Journal of Global Health

Colonial transition as a major mediator of global health transition: lessons from the 2024 New Caledonia crisis
Moury PH, Tromhae M, Cazorla C, Série M, Flahault A, Couadau E, Fleury C, Mangeas M and De Greslan T
Moderate full-fat and low-fat yoghurt consumption correlates with reduced mortality risk: a large-scale prospective analysis
Lin Z, Zeng M, Sui Z, Wu Y, Tang X and Liu T
Yoghurt is a commonly consumed fermented food recommended by many guidelines. Yoghurt consumption can contribute to the intake of multiple nutrients and reduce the risk of several diseases. However, prospective evidence is limited on the associations between full/low-fat yoghurt consumption and mortality risk. In this prospective cohort study, we aimed to assess the dose-dependent associations between full/low-fat yoghurt intake and all-cause or cause-specific mortality.
Longer recreational screen time contributes to the risk of age-related macular degeneration: a UK Biobank cohort study and two-sample Mendelian randomisation
Huang Y, Zhang X, Liang L, Jiang Y, Li B, Zhu X, Li C, Gu C, Zou W, Zheng Z and Zhao S
Recreational screen time (RST) has been found to be associated with cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the association between RST and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an ocular neurodegenerative disease, is still unclear. We aimed to elucidate the association between RST and AMD.
Global antibiotic prescription practices in hospitals and associated factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Chen R, Li J, Wang C, Zhou P, Song Q, Wu J, Li Q, Li H, Gong Y, Zeng T, Fang Y and Yin X
The prevalence of antibiotic prescribing among total prescriptions, the percentage of combined antibiotic prescribing among prescriptions containing at least one antibiotic, and factors influencing hospital antibiotic prescribing are currently unknown. In this systematic review, we aimed to summarise antibiotic prescribing in hospitals worldwide and identify the associated factors.
Changes in the provision and utilisation of health care services for chronic health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural northeast South Africa: an interrupted time series analysis
Kabudula CW, Sibanda M, Price J, Du Toit J, Masilela N, Kahn K, Gómez-Olivé FX, Goldstein S, Thsehla E, Boachie MK, Hofman K and Tollman S
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the provision and utilisation of health care services with varying magnitude across settings due to spatial temporal variation in the burden of COVID-19 cases and the roll-out of local COVID-19 response policies. This study assesses changes in the provision and utilisation of health care services for three major chronic health conditions (HIV/AIDS, hypertension, and diabetes) over the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 pandemic periods in a rural South African sub-district of Agincourt.
Global infectious disease surveillance: bridge a 30-metre gap between the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Anti-Doping Agency
Huang J, Güllüoğlu M, Döring O, Wang H, Li J and Liu Y
The global aviation industry faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the international civil aviation industry now has strong incentives to prevent and control future pandemics. It is almost unbelievable that the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is located right next to the headquarters of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). While the vision and mission of these two organizations may seem completely different, we propose that ICAO could adopt a system similar to that of WADA to enhance its contribution to global infectious disease surveillance.
Temporal trends of liver cancer burden, comparative analysis of risk factors and trend forecasts to 2024 in China, USA, the Republic of Korea, and Mongolia: an analysis based on multiple data sources from Global Burden of Disease 2019, the Global Cancer Observatory, and Cancer Incidence in Five Continents
Yao X, Ling X, Zhu Z, Cao X and Tang S
Liver cancer represents a significant burden of disease globally, with variations in liver cancer status among countries. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the epidemiological burden of liver cancer in four representative countries - China, the USA, the Republic of Korea, and Mongolia - and cover the highest number of incidence cases, the highest prevalence rates and the burden in developed countries. In addition, we intended to predict the trends in liver cancer in these countries over the next six years.
Analysis of the characteristics and illness comprehension bias among Chinese patients with psycho-cardiovascular disease: a multi-centre cross-sectional survey
Shi Z, Xia K, Li J, Lu J, Lu H, Li Y, Zhang J, Chen Q, Liu J and Ding R
Psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, impacts cardiovascular disease (CVD) prognosis and management. Illness comprehension is essential for effective treatment, but biases can lead to suboptimal outcomes. We explored psycho-cardiovascular disease (PCD) patient characteristics, with a specific focus on comprehension biases and treatment choices from patients' perspectives in China, to improve management strategies.
