and COVID-19 in Yemen: beyond the humanitarian crisis

Yemen has been left in shambles and almost destroyed by its devastating civil war, and is now having to deal with the spread of coronavirus. The Yemeni people have been left to fend for themselves and faced ma...

Authors: Mohammed Alsabri, Ayman Alhadheri, Luai M. Alsakkaf and Jennifer Cole

A qualitative exploratory study of selected physicians’ perceptions of the management of non-communicable diseases at a referral hospital in Zimbabwe

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have recently become a global public health burden and a leading cause of premature death, mainly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim of the study was to explo...

Authors: Alexander Cheza and Boikhutso Tlou

Labor migration is associated with lower rates of underweight and higher rates of obesity among left-behind wives in rural Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Among Bangladeshi men, international labor migration has increased ten-fold since 1990 and rural to urban labor migration rates have steadily increased. Labor migration of husbands has increased household weal...

Authors: Kristin K. Sznajder, Katherine Wander, Siobhan Mattison, Elizabeth Medina-Romero, Nurul Alam, Rubhana Raqib, Anjan Kumar, Farjana Haque, Tami Blumenfield and Mary K. Shenk

Exploring perceived effects from loss of PEPFAR support for outreach in Kenya and Uganda

In 2015, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief undertook policy shifts to increase efficiencies in its programming, including transitioning HIV/AIDS funding away from low burden areas. We examine the ...

Authors: Mary Qiu, Ligia Paina, Daniela C. Rodríguez, Jess A. Wilhelm, Ezinne Eze-Ajoku, Alexandra Searle, Henry Zakumumpa, Freddie Ssengooba, Caroline MacKenzie and Sara Bennett

From Ebola to COVID-19: emergency preparedness and response plans and actions in Lagos, Nigeria

Lagos state is the industrial nerve centre of Nigeria and was the epicentre of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria as it is now for the current Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak. This paper describes how ...

Authors: Akin Abayomi, Mobolanle R. Balogun, Munir Bankole, Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas, Bamidele Mutiu, John Olawepo, Morakinyo Senjobi, Oluwakemi Odukoya, Lanre Aladetuyi, Chioma Ejekam, Akinsanya Folarin, Madonna Emmanuel, Funke Amodu, Adesoji Ologun, Abosede Olusanya, Moses Bakare…

Defending access to medicines in regional trade agreements: lessons from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership – a qualitative study of policy actors’ views

The Regional Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) is a mega regional trade agreement signed by fifteen countries on 15 November 2020 after 8 years of negotiation. Signatories include the ten members of the As...

Authors: Belinda Townsend

Multiple pathways to scaling up and sustainability: an exploration of digital health solutions in South Africa

With the aim to support further understanding of scaling up and sustaining digital health, we explore digital health solutions that have or are anticipated to reach national scale in South Africa: the Perinata...

Authors: Alison Swartz, Amnesty E. LeFevre, Shehani Perera, Mary V. Kinney and Asha S. George

Exploring factors that contribute to human trafficking in Ethiopia: a socio-ecological perspective

A number of individuals in Ethiopia are involved in illegal types of transnational migration, namely human trafficking and smuggling. The magnitude is not declining despite efforts to curb it. An in-depth unde...

Authors: Lemma Derseh Gezie, Alemayehu Worku Yalew, Yigzaw Kebede Gete and Florence Samkange-Zeeb

Key factors to facilitate locally driven family planning programming: a qualitative analysis of urban stakeholder perspectives in Africa and Asia

There has been greater recognition of the importance of country ownership in global health and development. However, operationalising country ownership to ensure the scale up and sustainability of proven inter...

Authors: Lisa Mwaikambo, Sarah Brittingham, Saori Ohkubo, Ruwaida Salem, Denis Joel Sama, Fatimata Sow, Deepti Mathur and Nneoma Nonyelum Anieto

Climate change-induced migration: a bibliometric review

This paper has reviewed the international research on the terms “climate change” and “human migration” from 1999 to 2019. To this end, a bibliometric and a cluster analysis by fractional accounting have been c...

