Parliamentarily speaking: A thematic analysis of Kerala Legislative Assembly questions relating to health from 2016 to 2021.

Introduction: Legislative assemblies often provide a platform for legislators to question the government during question hours, which are crucial for governance However, question hours remain understudied, especially when addressing health policy and systems related issues in lower- and middle-income countries. This study assesses the 14 Kerala Legislative Assembly questions, focusing on health-related areas to provide insights for health policy formulation and decision-making processes.

Materials And Methods: We sourced and transcribed all starred questions (346) related to health that were answered by the health minister in the 14 Legislative Assembly between 2016 and 2021 from the archives of the assembly website.

Alcohol Abstinence, Adherence, and Attitudes toward Disulfiram Treatment for Alcohol Dependence among Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Setting in North India.

Background: Disulfiram is the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug for the treatment of alcohol dependence, primarily acting as a deterrent agent. The available literature on disulfiram treatment for alcohol dependence among individuals in low-income and middle-income countries is scarce, while numerous factors impact the acceptance and adherence to such treatment.

Methods: The study utilized a purposive sampling methodology.

Navigating delayed diagnoses, self-neglect, and lost livelihoods: a qualitative exploration of fisherfolk's health perspectives and management of non-communicable diseases in Kerala, India.

Introduction: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) place a significant burden on India's healthcare system, accounting for approximately 62% of all deaths in the country in 2017. The southern Indian state - Kerala - has some of the highest rates of NCDs. Within the state, the fisherfolk community has a high prevalence of risk factors such as tobacco use and alcohol consumption.

Exploring the road to public healthcare accessibility: a qualitative study to understand healthcare utilization among hard-to-reach groups in Kerala, India.

Background: Kerala, a southern state in India, is known to be atypical due to its high literacy rate and advanced social development indicators. Facing competition from a dominant private healthcare system, recent government health system reforms have focused on providing free, high-quality universal healthcare in the public sector. We carried out an analysis to ascertain the initial impacts of these measures among 'hard to reach groups' as part of a larger health policy and systems research study, with a focus on public sector health service utilisation.

The role(s) of community health workers in primary health care reform in Kerala, before and during the COVID 19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

Background: Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) are Community Health Workers (CHWs) employed by the National Health Mission of the Government of India to link the population to health facilities and improve maternal and child health outcomes in the country. The government of Kerala launched primary health reform measures in 2016 whereby Primary Health Centres (PHCs) were upgraded to Family Health Centres (FHCs). The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 impacted essential health service delivery, including primary care services.

Monitoring the Family Health Centres in Kerala, India: Findings from a facility survey.

Introduction: Kerala, a south Indian state, has often been cited globally as a model for better health outcomes at low cost but faces unique challenges in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). To propel the efforts in achieving UHC, the Government of Kerala announced the "Aardram" health reform initiative, emphasising improving the quality of primary care service delivery. The reforms started in 2017, and in the first stage, 170 of 848 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) were upgraded to Family Health Centres (FHCs).

Gender-specific inequalities in coverage of Publicly Funded Health Insurance Schemes in Southern States of India: evidence from National Family Health Surveys.

Background: Publicly Funded Health Insurance Schemes (PFHIS) are intended to play a role in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In countries like India, PFHISs have low penetrance and provide limited coverage of services and of family members within households, which can mean that women lose out. Gender inequities in relation to financial risk protection are understudied.

Assessing inequalities in publicly funded health insurance scheme coverage and out-of-pocket expenditure for hospitalization: findings from a household survey in Kerala.

Background: Increasing financial risk protection is a key feature of Universal Health Coverage and the path towards health for all. Publicly Funded Health Insurance Schemes (PFHIS) have been considered as one of the pathways to safeguard against financial shocks and potentially reduce Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE). The south Indian state of Kerala has roughly a decade-long experience in implementing PFHIS.

The Prevalence of Comorbidities and Associated Factors among Patients with Dementia in the Indian Setting: Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.

Background: Patients with dementia usually have multiple comorbidities. The presence of comorbidities may exacerbate the progression of dementia and decreases the patient's ability to participate in health maintenance activities. However, there is hardly any meta-analysis estimating the magnitude of comorbidities among patients with dementia in the Indian context.

The Distribution of Lifestyle Risk Factors Among Patients with Stroke in the Indian Setting: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The burden of stroke is increasing in India, but there is limited understanding of the distribution of reported risk factors in the Indian setting. It is vital to generate robust data on these modifiable risk factors to scale up appropriate strategies for the prevention of cerebrovascular diseases in this setting.

Summary: The objective of this study is to estimate the overall proportion of life style risk factors of patients with stroke in the Indian setting.

On the forms, contributions and impacts of community mobilisation involved with Kerala's COVID-19 response: Perspectives of health staff, Local Self Government institution and community leaders.

Background: Kerala, a south Indian state, has a long and strong history of mobilisation of people's participation with institutionalised mechanisms as part of decentralisation reforms introduced three decades ago. This history formed the backdrop of the state's COVID-19 response from 2020 onwards. As part of a larger health equity study, we carried out an analysis to understand the contributions of people's participation to the state's COVID-19 response, and what implications this may have for health reform as well as governance more broadly.

