by Yankuba Singhateh, Tshepiso Mechele Matoko, Mannini Shaabe, Selloane Amelia Maepe, Francis Dumobong Ngmenasong Abobo, Sarah Waithera Wanyoike
BackgroundLesotho, a lower middle-income country in southern Africa, has historically had relatively high routine immunization coverage over the last three decades. Since 1996, the country has been implementing measles elimination strategies. This manuscript evaluates Lesotho’s performance, from 2011 to 2025, against the World Health Organization’s criteria for measles and rubella elimination.
MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of Lesotho’s immunization and surveillance data during 2011–2025. This included Lesotho’s annual WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) for routine measles-containing vaccine (MCV) doses; performance in the periodic measles rubella vaccination campaigns and case-based surveillance; and the trends of measles and rubella incidences.
ResultsDuring 2011–2025, MCV1 coverage generally remained ≥90% but failed to reach the 95% elimination target. MCV2 coverage reached 80% in 2011 and 2012 before declining in subsequent years. Lesotho has mostly attained the targets for surveillance performance according to the two principal performance indicators – non-measles febrile rash illness rate and the proportion of districts that report a minimum of one suspected case. From 2011 to 2015, measles incidence stayed below one per 1 million population in Lesotho. However rubella incidence ranged between 33.4 in 2012 to 142.3 in 2014, and declined significantly after MR introduction in 2017.
ConclusionLesotho has made significant progress in measles and rubella elimination efforts. To sustain the gains made, the country should work to strengthen vaccination in the second year of life, reinforce demand generation during preventive campaigns, address population denominator inaccuracies that hinder accurate coverage tracking, and systematically document measles and rubella virus genotypes.
by Sean Hartmann, Andrew Sharp, Heather Johnston, Michael S. Gee, Susie Y. Huang, Mukesh G. Harisinghani, Jens Gühring, Wei-Ching Lo, Vibhas Deshpande, Oleg S. Pianykh
PurposeHigh complexity of modern processes renders manual process optimization impossible. The main goal of our work was to formalize and to demonstrate the practical efficiency of explainable rule-learning AI in complex process optimization.
Materials and methodsProcess optimization methodology was based on globally-optimal Boolean rule-learning AI models, capable of identifying multiple inefficiency patterns, and supporting process-oriented optimization metrics. To illustrate this approach in real-word environment, the study used 3994 liver and prostate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) exams performed on five 3T scanners at three outpatient facilities from January 2019 to January 2024. Imaging exams longer than 25 minutes were labeled as requiring optimization, which applied to 35.4% of liver and 52.6% of prostate cases. Rule-learning AI was applied to the MRI scanner log data to discover short and interpretable process optimization rules. The selected Boolean rules were used to implement improved exam protocols, and a permutation test was used to measure the statistical significance of the resulting change in average exam duration.
ResultsN=1000 top rules, identifying the most significant processing delay patterns, were discovered by rule-learning AI from the scanner log data based on F1 score. A smaller set of 20 top rules was selected using the secondary operational impact metric, an estimate of each rule’s impact on average scan duration. A change in liver MRI protocols based on findings from the top rule resulted in a 10.9% reduction of median scan time. The proportion of long liver exams was reduced from 35.4% to 23.9% (p < 0.001). Similar optimizations in prostate protocols were used to add a new scanning sequence, improving exam quality.
ConclusionsGlobally optimal, multi-model rule-learning AI can transform feature-rich device logs into concise, interpretable, and operationally meaningful rules. When combined with domain expertise, this approach can support measurable and sustainable improvements in complex clinical workflows.
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are common pancreatic cystic neoplasms with malignant potential. Current evidence on IPMN management is derived largely from retrospective surgical cohorts that over-represent high-risk cases and provide limited insight into the long-term outcomes of conservatively managed lesions. Australia currently lacks a prospective national dataset to evaluate surveillance pathways, practice patterns, guideline adherence and long-term outcomes in individuals with IPMN. Variation between international guideline recommendations may also contribute to differences in surveillance intensity and thresholds for intervention. The Australian Pancreatic Cyst Registry (APCR) was established to address these evidence gaps.