Authors: Juan Milán-García, José Luis Caparrós-Martínez, Nuria Rueda-López and Jaime de Pablo Valenciano

Assessing how global health partnerships function: an equity-informed critical interpretive synthesis

Global health partnerships (GHPs) are situated in complex political and economic relationships and involve partners with different needs and interests (e.g., government agencies, non-governmental organizations...

Authors: Katrina M. Plamondon, Ben Brisbois, Leslie Dubent and Charles P. Larson

How does the British Soft Drink Association respond to media research reporting on the health consequences of sugary drinks?

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are the leading global source of added sugar intake and their consumption is associated with negative health outcomes, such as diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and o...

Authors: Marco Zenone, Diego Silva, Julia Smith and Kelley Lee

Research on the move: exploring WhatsApp as a tool for understanding the intersections between migration, mobility, health and gender in South Africa

Reflecting global norms, South Africa is associated with high levels of cross-border and internal population mobility, yet migration-aware health system responses are lacking. Existing literature highlights th...

Authors: Thea de Gruchy, Jo Vearey, Calvin Opiti, Langelihle Mlotshwa, Karima Manji and Johanna Hanefeld

Impact of mining projects on water and sanitation infrastructures and associated child health outcomes: a multi-country analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in sub-Saharan Africa

Access to improved water and sanitation infrastructures are key determinants of health. The sub-Saharan African region in particular is lagging behind the ambitious goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Deve...

Authors: Dominik Dietler, Andrea Farnham, Georg Loss, Günther Fink and Mirko S. Winkler

Evaluating implementation of International Health Regulations core capacities: using the Electronic States Parties Self-Assessment Annual Reporting Tool (e-SPAR) to monitor progress with Joint External Evaluation indicators

The International Health Regulations (IHR) are a legally binding instrument designed to improve Global Health Security by limiting the cross boarder spread of health risks. All 196 signatories to the IHR (2005...

Authors: Ahmed Razavi, Samuel Collins, Anne Wilson and Ebere Okereke

An analysis of policy and funding priorities of global actors regarding noncommunicable disease in low- and middle-income countries

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including mental health, have become a major concern in low- and middle-income countries. Despite increased attention to them over the past decade, progress toward addressing N...

Authors: Kanykey Jailobaeva, Jennifer Falconer, Giulia Loffreda, Stella Arakelyan, Sophie Witter and Alastair Ager

Mental health solutions for domestic violence victims amid COVID-19: a review of the literature

Due to COVID-19, domestic violence victims face a range of mental health challenges, possibly resulting in substantial human and economic consequences. However, there is a lack of mental health interventions t...

Authors: Zhaohui Su, Dean McDonnell, Stephanie Roth, Quanlei Li, Sabina Šegalo, Feng Shi and Shelly Wagers

Building on momentum from the global campaigns: an exploration of factors that influenced prioritization of stillbirth prevention at the national level in Uganda

Of the close to 2.6 million stillbirths that happen annually, most are from low-income countries where until recently policies rarely paid special attention to addressing them. The global campaigns that follow...

Authors: Eric Ssegujja and Michelle Andipatin

The utilisation of tools to facilitate cross-border communication during international food safety events, 1995–2020: a realist synthesis

Efficient communication and coordination are needed between countries to prevent, detect and respond to international food safety events. While communication tools, networks and systems exist, current evidence...

Authors: Carmen Joseph Savelli, Raul Fernando Garcia Acevedo, Jane Simpson and Céu Mateus

A framework for designing medical devices resilient to low-resource settings

To date (April 2021), medical device (MD) design approaches have failed to consider the contexts where MDs can be operationalised. Although most of the global population lives and is treated in Low- and Middle...

Authors: Davide Piaggio, Rossana Castaldo, Marco Cinelli, Sara Cinelli, Alessia Maccaro and Leandro Pecchia

Designing the next generation of implementation research training for learners in low- and middle-income countries

Efficacious health interventions tested through controlled trials often fail to show desired impacts when implemented at scale. These challenges can be particularly pervasive in low- and middle-income settings...

Authors: Michael J. Penkunas, Shiau Yun Chong, Emma L. M. Rhule, Evangelia Berdou and Pascale Allotey