Willingness and determinants of elder care modes among elderly individuals: insights from underdeveloped regions in Western China
Wang Y, Chai G and Wang J
The aim of the present study was to investigate the willingness of elderly individuals regarding their choice of elderly care modes in underdeveloped regions of Western China and to identify the key factors influencing the willingness.
Emergency planned re-infusion therapy and hospitalisation for community-acquired pneumonia: a retrospective case-control study
Chen SX, Yang ZK, Lin L, Liao HZ, Xiang XT, Liu D and Huang JS
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a frequent reason for emergency department visits and leads to increased direct medical costs, particularly due to hospitalisation. This study aims to examine the differences between emergency planned re-infusion therapy and hospitalisation in patients with CAP.
The impact of long-term prescription policy on primary care utilisation and costs among hypertensive patients in China: a six-year longitudinal study
Yu C, Zhang L, Zhang L and Chen W
China has recently implemented a long-term prescription policy as a component of the family doctor system in order to strengthen chronic disease management. In this study, we evaluated the net policy impact on health care utilisation and costs at community health centres (CHCs) among hypertensive patients.
Improving complex health systems and lived environments for maternal and perinatal well-being in urban sub-Saharan Africa: the UrbanBirth Collective
While maternal mortality decreased during the Millennium Development Goals era, it remains unacceptably high, with stagnation in reductions possible due to shocks such as COVID-19. Most women in low- and middle-income countries already receive antenatal care and over half give birth in health facilities. In cities, use of health facilities for childbirth is near universal (>90%). Cities present complex challenges in ensuring pregnant women receive equitable, high-quality care. The UrbanBirth Collective is a portfolio of projects in sub-Saharan African cities seeking to address an important knowledge gap: how to adapt urban healthcare systems and lived environments to improve maternal and perinatal well-being? Its key focus is care during labour, childbirth, and the early postnatal period, when most poor maternal and perinatal outcomes occur. Our starting projects focus on harnessing open source data to examine and compare cities on the continent, including in-depth case studies of three cities: Grand Conakry (Guinea), Grand Nokoué metropolitan area (Benin), and Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo), where we will capture and analyse three main dimensions of the dynamics: maternal health service provision; maternal healthcare use by women; and the complex, nonlinear interactions between the provision and use of care within the spatial, social, and political ecosystem of a city. By comparing these three cities, we shall propose a generalisable model which can be validated and applied in other cities in sub-Saharan Africa. The growth of cities demands increasing attention on future-proofing them with the capacity to develop, implement, and continuously adapt a coherent strategy for the provision of equitable maternal and newborn care. Our ambition is to contribute to reaching zero preventable maternal deaths in cities. To achieve these goals through understanding specific contexts and facilitating the adoption and application of research findings and recommendations, we will collaborate closely with local stakeholders, including healthcare workers, community leaders, and policymakers.
Prevalence of osteoporosis and associated factors among Chinese adults: a systematic review and modelling study
Liu Y, Huang X, Tang K, Wu J, Zhou J, Bai H, Zhou L, Shan S, Luo Z, Cao J, Song P, Rudan I and
Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease of bone metabolism. The epidemiology of osteoporosis varies by age, sex, and geography. There is a lack of information on the prevalence of osteoporosis among Chinese adults. In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of osteoporosis among Chinese adults by age, sex, and skeletal sites and explore the main associated factors.
Pandemic preparedness in Vietnam: a review of health system resilience and areas for improvement
Tran BX, Joarder T, Pang VJ, Carballo CM, Thi Do H, Nguyen CT, Vu LG, Van Toan N and Tang S
In this viewpoint, we explore Vietnam's health system vulnerabilities and its national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as critical areas of health system resilience, including health financing, workforce distribution, information systems, and governance. While Vietnam achieved early success through strong governance and mass vaccination campaigns, the pandemic revealed weaknesses in resource procurement, workforce imbalance, and limitations of its health information system. There are challenges in ensuring the rapid disbursement of financial resources and reliance on imported medical supplies, which delayed response times. Uneven healthcare workforce distribution, particularly in rural areas, further strained the health system. Although telemedicine and digital health solutions were implemented, weak digital infrastructure and inadequate information technology literacy hindered their effectiveness. Governance efforts, while generally strong, highlighted the need for better coordination and role clarity during health emergencies. Our findings identify areas for improvement, including effective resource mobilisation and allocation, enhanced digital infrastructure, expanded telemedicine access, and better support for healthcare workers. Governance enhancements, such as improved priority setting and interagency coordination, were also critical. These insights offer valuable guidance for strengthening Vietnam's health system and ensuring greater preparedness for future pandemics, but could also help other low- and middle-income countries facing similar challenges.
