Articles

Unleashing implementation research to accelerate national noncommunicable disease responses

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. They exact a disproportionate toll in low and middle-income countries, and the world is not on-track to meet internation...

Authors: Tea Collins, Svetlana Akselrod, Daria Berlina and Luke N Allen

The challenges of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing in low-middle income countries and possible cost-effective measures in resource-limited settings

Diagnostic testing for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains a challenge around the world, especially in low-middle-income countries (LMICs) with poor socio-economi...

Authors: Zamathombeni Duma, Anil A. Chuturgoon, Veron Ramsuran, Vinodh Edward, Pragalathan Naidoo, Miranda N. Mpaka-Mbatha, Khethiwe N. Bhengu, Nomzamo Nembe, Roxanne Pillay, Ravesh Singh and Zilungile L. Mkhize-Kwitshana

Global research activity on mathematical modeling of transmission and control of 23 selected infectious disease outbreak

Mathematical analysis and modeling allow policymakers to understand and predict the dynamics of an infectious disease under several different scenarios. The current study aimed to analyze global research activ...

Authors: Waleed M. Sweileh

Pandemic preparedness systems and diverging COVID-19 responses within similar public health regimes: a comparative study of expert perceptions of pandemic response in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic depend on national preparedness systems that must be understood as components of global public health emergency preparedness systems, governed and coordinated throug...

Authors: Jakob Laage-Thomsen and Søren Lund Frandsen

COVID-19 data are messy: analytic methods for rigorous impact analyses with imperfect data

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an avalanche of scientific studies, drawing on many different types of data. However, studies addressing the effectiveness of government actions against COVID-19, especially no...

Authors: Michael A. Stoto, Abbey Woolverton, John Kraemer, Pepita Barlow and Michael Clarke

Charting the evidence for climate change impacts on the global spread of malaria and dengue and adaptive responses: a scoping review of reviews

Climate change is expected to alter the global footprint of many infectious diseases, particularly vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue. Knowledge of the range and geographical context of expected ...

Authors: Manisha A. Kulkarni, Claudia Duguay and Katarina Ost

Strengthening the WHO in the pandemic era by removing a persistent structural defect in financing

The WHO’s success in its vital role is constrained by inadequate financial support from member states and overreliance on earmarked voluntary contributions, which erodes autonomy. The agency’s broad functions,...

Authors: Nkuchia M. M’ikanatha and David P. Welliver

Universal coverage of the first antenatal care visit but poor continuity of care across the maternal and newborn health continuum among Nepalese women: analysis of levels and correlates

Routine maternity care visits (MCVs) such as antenatal care (ANC), institutional delivery, and postnatal care (PNC) visits are crucial to utilisation of maternal and newborn health (MNH) interventions during p...

Authors: Resham B Khatri, Rajendra Karkee, Jo Durham and Yibeltal Assefa

Informal employment and poor self-perceived health in Latin America and the Caribbean: a gender-based comparison between countries and welfare states in a pooled analysis of 176,786 workers

More than half of the working population in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries is engaged in informal employment. The few previous studies indicate that this employment condition could have negative ...

Authors: Mireia Utzet, Ferran Botías, Michael Silva-Peñaherrera, Aurelio Tobías and Fernando G. Benavides

Review of social networks of professionals in healthcare settings—where are we and what else is needed?

Social Network Analysis (SNA) demonstrates great potential in exploring health professional relationships and improving care delivery, but there is no comprehensive overview of its utilization in healthcare se...

Authors: Huajie Hu, Yu Yang, Chi Zhang, Cong Huang, Xiaodong Guan and Luwen Shi

Maximising the wealth of few at the expense of the health of many: a public health analysis of market power and corporate wealth and income distribution in the global soft drink market

Many of the harms created by the global soft drink industry that directly influence human and planetary health are well documented. However, some of the ways in which the industry indirectly affects population...

Authors: Benjamin Wood, Phil Baker, Gyorgy Scrinis, David McCoy, Owain Williams and Gary Sacks

Global health diplomacy in Mexico: insights from key actors in the field

Global health diplomacy (GHD) focuses on the actions taken by diverse stakeholders from different nations –governments, multilateral agents, and civil society– to phenomena that can affect population health an...