The APCR is a prospective, multicentre clinical quality registry that collects clinical, imaging, management and outcome data for individuals with IPMN across public and private healthcare settings in Australia. Historical information is extracted from existing clinical documentation where available, with prospective data collection continuing during routine follow-up. The registry operates under an opt-out model and aims to enrol up to 10 000 participants over a 5-year recruitment period. Participants are followed through routine clinical care until discharge from surveillance, diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, withdrawal or death. Standardised electronic case report forms capture clinical and imaging variables aligned with risk features described in the 2024 Kyoto guidelines. This analysis will describe participant characteristics, cyst features, management and clinical outcomes, with comparative, time-to-event and multivariable analyses undertaken where appropriate. Guideline adherence and the predictive performance of established risk stratification frameworks will also be evaluated.
The study protocol was approved by the Monash Health Human Research Ethics Committee (Project ID: RES-24-0000-634A). Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and updates to participating sites.
by Andrea K. Finlay, Ingrid Binswanger, Alex H.S. Harris, Matthew Stimmel, Mengfei Yu, Kreeti Singh, Jack Tsai
Military veterans with criminal legal involvement have a need for healthcare and housing to attenuate their risks of suicide, overdose, and homelessness. Links between criminal legal involvement and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care are poorly understood, partly because it is challenging to correctly identify veterans with criminal legal involvement. This study’s primary objective was to assess VHA data sources and codes from the electronic health record that indicate contact with Veterans Justice Programs (VJP) staff – a broad proxy for criminal legal involvement. We examined three data sources used in previous research to identify veterans who had contact with VJP staff: (1) presence of VJP clinic stop codes in the outpatient encounter records, (2) Homeless Outreach Management and Evaluation System (HOMES) VJP form records collected during VJP outreach, and (3) chart note titles that included VJP terms. In Fiscal Year 2024, there were 52,672 unique VHA-eligible veterans with VJP contact as determined by at least one indicator: 80% with clinic stop codes, 22% with HOMES records, and 63% with chart note titles (Fleiss’ κ = 0.22, p < .001). Patient characteristics varied in their association with each data source, suggesting substantial proportions of veterans with specific characteristics who received VJP services would be missing when only one or two data sources were used. Depending on the data source, diagnosis of a clinical condition varied by 9% and there was a 6% difference observed in a performance measure. These results suggest that the use of all three data sources to identify veterans with VJP contact is the most comprehensive strategy among those examined. Results are most applicable to VHA, the largest healthcare system to serve a criminal legal involved population, and provide information that other healthcare systems may need various data sources and indicators to identify patients with criminal legal involvement.Tea-tribe communities in Assam face a substantial and under-recognised burden of stroke, shaped by socioeconomic marginalisation, limited access to formal healthcare and distinct cultural practices.
We estimated the prevalence of physician-diagnosed stroke, described associated functional and psychological disabilities, characterised gaps in diagnosis and care, and developed a logistic regression-based classification score for prevalent stroke among tea-tribe adults in Cachar district, Assam, Northeast India.
We conducted a community-based cross-sectional door-to-door survey (July 2024–August 2025) across five tea estates among permanent tea-tribe residents aged ≥18 years. Trained community health workers collected data on sociodemographics, vascular risk factors, healthcare utilisation and poststroke functional and psychological outcomes using a structured questionnaire, the Modified Rankin Scale and a symptom inventory. Stroke was identified through community symptom screening and confirmed by teleconsultation with a senior neurologist, supported by neuroimaging where available. A multivariable logistic regression model with stepwise selection identified factors associated with prevalent stroke and regression coefficients were converted into an additive point-based classification score. Internal validation used 1000 bootstrap samples and a 70:30 train–test split. The model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and Brier score.
Among 3818 participants, 164 had a history of stroke (prevalence 4.3%), with a higher prevalence in older adults, men, unemployed or semiskilled or skilled workers and households below the poverty line. Hypertension was the strongest risk factor and its combination with daily tea containing added salt was associated with markedly higher odds of stroke. Alcohol consumption, smoking and previous heart disease were also associated with stroke. Stroke survivors had high functional and psychological burdens and fewer than half reached a health facility within 4.5 hours or underwent CT/MRI. The final model showed good discrimination (area under the curve 0.84) and calibration (Brier score 0.037). The derived classification score (0–19 points) identified a highly associated group (scores >13) with a stroke prevalence of 14.5%.
