The impact of multidimensional poverty on antenatal care service utilisation in Malawi.

Background: Poverty remains a key barrier to accessing essential maternal health services, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Malawi. Despite the recognised importance of antenatal care (ANC) in ensuring healthy pregnancies as well as improving maternal and child health outcomes, ANC services remain underutilised by many women living in poverty. This underutilisation is not solely driven by a lack of financial resources but also by a range of non-monetary factors that constitute multidimensional poverty, such as limited access to education, healthcare services, and infrastructure.

An evolution of inequality of opportunity in the nutritional outcomes of under-five children in Malawi.

Background: Malnutrition among children is a significant public health and development issue, especially in low- and middle-income countries, Malawi inclusive, which contributes to preventable diseases and deaths. Significant socioeconomic disparities persist, which affect access to and equal distribution of basic nutrition. This study analyzed the extent and trends of Inequality of Opportunity (IOP) in the nutritional outcomes of children aged 0-59 months.

COVID-19 vaccine inequity in African low-income countries.

Equitable access and utilization of the COVID-19 vaccine is the main exit strategy from the pandemic. This paper used proceedings from the Second Extraordinary Think-Tank conference, which was held by the Health Economics and Policy Unit at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in collaboration with the Malawi Ministry of Health, complemented by a review of literature. We found disparities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage among low-income countries.

Determinants of self-reported hypertension among women in South Africa: evidence from the population-based survey.

Background: Hypertension (HTN), characterized by an elevation of blood pressure, is a serious public health chronic condition that significantly raises the risks of heart, brain, kidney, and other diseases. In South Africa, the prevalence of HTN (measured objectively) was reported at 46.0% in females, nonetheless little is known regarding the prevalence and risks factors of self-reported HTN among the same population.

Explaining socioeconomic inequality in cervical cancer screening uptake in Malawi.

Background: Cervical cancer is a prevalent public health concern and is among the leading causes of death among women globally. Malawi has the second highest cervical cancer prevalence and burden in the world. Due to the cervical cancer burden, the Malawi government scaled up national cancer screening services in 2011, which are free for all women.

Correction to: Malawi at the Crossroads: Does the Fear of Contracting COVID-19 Affect the Propensity to Vote?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1057/s41287-020-00353-1.].

Household resilience among fish value chain actors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi.

We analyse household resilience capacities during the COVID-19 pandemic in the fishing communities along Lake Malawi by using FAO's resilience index measurement assessment (RIMA) methodology. The study is based on a sample of 400 households, and we employ the multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) model to estimate resilience capacities. The model uses household food security indicators as development outcomes.

Impact of Safety Nets on Household Coping Mechanisms for COVID-19 Pandemic in Malawi.

Background: Covid-19 pandemic induced various shocks to households in Malawi, many of which were failing to cope. Household coping mechanisms to shocks have an implication on household poverty status and that of a nation as a whole. In order to assist households to respond to the pandemic-induced shocks positively, the government of Malawi, with support from non-governmental organizations introduced Covid-19 Urban Cash Intervention (CUCI) and other safety nets to complement the existing social protection programs in cushioning the impact of the shocks during the pandemic.

Inequalities in Knowledge About COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

As the world is still being ravaged by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the first line of prevention lies in understanding the causative and preventive factors of the disease. However, given varied socioeconomic circumstances, there may be some inequality in the level of proper knowledge of COVID-19. Despite a proliferation of studies on COVID-19, the extent and prevalence of inequalities in knowledge about COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia are not known.

Economic Analysis of Inequality in Preventive Health Check-Ups Uptake in Saudi Arabia.

Undertaking preventive health check-ups has proven to be an important strategy in the fight against several diseases. However, various socioeconomic circumstances may hinder participating in such an important health exercise for many people. With the growth in the burden of non-communicable diseases in Saudi Arabia, it is thus essential that people take an active role in undertaking preventive health check-ups.

A spatial analysis of out-of-pocket payments for healthcare in Malawi.

Out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures on health remain high in many low- and middle-income countries despite policy efforts aiming to reduce these health costs by targeting their hotspots. Hotspot targeting remains inadequate, particularly where the OOP expenditures are related across geographic regions due to unequal demand, supply and prices of healthcare services. In this paper, we investigate the existence of geographical correlations in OOP health expenditures by employing a spatial Durbin model on data from 778 clusters obtained from the 2016 Malawi's Integrated Household Survey.

Exemption for the poor or the rich? An assessment of socioeconomic inequalities in Ghana's national health insurance exemption policies.

Out-of-pocket payments for health are considered a major limitation to universal health coverage (UHC). Policymakers across the globe are committed to achieving UHC through the removal of financial barriers to health care. In Ghana, a national health insurance scheme was established for this purpose.

Acceptability of a COVID-19 Vaccine among the Saudi Population.