Authors: German Guerra, Emanuel Orozco, Paulina Jiménez, Arne Ruckert, Ronald Labonté and Nelly Salgado de Snyder

Barriers and facilitators to the introduction of import duties designed to prevent noncommunicable disease in Tonga: a case study

In Tonga, import duties were lowered on tinned fish and seafood in 2013 and raised on soft drinks, dripping and other animal fats. Additional import duties were applied to soft drinks and dripping and other fa...

Authors: Colin Bell, Catherine Latu, Elisiva Na’ati, Wendy Snowdon, Marj Moodie and Gade Waqa

Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence

Papua New Guinea (PNG) experienced positive GDP growth at approximately 4.3% per year during the last decade. With increases in overall wealth within the country, PNG is facing a double burden of malnutrition:...

Authors: Emily Schmidt and Peixun Fang

International investment liberalization, transnational corporations and NCD prevention policy non-decisions: a realist review on the political economy of tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed food

Public health concerns relating to international investment liberalization have centred on the potential for investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS)-related regulatory chill. However, the broader political an...

Authors: Penelope Milsom, Richard Smith, Phillip Baker and Helen Walls

The Middle East and COVID-19: time for collective action

Revised: Nov 6 2021

Authors: Louise Fawcett

Tools for public health policy: nudges and boosts as active support of the law in special situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic

In recent years, “nudging” has become a standard behavioral intervention at the individual level and for the design of social policies. Although nudges are effective, such interventions seem to be limited to a...

Authors: Jakub M. Krawiec, Olga M. Piaskowska, Piotr F. Piesiewicz and Wojciech Białaszek

Towards effective and sustainable global academic partnerships through a maturity model informed by the capability approach

Shortage of skilled workforce is a global concern but represents a critical bottleneck to Africa’s development. While global academic partnerships have the potential to help tackle this development bottleneck,...

Authors: Abebaw Fekadu, Esubalew Assefa, Abraham Tesfaye, Charlotte Hanlon, Belete Adefris, Tsegahun Manyazewal, Melanie J. Newport and Gail Davey

Measuring the capacity to combat illicit tobacco trade in 160 countries

Illicit trade of tobacco negatively affects countries’ tobacco control efforts. It leads to lower tobacco prices and makes tobacco products more accessible to vulnerable populations. In this study, we construc...

Authors: Valerie Gilbert Ulep, Monica Paula Lavares and Ariza Francisco

Engagement of non-governmental organisations in moving towards universal health coverage: a scoping review

Developing essential health services through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is an important strategy for progressing towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), especially in low- and middle-income countri...

Authors: Arman Sanadgol, Leila Doshmangir, Reza Majdzadeh and Vladimir Sergeevich Gordeev

A pandemic treaty, revised international health regulations, or both?

A special session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) will be convened in late 2021 to consider developing a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response – a...

Authors: Ronald Labonté, Mary Wiktorowicz, Corinne Packer, Arne Ruckert, Kumanan Wilson and Sam Halabi

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

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

A scoping review on the measurement of transnationalism in migrant health research in high-income countries

Migrants commonly maintain transnational ties as they relocate and settle in a new country. There is a growing body of research examining transnationalism and health. We sought to identify how transnationalism...

Authors: Ye Na Kim, Marcelo Urquia, Sarah Fredsted Villadsen and Lisa Merry

Breastfeeding, first-food systems and corporate power: a case study on the market and political practices of the transnational baby food industry and public health resistance in the Philippines

The aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes (BMS) reduces breastfeeding, and harms child and maternal health globally. Yet forty years after the World Health Assembly adopted the International Code of M...

Authors: Phillip Baker, Paul Zambrano, Roger Mathisen, Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire, Ana Epefania Escober, Melissa Mialon, Mark Lawrence, Katherine Sievert, Cherie Russell and David McCoy

Comparing COVID-19 physical distancing policies: results from a physical distancing intensity coding framework for Botswana, India, Jamaica, Mozambique, Namibia, Ukraine, and the United States

Understanding the differences in timing and composition of physical distancing policies is important to evaluate the early global response to COVID-19. A physical distancing intensity monitoring framework comp...