The tea-tribe community in Assam faces a high stroke burden, substantial disability and major gaps in timely diagnosis and care. A simple, internally validated classification score based on demographic, socioeconomic and vascular factors may help target community screening and prevention but requires external validation and cautious interpretation given the cross-sectional design and self-reported exposures.
by Karikalan Nagarajan, Stephen Arangba, Basilea Watson, Muniyandi Malaisamy, Linette Muanching, Suchita Singh, Sanjay Kumar Mattoo, Vijaya Elangbam, W. Shashi Singh, Senthil Sellappan, Dahiiru Ngade, Amow Ngaopuo, Lungnalii K. T, Thangpa Serto, Pfokreho Pfoze, Dina Nair, Vignes Anand Srinivasalu, Elizabeth R K, Pung Mark, Hanna R N, Peter Yonuo, Sumpi Percy, Harpreet Kaur
BackgroundInvolving community volunteers in the tuberculosis (TB) program is widely acknowledged and considered a key element of the community engagement strategy in the TB program of India, especially in predominantly tribal North Eastern districts. Inadequate TB knowledge, attitudes and Practices (KAPs) about health and related risk factors could be a key barrier to using community volunteers or lay persons in health program.
MethodsWe trained 708 volunteers from student and women organisation (SAWOs) in 189 villages, Senapati District, Manipur between February 2023 and August 2025. A training on identifying TB symptomatics, sputum collections, transportations, patient support and follow-up during their treatment, counselling were provided. A TB-KAP pre and post data were collected in REDCap software and analysed using Stata. To assess the impact of the training on participants’ KAP regarding TB, both descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used. Statistical significance was determined at p-value Results
Of 708 trained volunteers, 339 were retained during the full training and assessment. With respect to the knowledge score, the probability of being in the highest knowledge category increased from 10% to 65% after training, while the likelihood of being in the lowest two categories dropped from 61% to 8%. The mean attitude score about TB increased from 24.53 (SD = 4.79) to 25.40 (SD = 4.83) after training. This difference of 0.87 points was statistically significant (t(353)=−3.58, p = 0.0004), with a 95% confidence interval of [−1.35, −0.39]. Significant positive changes were seen in the anticipated health-seeking intentions of the volunteers in terms of seeking care for symptoms within 1–2 weeks (p = 0.0009).
ConclusionOur study demonstrated that focused and culturally appropriate short term training can produce significant immediate gains in TB knowledge, with modest improvements in attitudes and reported health-seeking intentions, even in the remotest tribal areas among community volunteers.
To develop a care-bundle of non-pharmacological strategies with the potential to prevent constipation in people with dementia in Residential Aged Care (RAC).
Mixed-methods intervention development study using Modified Delphi and co-design, informed by evidence, current constipation prevention practices and stakeholder collaboration to define best practice.
The draft bundle was developed using evidence from a scoping review, consultations with aged care professionals and staff at two RAC homes and field observations. It was then refined through expert and lived-experience panels via an online Modified Delphi survey (rating relevance, acceptability and feasibility) and a face-to-face workshop to finalise items for the constipation prevention care-bundle.
Health data, interviews, observations, surveys and workshops.
The draft care-bundle comprised 24 items; 13 reached ≥ 78% agreement in the Modified Delphi, including dietitian consultation, adequate fibre, individualised hydration and toileting plans, beverage cart, constipation risk assessment, privacy during toileting, dementia-friendly signage, toileting positioning, contrasting toilet seat, electronic alerts, staff education and resident/family information.
An evidence-informed and co-designed care-bundle was co-developed with potential to prevent constipation in residents with dementia.
This research has implications for nursing practice by offering an alternative to reliance on pharmacological strategies for preventing constipation in people with dementia.
