"Equity" in genomic health policies: a review of policies in the international arena.

Introduction: The field of genomics is rapidly evolving and has made significant impact on the diagnosis and understanding of rare and genetic diseases, in guiding precision medicine in cancer treatment, and in providing personalized risk assessment for disease development and treatment responses. However, according to the literature, there is widespread socio economic and racial inequities in the diagnosis, treatment, and in the use of genomic medicine services. This policy review sets out to explore the concept of equity in access to genomic care, the level of inclusion of equity and how it is addressed and what mechanisms are in place to achieve equity in genomic care in the international health policy.

Integrating an Ethics Advisory Committee Into Public Health Response: A Case Study of COVID-19, Infection Prevention and Control, and Essential Work in the United States.

A lack of infection prevention and control protections for essential industries in the United States led to increased risk and incidence of COVID-19 among essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the nation deems an industry essential during a disease outbreak, an ethical obligation exists to safeguard the health of workers who are at increased risk of being exposed to disease. The Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center began work to rapidly develop and disseminate infection prevention and control guidance for essential industries, such as meat processing.

Three-dimensional, multi-wavelength beam formation with integrated metasurface optics for Sr laser cooling.

We demonstrate the formation of a complex, multi-wavelength, three-dimensional laser beam configuration with integrated metasurface (MS) optics. Our experiments support the development of a compact Sr optical-lattice clock, which leverages magneto-optical trapping at 461 nm and 689 nm without bulk free-space optics. We integrate six mm-scale metasurfaces on a fused silica substrate and illuminate them with light from optical fibers.

Living with rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Victoria, Australia: A qualitative study.

Background: In Victoria, Australia, children with Pacific Islander ('Pacific') ethnicities are overrepresented in acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). In June 2023, ARF and RHD became notifiable in Victoria. To inform public health and clinical practice, we described young Pacific patients' and their caregivers' understandings and experiences of ARF/RHD, and identified possible ways to improve the delivery of clinical care.

Identification of Meibomian gland stem cell populations and mechanisms of aging.

Meibomian glands secrete lipid-rich meibum, which prevents tear evaporation. Aging-related Meibomian gland shrinkage may result in part from stem cell exhaustion and is associated with evaporative dry eye disease, a common condition lacking effective treatment. The identities and niche of Meibomian gland stem cells and the signals controlling their activity are poorly defined.

Community health workers' dissemination of COVID-19 information and services in the early pandemic response: a systematic review.

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) had important roles mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in vulnerable communities. We described how CHWs supported the dissemination of COVID-19 information and services during the early pandemic response.

Methods: Online article searches were conducted across five scientific databases, with review article reference lists hand searched to identify grey/unpublished literature.

The Impact of Immigration Policy Changes on Preterm Birth Rates in Texas: An Examination of Border and Nonborder Regions.

Background: Our study examined the acute and sustained impact of immigration policy changes announced in January 2017 on preterm birth (PTB) rates among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women in Texas's border and nonborder regions.

Methods: Using Texas birth certificate data for years 2008 through 2020, we used a multiple group interrupted time series approach to explore changes in PTB rates.

Results: In the nonborder region, the PTB rate among Hispanic women of any race was 8.

Data Sharing in a Decentralized Public Health System: Lessons From COVID-19 Syndromic Surveillance.

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that data sharing challenges persist across public health information systems. We examine the specific challenges in sharing syndromic surveillance data between state, local, and federal partners. These challenges are complicated by US federalism, which decentralizes public health response and creates friction between different government units.

Case study on communicating with research ethics committees about minimizing risk through software: an application for record linkage in secondary data analysis.

Objective: In retrospective secondary data analysis studies, researchers often seek waiver of consent from institutional Review Boards (IRB) and minimize risk by utilizing complex software. Yet, little is known about the perspectives of IRB experts on these approaches. To facilitate effective communication about risk mitigation strategies using software, we conducted two studies with IRB experts to co-create appropriate language when describing a software to IRBs.

Development of a cross-sectoral antimicrobial resistance capability assessment framework.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent and growing global health concern, and a clear understanding of existing capacities to address AMR, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), is needed to inform national priorities, investment targets and development activities. Across LMICs, there are limited data regarding existing mechanisms to address AMR, including national AMR policies, current infection prevention and antimicrobial prescribing practices, antimicrobial use in animals, and microbiological testing capacity for AMR. Despite the development of numerous individual tools designed to inform policy formulation and implementation or surveillance interventions to address AMR, there is an unmet need for easy-to-use instruments that together provide a detailed overview of AMR policy, practice and capacity.