To investigate the associated factors underlying vaccination intentions for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), an online cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults 18 years or over in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected between 8 and 14 December 2020. A logistic regression analysis was employed to examine and identify the variables associated with vaccination intentions for COVID-19, with the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) also calculated.

Acceptability of a COVID-19 Vaccine Among Healthcare Workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This study aims to determine the acceptability of a COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia and the factors affecting their intention to accept the vaccine. The study used data from an online cross-sectional survey that was conducted in Saudi Arabia between 8 December 2020 and 14 December 2020. This study employed bivariate and multivariable regression analyses.

Malawi at the Crossroads: Does the Fear of Contracting COVID-19 Affect the Propensity to Vote?

The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has paralysed many sectors of human life, including economic, social-cultural and political processes. In the political arena, several countries have postponed elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other countries, including Malawi, went ahead with their planned elections.

Socioeconomic inequality in premiums for a community-based health insurance scheme in Rwanda.

Community-based health insurance (CBHI) has gained popularity in many low- and middle-income countries, partly as a policy response to calls for low-cost, pro-poor health financing solutions. In Africa, Rwanda has successfully implemented two types of CBHI systems since 2005, one of which with a flat rate premium (2005-10) and the other with a stratified premium (2011-present). Existing CBHI evaluations have, however, tended to ignore the potential distributional aspects of the household contributions made towards CBHI.

Levels of and changes in socioeconomic inequality in delivery care service: A decomposition analysis using Bangladesh Demographic Health Surveys.

Background: Socioeconomic inequality in maternity care is well-evident in many developing countries including Bangladesh, but there is a paucity of research to examine the determinants of inequality and the changes in the factors of inequality over time. This study examines the factors accounting for the levels of and changes in wealth-related inequality in three outcomes of delivery care service: health facility delivery, skilled birth attendance, and C-section delivery in Bangladesh.

Methods: This study uses from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey of 2011 and 2014.

Effects of Financial Inclusion on Access to Emergency Funds for Healthcare in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background: Having access to convenient and quality healthcare at all times is not only a human right but also a goal that many countries strive to achieve for their population. However, access to healthcare might face blocks in the presence of financial exclusions. Saudi Arabia has, over the years, continued to pursue policy and system reforms to enhance its population's access to financial inclusion, as well as proper health coverage to improve health outcomes.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Toward COVID-19 Among the Public in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Saudi Arabia has taken unprecedented and stringent preventive and precautionary measures against COVID-19 to control its spread, safeguard citizens and ensure their well-being. Public adherence to preventive measures is influenced by their knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the Saudi public, toward COVID-19, during the pandemic.

Decomposition of Gender Differences in Body Mass Index in Saudi Arabia using Unconditional Quantile Regression: Analysis of National-Level Survey Data.

Understanding gender differences in body mass index (BMI) between males and females has been much debated and received considerable attention. This study aims to decompose gender differentials in the BMI of people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study decomposed the BMI gender gap into its associated factors across the entire BMI distribution by using counterfactual regression methods.

Does prolonged television viewing affect Body Mass Index? A case of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background: The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity and their health implications is a major public health concern worldwide. This study set out to understand the relationship between the number of hours spent watching television and Body Mass Index (BMI) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using data from the Saudi Health Interview Survey.

Methods: The study employed both ordinary least squares and quantile regressions to estimate the mean and distributional association of prolonged television watching and BMI.

An evolution of socioeconomic related inequality in teenage pregnancy and childbearing in Malawi.

Background: Teenage pregnancies and childbearing are important health concerns in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) including Malawi. Addressing these challenges requires, among other things, an understanding of the socioeconomic determinants of and contributors to the inequalities relating to these outcomes. This study investigated the trends of the inequalities and decomposed the underlying key socioeconomic factors which accounted for the inequalities in teenage pregnancy and childbearing in Malawi.

The Impact of Ghana's National Health Insurance on Psychological Distress.

Background: Poor mental health is among the growing number of noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Despite poor mental health accounting for an already considerable and growing burden of disease in many low- and middle-income countries, policy action to confront the challenge has been limited, at both international and national levels. Recently, several low- and middle-income countries have embarked on the journey toward universal health coverage by expanding their public health insurance provision, with the ultimate objective of improving population health, in addition to other health system objectives.

Socio-economic inequalities in diabetes prevalence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background: Rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes in the Middle East, is a major public health concern of the 21st century. However, there is a paucity of literature to understand and measure socio-economic inequalities in diabetes prevalence in this region, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Methods: This study investigated socio-economic inequalities in diabetes prevalence in the KSA using data from the Saudi Arabia Health Interview Survey.

Socio-economic Inequality in Comprehensive Knowledge about HIV in Malawi.

Background: Having comprehensive knowledge about HIV is crucial in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and in achieving the global aspiration of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Low comprehensive knowledge about HIV can undercut efforts to halt the spread of the epidemic. It is important, however, to also determine if socioeconomic inequality is a factor in having a comprehensive knowledge about HIV in order to ensure that socioeconomic considerations are embedded in interventions.