This co-designed and evidence-informed care-bundle has potential to reduce the incidence of constipation among the growing population with dementia. To ensure sustained use, it was co-designed with stakeholders to be fit-for-purpose.
There were no reporting guidelines for this co-design study identified.
End-users, including frontline staff and older people receiving care, as well as carers of people with dementia, were engaged in the co-design as equal partners in the constipation prevention care-bundle development process.
People experiencing homelessness (PEH) face multiple barriers to seeking healthcare and have poorer health outcomes. Point of care tests (POCTs) provide a potential solution to improving access to diagnostics for this population. This survey aimed to understand if these technologies could address unmet needs in primary care for PEH.
An online survey was circulated via dedicated inclusion healthcare newsletters to professionals providing community-based care for PEH in England. The survey focused on experiences of diagnostics and opinions on the use of POCTs for this population.
Thirty-two healthcare workers participated, including GPs, nurses and other allied practitioners from 13 different Integrated Care Boards across England.
Descriptive analyses were performed using standard statistical parameters. A reflexive thematic analysis was performed on free-text responses.
There was evidence of current POCT use but with marked variation across services as to which tests are available. Healthcare workers were overwhelmingly positive about the potential for POCTs, with rapid results facilitating prompt diagnosis and management, increasing likelihood of engagement. C reactive protein testing was considered as the test, which could confer the most benefit to acute care, with renal function and troponin also being discussed, whereas tests to determine cardiometabolic risk were thought to have the most patient benefit in chronic care. Point of care ultrasound for diagnosis of respiratory pathologies and deep vein thrombosis and POCTs for malnutrition were suggested as potential future technologies to address unmet healthcare needs.
The majority of responders expressed that enhancing the provision of POCTs would be beneficial, both in acute and chronic care scenarios, due to the benefits of getting rapid results and reducing the need for repeat appointments or onward referral for diagnostics.
The aim of this study was to describe the literature that has been published on colorectal surgery patients’ experiences, including the challenges and solutions related to the transition from hospital to home.
With surgery being an inevitable treatment for most individuals with colorectal disease, optimising the discharge transition from the hospital to home requires careful consideration of surgical patient experience, including a thorough understanding of their challenges during the transition period, particularly surrounding education.
A search was conducted of MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed literature published between January 2012 and April 2023 involving adult (age ≥18) colorectal surgery patients from countries with healthcare systems comparable to Canada (ie, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK and the USA). Patients or the public were not involved in the design of this scoping review.
41 articles were included, the majority of which were qualitative (73.1%) and conducted in the USA (29.3%). A total of 180 patient-reported challenges were identified; most occurred postoperatively (76.7%) and pertained to environmental factors (58.3%) and body functions (35.5%). The most frequently reported environmental challenge was insufficient patient education (30.9%), and the most frequent challenge related to body function was negative emotions (25.7%). Seven categories of solutions were identified, with education being the most frequently cited (36.0%) solution within the included literature.
Educational interventions addressing both bodily function and environmental factors are needed to improve colorectal surgery patients’ experiences and care quality during their transition home from the hospital.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious threat across human, animal and environmental health. The One Health approach emphasises multisectoral collaboration and is critical in addressing AMR. While One Health governance has gained recognition from international organisations, there remains limited understanding of how it can be effectively implemented across institutional, social, economic and political contexts. This scoping review aims to explore the design and implementation of One Health governance across contexts.
Scoping review
We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and grey literature sources in December 2024, updating our search in March 2026.
Eligible sources included empirical and conceptual work on One Health governance.
We searched for and screened documents and extracted data following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. We then applied qualitative analysis to examine governance mechanisms; implementation contexts; conceptualisations of effectiveness; evidence of effectiveness and key barriers and facilitators.
We included 171 documents from over 50 countries. We explored six dimensions of One Health governance: participation, leadership, coordination, decision-making, resourcing and accountability. Existing governance structures and wider aspects of country context shaped One Health governance. While there was broad agreement on the goals of One Health governance—namely, to support disease prevention, detection and response—empirical evidence on effective approaches was relatively limited. Facilitators included strong political will and crisis-driven momentum, while barriers included siloed systems, sectoral dominance, limited accountability, inadequate funding and lack of institutionalisation.