Maternal exposure to SSRIs or SNRIs and the risk of congenital abnormalities in offspring: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The association of maternal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) with the risk of system-specific congenital malformations in offspring remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine this association and the risk difference between these two types of inhibitors.

Methods: A literature search was performed from January 2000 to May 2023 using PubMed and Web of Science databases.

Economic evaluations of whole-genome sequencing for pathogen identification in public health surveillance and health-care-associated infections: a systematic review.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has resulted in improvements to pathogen characterisation for the rapid investigation and management of disease outbreaks and surveillance. We conducted a systematic review to synthesise the economic evidence of WGS implementation for pathogen identification and surveillance. Of the 2285 unique publications identified through online database searches, 19 studies met the inclusion criteria.

Tackling antimicrobial resistance by integrating One Health and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been identified as a leading threat to global public health. One Health approaches that integrate sectors across human health, animal health, food production and the environment are essential to both addressing the growing threat of AMR and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Travel for medical or dental care by race/ethnicity and rurality in the U.S.: Findings from the 2001, 2009 and 2017 National Household Travel Surveys.

The travel burden for medical or dental care is a well-documented barrier to healthcare access, particularly in rural areas. There is limited research providing national estimates of the travel trends for medical/dental care, particularly among racial/ethnic groups, and among rural and urban populations. We analyzed data from the 2001, 2009, and 2017 National Household Travel Surveys.

Meet the editorial board members: Angeline Ferdinand and Michael Murray.

In this Q&A, Angeline Ferdinand and Michael Murray answer questions about their research fields and share insights into their role as editorial board members at the journal.

The Implementation Experience of COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Testing in a Large-Scale Construction Project in Victoria, Australia.

Unlabelled: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruptions to industries and workplaces. Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for COVID-19, which allow individuals to self-administer tests and receive timely results without laboratory testing, provide the opportunity for surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals in non-medical settings. However, the literature offers few lessons regarding how to create enabling conditions for effective and sustainable implementation in a workplace setting.

Factors associated with hospitalizations for co-occurring HIV and opioid-related diagnoses: Evidence from the national inpatient sample, 2009-2017.

There has been evidence of rising HIV incidence attributable to opioid misuse within some areas of the U.S. The purpose of our study was to explore national trends in co-occurring HIV and opioid-related hospitalizations and to identify their risk factors.

Rural healthy people 2030: New decade, new challenges.

Rural Healthy People is a companion piece to the federal Healthy People initiative released once a decade to identify the most important Healthy People priorities for rural America, as identified by rural stakeholders, for the current decade. This study reports on the findings of Rural Healthy People 2030. The study relied on a survey of rural health stakeholders collected from July 12, 2021, to February 14, 2022, and: 1) identified the 20 Healthy People priorities most frequently selected as priorities for rural America, 2) studied the priorities that were most frequently selected as a "top 3" priority within each Healthy People 2030 category, and 3) investigated Healthy People 2030 priorities in terms of ranked importance for rural Americans.

Antimicrobial Consumption in the Livestock Sector in Bhutan: Volumes, Values, Rates, and Trends for the Period 2017-2021.

Data on the use of antimicrobials in humans and livestock may provide evidence to guide policy changes to mitigate the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). However, there is limited information available about antimicrobial use in livestock in low- and middle-income countries, even though these nations are most vulnerable to the impact of AMR. This study aimed to assess the consumption of veterinary antimicrobials in Bhutan and identify areas for improvement to reduce the use of antimicrobials in livestock.

Uncertainty, scarcity and transparency: Public health ethics and risk communication in a pandemic.

Communicating public health guidance is key to mitigating risk during disasters and outbreaks, and ethical guidance on communication emphasizes being fully transparent. Yet, communication during the pandemic has sometimes been fraught, due in part to practical and conceptual challenges around being transparent. A particular challenge has arisen when there was both evolving scientific knowledge on COVID-19 and reticence to acknowledge that resource scarcity concerns were influencing public health recommendations.