Age- and sex-specific care cascades to detect gaps in the care of children with tuberculosis in Bangladesh: a cohort study
Ramirez D, Brumwell A, Rahman MM, Hossain F, Kulkarni S, Malik AA, Campbell JI, van de Water BJ, Kamul MK, Rahman MT, Hussain H, Creswell J, Roy T and Brooks MB
Programmatic interventions to increase the detection of children with tuberculosis (TB) are rarely evaluated to understand age- and sex-specific completion rates. We applied modified TB screening and treatment cascade frameworks to assess indicators of effective implementation by age and sex of a TB screening program for children (zero to 14 years) in Bangladesh.
Long-term impact of COVID-19-related nonpharmaceutical interventions on tuberculosis: an interrupted time series analysis using Bayesian method
Wang Y, Xi Y, Li Y, Zhou P and Xu C
The implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic may inadvertently influence the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB). (TB). However, few studies have explored how NPIs impact the long-term epidemiological trends of TB. We aimed to estimate the impact of NPIs implemented against COVID-19 on the medium- and long-term TB epidemics and to forecast the epidemiological trend of TB in Henan.
Behavioural interventions targeting the prevention and treatment of young children's mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review
Kassa GM, Yu Z, Minwuyelet F and Gross D
Globally, 10% of children and adolescents live with mental health problems and often lack high-quality care. Over 80% of people facing mental health issues reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Failing to address children's mental health may prolong these challenges into adulthood, impeding their chances for a healthy life. This scoping review aims to describe the types, implementation strategies, effectiveness, and gaps of existing interventions for preventing and treating mental health problems in early childhood (<10 years) in LMICs.
Alkaline phosphatase of late pregnancy promotes the prediction of adverse birth outcomes
Zhang B, Zhan Z, Xi S, Zhang Y and Yuan X
Adverse birth outcomes (ABO), such as preterm birth (PTB), small and large for gestational age (SGA/LGA), can compromise both the short- and long-term health of mothers and their foetuses. The purpose of this observational study was to investigate the association between maternal serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in late pregnancy and the risk of ABO, and to evaluate its predictive value of maternal ALP levels for ABO in women with singleton pregnancies.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small vulnerable newborns: an interrupted time series analysis in Peru and Brazil
Cajachagua-Torres KN, Xavier MO, Quezada-Pinedo HG, Huayanay-Espinoza CA, Oviedo Rios AG, Amouzou A, Maïga A, Akseer N, Matijasevich A and Huicho L
We examined COVID-19's impact on the number of small vulnerable newborns (SVN) at national and regional levels in Peru and Brazil.
Prediction of inpatient mortality in hospitalised children in low- and middle-income countries: An external validation of paediatric mortality risk scores
Brals D, Pradhan A, Andre-von Arnim AVS, Oron AP, Ngari M, Ngao N, Mupere E, Chisti MJ, Lwanga C, Afroze F, Bandsma R, Walson JL, Berkley JA and Voskuijl W
Risk prediction tools for acutely ill children have been developed in high- and low-income settings, but few are validated or incorporated into clinical guidelines. We aimed to assess the performance of existing paediatric early warning scores for use in low- and middle-income countries using clinical data from a recent large multi-country study in Africa and South-Asia.
Double-blind randomised trial of saline solution for gargling and nasal rinsing in SARS-CoV-2 infection
Espinoza SR, Trauffler L, Shamshirsaz A, Shamshirsaz A, Espinoza A, Espinoza J and O'Brien A
Previous studies have shown that hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargling reduced the duration of symptoms in upper respiratory infections caused by coronavirus. This study aims to investigate the effects of two saline regimens on symptoms associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).