This review highlights the range of approaches to One Health governance that exist and outlines how context may shape the design and implementation of One Health governance. Evaluative research should further explore which approaches to One Health governance are most effective in specific contexts. These insights are particularly relevant for AMR, where sustained cross-sectoral governance beyond outbreak-driven responses is essential to counter the ‘silent pandemic’.
Tribal people in India face a growing risk of multimorbidity, primarily from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) due to changing lifestyles and unique socio-cultural and political factors. We aimed to identify treatment patterns and barriers to medication adherence for CVD. This will inform culturally sensitive implementation strategies that may improve outcomes among tribal communities.
We conducted an exploratory cross-sectional study among participants with multimorbidity in a South-Indian tribal setting. We used a structured questionnaire, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research(CFIR), to assess comorbidities, treatment patterns, adherence and potential factors influencing adherence. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression identified correlates for medication non-adherence.
We recruited 200 participants with a mean age of 64.6±9.71 years. The majority were female (115, 57.5%), of tribal origin (160, 80%) and had no formal education (169, 84.5%). The commonly reported comorbidities included hypertension (168, 84%) and diabetes (113, 56.5%) followed by chronic kidney disease (CKD) (47, 24%). Self-reported non-adherence to medications (missing at least one CVD pill in the past week) was reported by 120 (60%) participants. Key correlates of non-adherence identified were lower levels of education (OR 8.27, 95% CI 1.96 to 35.01, p=0.004), diabetes (2.94, 95% CI 1.04 to 8.33, p=0.04) and high pill burden (5.04, 95% CI 1.88 to 28.84, p=0.03), while social support (0.85, 95% CI 0.7 to 0.97, p=0.013) and positive illness perception (0.95, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.99, p=0.05) were positively associated with good adherence.
These tribal communities face complex challenges in managing CVD and multimorbidity. Improving adherence will require developing simple, patient-centred and culturally appropriate strategies through community engagement. Simplified medication regimens, including rational fixed dose combination pills may improve adherence. Additionally, the high prevalence of CKD observed underscores the need for investigation and integration of regular CKD screening in the health system.
by Cynthia Serwaa Akoto Osei, Jacob Solomon Idan, Edmund Baah-Akyeamfour, Bhavana Singh, Daniel Boateng
BackgroundHypertension poses significant challenges to quality of life globally. While medication adherence is essential for managing hypertension, psychosocial factors like family support may influence both adherence and quality of life. This study investigated the mediating role of family support in the relationship between medication adherence and quality of life among persons with hypertension in Ghana.
MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 365 patients with hypertension attending Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, including the Short Form-36 for quality of life assessment, the Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve scale for family support measurement, and the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Mediation analysis was performed using R statistical software.
ResultsFive models with increasing levels of adjustment were constructed for the mediation analysis. Higher medication adherence was significantly associated with better quality of life (Total Effect: (β) = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.63–1.50, p Conclusion
Family support partially mediates the relationship between medication adherence and quality of life of persons with hypertension. Interventions to improve medication adherence and quality of life should incorporate strategies to enhance family support systems. Healthcare providers should consider the complex family dynamics when developing comprehensive management plans for persons with hypertension.
by Yi-De Tai, Joel Villalobos, Nima Wickramasinghe, Bryce Widdicombe, Ranjith R. Unnithan, David B. Grayden, Sam E. John
BackgroundEndovascular neural interfaces (ENIs) offer a minimally invasive approach for neural stimulation and recording without the need for open brain surgery. However, current generation devices have long transvascular wires from the implant site to the chest. Eliminating these wires will unlock clinical usability, including lowering infection risk from transvascular wires, reducing the risk of thrombosis from altered hemodynamics, and improving mechanical reliability. However, removing these transvascular wires would require efficient power transfer across the skull and tissue while meeting specific absorption rate (SAR) limits, which is a significant challenge in the field.
ObjectiveThis work designed and evaluated endovascular receiver (Rx) and transmitter (Tx) coils within endovascular geometric and biological constraints to maximize wireless power transfer.