Who are the vulnerable, and how do we reach them? Perspectives of health system actors and community leaders in Kerala, India.

Background: Among the core principles of the 2030 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the call to Leave no One behind (LNOB), a principle that gained resonance as the world contended with the COVID-19 pandemic. The south Indian state of Kerala received acclaim globally for its efforts in managing COVID-19 pandemic. Less attention has been paid, however, to how inclusive this management was, as well as if and how those "left behind" in testing, care, treatment, and vaccination efforts were identified and catered to.

The Psychological Morbidity among Health Care Workers During the Early Phase of Covid-19 Pandemic in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Across India, there have been multiple studies conducted to address the issues of the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study estimated the pooled prevalence of psychological morbidity among healthcare workers during the early phase of the COVID 19 pandemic in India. We searched the following electronic bibliographic databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley online library, and Google scholar for studies conducted from the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic until 25 September 2021.

Hidden educational inequalities in high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels in Kerala: evidence from the National Family Health Survey (2019-2021).

Objective: This study assesses educational inequalities in measured as well as self-reported high blood pressure (BP) and high blood glucose (BG) in the southern Indian state of Kerala, which is known to have high chronic disease morbidity.

Design: The present findings are drawn from a large-scale, nationally representative cross-sectional study.

Settings And Participants: India's Demographic and Health Survey (conducted in 2019-2021) had data on 36 526 individuals aged 15 years and above in the state of Kerala, India.

Of primary health care reforms and pandemic responses: understanding perspectives of health system actors in Kerala before and during COVID-19.

Background: In 2016, the Government of the southern Indian state of Kerala launched the Aardram mission, a set of reforms in the state's health sector with the support of Local Self Governments (LSG). Primary Health Centres (PHCs) were slated for transformation into Family Health Centres (FHCs), with extended hours of operation as well as improved quality and range of services. With the COVID-19 pandemic emerging soon after their introduction, we studied the outcomes of the transformation from PHC to FHC and how they related to primary healthcare service delivery during COVID-19.

Prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms during COVID-19 pandemic among the general population in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The novel coronavirus (n COVID-19) has affected every walk of life across the world including India. Several studies have been available on the COVID-19-related anxiety and depressive symptoms in the public health context. However, there is a dearth of evidence of a meta-analysis regarding the pooled estimates of anxiety and depressive symptoms related to this pandemic based on the existing studies conducted among the general population of India.

Nurse-led brief psycho-education on self-stigma among clients with schizophrenia and affective disorders: - Solomon four-group design.

Background: The negative impact of self-stigma among clients with mental illness is well documented. Psychoeducation was found to be an effective measure for managing the treatment gap by reducing the stigma associated with the illness.

Purpose: The present study investigated the effectiveness of a nurse-led brief psycho-education in reducing self-stigma among clients in the remittent stage of schizophrenia and affective disorders.

The prevalence and correlates of comorbidities among patients with cancer attending a tertiary care cancer center in South India: An analytical cross-sectional study.

Background: Comorbidities in patients with cancer can affect treatment, and should, therefore, be prioritized and managed.

Objectives: Our primary aim was to assess the prevalence of comorbidities among patients with cancer. The secondary objective was to identify the association of comorbidities with various sociodemographic and clinical variables.

Problematic Internet Use Among School-Going Adolescents in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Problematic internet use (PIU) among school going adolescents constitutes a major area of concern. However, no comprehensive reports are available to determine the magnitude of the problem. This study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of PIU among school going adolescents in India.

Prevalence of Physical and Psychological Impacts of Wearing Personal Protective Equipment on Health Care Workers During COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among the frontline health care workers (HCWs). Even though PPE helps in preventing infection, it poses significant physical and psychological impacts at varying levels. Correspondingly, multiple independent studies have brought out the PPE-associated problems.

Decomposing socioeconomic inequality in blood pressure and blood glucose testing: evidence from four districts in Kerala, India.

Background: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) constitute a significant danger to the nation's public health system, both in terms of morbidity and mortality, as well as the financial burden they inflict. Kerala is undergoing an epidemiologic transition, which has significantly impacted the state's morbidity and mortality figures. For decades, the state has been putting in place myriad programs to reduce the burden of NCDs across population groups.

COVID-19 and Psychological Distress among the General Population of India: Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Background: There is scanty evidence regarding the magnitude of COVID-19-related psychological distress (PD) among the general population of India.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of PD among the general public of India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material And Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of 21 online surveys conducted across the Indian subcontinent and published between 2020 and 2021.

The Quality of Life of Stroke Survivors in the Indian Setting: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The significant burden of stroke on the mortality rates of developing countries, including India, is well-documented in the literature. However, robust data regarding the aggregates of evidence on the quality of life (QOL) of stroke survivors is limited.

Objective: To gather relevant information for policymakers on the QOL of stroke survivors based on observational studies conducted in the Indian setting.

The prevalence of alcohol use disorders using alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) in the Indian setting: - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

There is a wide discrepancy in the epidemiology of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) due to diverse scales and survey approaches. We estimated the prevalence of AUDs by comparing the pooled prevalence based on the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) Vs. non-AUDIT (all scales other than AUDIT).