Authors: Jeff Lane, Arianna Rubin Means, Kevin Bardosh, Anna Shapoval, Ferruccio Vio, Clive Anderson, Anya Cushnie, Norbert Forster, Jenny Ledikwe, Gabrielle O’Malley, Shreshth Mawandia, Anwar Parvez, Lucy Perrone and Florindo Mudender

Governing industry involvement in the non-communicable disease response in Kenya

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), multinational companies have become increasingly involved in addressing public health challenges. Dealing with companies as partners in health sector development cr...

Authors: Tobias Bünder, Catherine Karekezi and Veronika Wirtz

Effects of foreign direct investment and trade on the prevalence of tobacco consumption in Africa: a panel study

As African governments take measures to enhance international trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows, a major concern is that, these measures can make Africa more vulnerable to the strategies of the...

Authors: Mustapha Immurana, Micheal Kofi Boachie and Kwame Godsway Kisseih

Analysis of the management of the tenth Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo: developing a multidisciplinary response model to strengthen the healthcare system during disease outbreaks

The declaration of any public health emergency in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is usually followed by the provision of technical and organizational support from international organizations, which bui...

Authors: Bives Mutume Vivalya, Okesina Akeem Ayodeji, Yves Tibamwenda Bafwa, Louis Kasereka Muyisa, Astride Lina Piripiri and Jean-Bosco Kahindo Mbeva

Firearm violence: a neglected “Global Health” issue

Populations around the world are facing an increasing burden of firearm violence on mortality and disability. While firearm violence affects every country globally, the burden is significantly higher in many l...

Authors: Meghan Werbick, Imran Bari, Nino Paichadze and Adnan A. Hyder

The future of human malnutrition: rebalancing agency for better nutritional health

The major threat to human societies posed by undernutrition has been recognised for millennia. Despite substantial economic development and scientific innovation, however, progress in addressing this global ch...

Authors: Jonathan C. K. Wells, Akanksha A. Marphatia, Gabriel Amable, Mario Siervo, Henrik Friis, J. Jaime Miranda, Hinke H. Haisma and David Raubenheimer

Who influences nutrition policy space using international trade and investment agreements? A global stakeholder analysis

Regulation of food environments is needed to address the global challenge of poor nutrition, yet policy inertia has been a problem. A common argument against regulation is potential conflict with binding commi...

Authors: Kelly Garton, Boyd Swinburn and Anne Marie Thow

COVID-19: Factors associated with psychological distress, fear, and coping strategies among community members across 17 countries

The current pandemic of COVID-19 impacted the psychological wellbeing of populations globally.

Authors: Muhammad Aziz Rahman, Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam, Patraporn Tungpunkom, Farhana Sultana, Sheikh M. Alif, Biswajit Banik, Masudus Salehin, Bindu Joseph, Louisa Lam, Mimmie Claudine Watts, Sabria Jihan Khan, Sherief Ghozy, Sek Ying Chair, Wai Tong Chien, Carlos Schönfeldt-Lecuona, Nashwa El-Khazragy…

Patent challenges and factors associated with successful patent challengers under the patent linkage system: recent evidence from South Korea after the Korea United States free trade agreement

The patent linkage system upgraded patent challenges to an important factor in granting timely market approval for generic drugs. We aim to understand patent challenges and identify the factors that are associ...

Authors: Kyung-Bok Son, Nahye Choi, Boram Lee, Joonsoo Byun, Dong-Wook Yang and Tae-Jin Lee

Ghanaian views of short-term medical missions: The pros, the cons, and the possibilities for improvement

Various governments in Ghana have tried to improve healthcare in the country. Despite these efforts, meeting health care needs is a growing concern to government and their citizens. Short term medical missions...

Authors: Efua Esaaba Mantey, Daniel Doh, Judith N. Lasker, Sirry Alang, Peter Donkor and Myron Aldrink

Substandard and falsified medical products: bibliometric analysis and mapping of scientific research

Substandard and falsified (SF) medical products are a global public health threat. The presence and spread of SF drugs negatively affect (1) patients’ safety and health outcomes, (2) national economy, (3) publ...

Authors: Waleed M. Sweileh

Efficiency in the governance of the Covid-19 pandemic: political and territorial factors

The pandemic generated by Covid-19 has changed the way of life of citizens around the world in a short time, affecting all areas of society directly or indirectly, which is facing a global health crisis with d...

Authors: Pedro-José Martínez-Córdoba, Bernardino Benito and Isabel-María García-Sánchez

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