MethodsThis study evaluated the optimal operating frequencies, quantified coupling, coil quality factors, power transfer efficiency, and SAR using computational modeling, benchtop, and in-vivo testing. The study also assessed the tolerance to coil misalignment and load mismatch. We evaluated each case with and without ferrites with measurements in air, sheep tissue, and in vivo in sheep.
ResultsThe results showed that inductive power transfer delivered power to endovascular geometry devices at clinically relevant depths. The maximum power transfer efficiency (PTE) reached 11% at 15 mm and 2% at 30 mm, with up to 72 mW delivered at 30 mm under SAR safety limits. The rectangular planar coil pair performed best at ≤15 mm, whereas the ferrite-core flux-pipe Tx with a helical Rx outperformed beyond ~20 mm and was more tolerant to misalignment.
ConclusionThis study demonstrated the feasibility of wirelessly powering multichannel ENIs using coils that can be placed inside a blood vessel and powered inductively. Making an endovascular neural interface fully wireless has the potential to transform the technology by improving both safety and reliability.
Organ preservation strategies for rectal cancer following neoadjuvant treatment require intensive endoscopic monitoring to detect early luminal recurrence. This is termed 'Watch and Wait' (WAW). Standard protocols commonly mandate flexible sigmoidoscopy every 3–4 months for 2 years. Digital proctoscopy with the LumenEye device has been shown to be a safe alternative that can be performed in an outpatient setting without the need for sedation and with less staffing requirements. The study objective is to evaluate the economic implications of using digital proctoscopy compared with flexible sigmoidoscopy for patients with rectal cancer managed under a WAW protocol.
The study was conducted in a secondary care National Health Service (NHS) setting. A cost comparison analysis was performed over a 2 year time horizon (seven procedures per patient). 177 procedures on rectal cancer patients undergoing WAW with digital proctoscopy between August 2023 and November 2024 were included. The control group, that is, flexible sigmoidoscopy was modelled. The base case was flexible sigmoidoscopy without sedation. Scenarios using sedation were also evaluated. Costs were categorised into fixed and variable costs. A one-way sensitivity analysis, probabilistic sensitivity analysis and What-If scenarios were also performed.
The primary outcome was the minimum cost difference between the two procedures. The secondary outcome measure was the robustness of the cost differences. Over 2 years, the total cost per patient was £768.92 (95% CI £656.6 to £900.7) for digital proctoscopy compared with £1,588.15 (95% CI £1458.1 to £1725.2) for flexible sigmoidoscopy without sedation. The absolute minimum cost saving per patient is £820.23 (95% CI £648.7 to £985.1). Cost savings increased to £848.94 (95% CI £677.20 to £1013.83) to £935.62 (95% CI £761.02 to £1103.08) when sedation was used in flexible sigmoidoscopy procedures. Personnel costs during the procedure and recovery phase were the dominant cost drivers for flexible sigmoidoscopy. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis and What-If scenarios confirmed the robustness of the findings, with flexible sigmoidoscopy remaining more costly.
Digital proctoscopy with the LumenEye device is a cost-saving alternative to flexible sigmoidoscopy for patients with rectal cancer on a WAW protocol. Our findings support the integration of digital proctoscopy into WAW pathways as a cost-efficient alternative within resource-constrained healthcare systems. Endoscopy service pressures are also likely to be alleviated.
To identify and report how gender justice is conceptualised and discussed in contemporary health literature in relation to the Triple Planetary Crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, with a particular focus on the experiences of women and gender-diverse populations, and the representation of nurses and other healthcare professionals dominated by women.
Scoping review.
Searches were conducted across MEDLINE (Ovid), Scopus, CINHAL, Embase and ProQuest, focusing on studies published from January 1 2000–23 September 2024.
The review was conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and reported against the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Data were extracted according to a pre-specified extraction framework, developed a priori, encompassing components of gender justice and intersectionality.
A total of 39 studies were included: 17 (43.6%) qualitative, 17 (43.6%) quantitative and 5 (12.8%) mixed methods. The focus of the studies included gendered experiences of climate change (30.8%), decision-making and governance (20.5%), health and wellbeing (17.9%), women's economic participation (15.4%), cultural and spiritual connections to land (7.7%), and intersectionality and human rights (7.7%). Gender-diverse populations, nurses and other healthcare professions dominated by women were not represented in the literature.
The literature reported that women experienced differentiated exposure to the Triple Planetary Crisis. The underrepresentation of gender diverse people and nurses in recent studies remains a significant barrier to advancing understanding of gender justice. Integrating gender justice into health systems is increasingly important to prevent women from being disproportionately impacted by the Triple Planetary Crisis.
More attention to inclusion of frontline healthcare professionals, including nurses, in governance, policy discussions and leadership roles could strengthen the response to systemic environmental threats.
No patient or public involvement.
This study aims at understanding the important correlates of child undernutrition in India using a quantile regression approach.
Cross-sectional study.
The study utilizes the secondary data from the latest round of the National Family Health Survey (2019–2021) to assess the individual, maternal and household-level determinants of under-nutrition among Indian children aged 0–5 years.
The unit of analysis is children under the age of 5 years and the sample size is 224, 218.
The outcome measures of this study are stunting, wasting and underweight.
Results from our study show that birth order and size of the child at birth have a statistically significant association with stunting, wasting and underweight. While currently breastfeeding is negatively associated with HAZ scores (below 50th quantile), maternal height is positively associated with HAZ, WAZ and WHZ scores in all quantiles. Mother’s age, body mass index and education level have significantly stronger association with HAZ and WHZ scores. Furthermore, children from richer and richest households are likely to have higher HAZ, WAZ, and WHZ scores compared to the children from poorest households. For instance, the WHZ scores increased from 0.15 in the 10th quantile among the poorest to 0.43 among the richest at the same quantile. Moreover, at the 90th percentile, this coefficient increased from 0.11 among the poorest to 0.46 among the richest.
It is crucial to acknowledge that to have healthy babies, we must have healthy mothers. Thus, interventions to address child nutrition in India should also focus on maternal health, education, increasing the women’s agency and women empowerment. The findings of the study suggest that concerted efforts addressing the manifold determinants of children’s nutritional status from the government, non-governmental organisations and civil societies will ensure bolstered nutritional outcomes for children in India.
The Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) to expand access to affordable generics through private retail outlets named as Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs). This study examines the association of PMBJP with out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE), catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and impoverishment rate (IR) attributable to medicines.
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted across nine Indian states in 2022–2023.
Outpatient (OPD) and inpatient (IPD) departments of secondary and tertiary government hospitals, private pharmacies and JAKs in 18 districts of India
A total of 10 336 patients were recruited from OPD (n=2881) and IPD (n=1009) departments of government hospitals as well as pharmacy settings (n=6446). Data on sociodemographics, disease severity, number of generic prescriptions, source of acquiring medicines and medicine-related OOPE were collected through semistructured interviews and periodic follow-ups.
Primary outcomes included mean OOPE on medicines, incidence of CHE (≥40% of non-food consumption expenditure on medicines), IR among JAK and non-JAK users were the primary outcomes of the study. Secondary outcomes comprised awareness of JAKs, generic prescribing rates in hospitals and the factors associated with OOPE, CHE and IR.
Patients procuring medicines exclusively from JAKs reported the lower mean OOPE (OPD: 172; IPD: 275; pharmacy: 307), compared with significantly higher spending at private pharmacies (OPD: 1085; IPD: 3165; pharmacy: 1031). After adjusting for covariates, OOPE among exclusive JAK users was significantly lower relative to private pharmacy users by 60.6%–89.3%. Furthermore, matched analysis confirmed 42% lower expenses, compared with private pharmacies. The likelihood of CHE was also significantly greater among private pharmacy users. However, utilisation of JAKs remained limited, mainly due to low awareness, perceived stock shortages and low rates of generic prescribing.
PMBJP is associated with significant reduction in OOPE and financial hardship, positioning it as an effective cost-containment intervention within India’s universal health coverage framework. Strengthening supply chains, promoting generic prescribing and integrating JAKs with public facilities would further maximise its impact.
Glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurement is essential for managing diabetes, yet limited data exist on the performance of point-of-care (POC) HbA1c devices in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study evaluated the analytical performance and usability of HbA1c devices in different LMIC settings.
This prospective, cross-sectional multicentre study evaluated the accuracy and usability of four POC devices (i-SENS A1Care, HemoCue HbA1c 501 System, Abbott Afinion 2 and Siemens DCA Vantage) against a laboratory-based HbA1c method at two hospitals in Nigeria and Cambodia.
Adults with or without diabetes and haemoglobin ≥8 g/dL were enrolled.
The primary objective was to evaluate HbA1c POC device accuracy versus laboratory reference testing; secondary objectives evaluated device usability and technical characteristics when used by trained professionals.
Capillary and venous blood samples were tested on all devices using two cartridge lots followed by reference testing. Usability was assessed via operator questionnaires. Accuracy was evaluated using regression slopes, intercept, absolute bias at 30, 48 and 75 mmol/mol, and Bland-Altman analysis, including capillary-venous concordance.
A total of 248 participants completed all study procedures (n=125 in Cambodia, n=123 in Nigeria). Siemens DCA Vantage and Abbott Afinion 2 showed strong agreement with the reference method, with no clinically significant differences and narrow limits of agreement. In contrast, i-SENS A1Care and HemoCue HbA1c 501 System displayed greater bias, especially at elevated HbA1c levels. Most results fell within limits of agreement, though high-HbA1c outliers were more common with the A1Care and HbA1c 501 System devices. Usability feedback was positive overall, when devices were rated across various dimensions, such as clarity of instructions, safety and labelling, although limited user sample size constrains the generalisability of these findings.
Siemens DCA Vantage and Abbott Afinion 2 demonstrated reliable accuracy and usability. In contrast, i-SENS A1Care and HemoCue HbA1c 501 System require cautious interpretation at high HbA1c levels. Ongoing evaluation is critical to ensure the appropriate use of POC devices in diverse clinical settings.
by Sudim Sharma, Anjali Neupane, Dikshya Kandel, Pratibha Chalisay, Sabina Marasini, Budhi Setiawan, Deepak Chandra Bajracharya, Shyam Raj Upreti, Leela Khanal, Haruko Yokote, Chahana Singh, Kshitij Karki
BackgroundHome-Based Records (HBRs) are personal health documents intended to improve continuity of care and caregiver engagement across reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services. In Nepal, both standalone (sHBR) and integrated (iHBR) models are implemented, yet comparative evidence on their utilization and implementation challenges is limited. This study examined utilization patterns and system-level barriers associated with sHBR in Madhesh Province and iHBR in Koshi Province.
MethodsWe conducted a comparative qualitative study with descriptive quantitative profiling between May 17 and August 27, 2024. A total of 100 semi-structured in-depth interviews were completed with caregivers, health workers, Female Community Health Volunteers, and program managers across two provinces. The study applied “kuragraphy,” an ethnographic approach integrating interviews and field observations to construct contextual case narratives. Socio-demographic data were analyzed descriptively using the statistical package for the social Sciences (SPSS). Informed by the Human Centered Design (HCD) approach, the qualitative data were thematically analyzed in Excel using the Journey to Health and Immunization (JTHI) framework.
ResultsCaregivers widely perceived HBRs as essential documents, primarily for immunization tracking and future service access. The iHBR was viewed as more comprehensive and user-friendly, particularly due to its illustrations, which improved comprehension among low-literacy users. However, understanding remained limited among illiterate and marginalized populations. Family involvement in record management was minimal and largely confined to mothers. Implementation barriers included inadequate training – particularly for iHBR use, limited decision-making authority among frontline health workers, incomplete documentation of non-immunization components, poor material quality of sHBR, and concerns regarding the sustainability of donor-supported iHBR initiatives.
ConclusionHBR utilization in Nepal is shaped by caregiver literacy, gender dynamics, and health-system readiness. Strengthening training, supportive supervision, user-centered design, and sustainable supply mechanisms will be essential to optimize HBR effectiveness and support equitable RMNCH service delivery.