Ambitions and realities: Are Global Fund investments designed to achieve resilient and sustainable systems for health? Findings from the Global Fund Prospective Country Evaluation.

Strengthening resilient and sustainable systems for health (RSSH) is central to the Global Fund's strategy, however questions persist about the Global Fund's role in the health systems strengthening space, and the extent to which investments are designed to achieve strengthening objectives, or just fill in gaps in the system. This paper reports on findings from the Prospective Country Evaluations (PCE), a multi-country multi-year evaluation of Global Fund support. We adapted a framework from Chee et al.

Tobacco retail availability and smoking-A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Issues: Health policy makers worldwide have adopted evidence-based legislation, largely directed at consumers, to reduce tobacco-related harm. It is suggested that limiting supply by decreasing retail availability can also reduce cigarette smoking. To inform policy makers this systematic literature review assesses whether reducing availability is associated with smoking behaviours.

A perspective of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and public health.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have emerged as an innovative educational technology relevant to and affecting higher education, professional development, and lifelong learning. This paper introduces the principles of MOOCs and reviews the development of these platforms over time. We reflect upon the considerable investment by institutions to develop, deliver and promote such courses, particularly in public health.

Assessing risk of adverse drug reactions in the elderly: a feasibility study.

Background Adverse drug reactions are common in Australian general practice and can be a cause of, or contribute to, preventable hospital admissions. Developing practical tools to assist in identifying patients who are at high risk of serious adverse drug reactions is an important step in preventing these hospitalisations. Objective The aims of the study were to apply the Prediction of Hospitalisation due to Adverse Drug Reactions in Elderly Community-Dwelling Patients (PADR-EC) Score to assess the risk of medication-related hospitalisation among patients aged ≥ 65 years attending a rural general practice, and to investigate general practitioners' acceptance of the PADR-EC Score.

Independent effect of haemodialysis session frequency and duration on survival in non-indigenous Australians on haemodialysis.

Background: End-stage kidney disease patients have increased mortality compared to the general population. Haemodialysis (HD) of more frequent and of longer duration has been proposed to improve survival but it remains unclear if this is attributed to increased frequency, duration, or both. We aimed to examine the independent effects of session frequency and duration on mortality in incident HD patients.

HealthLit4Kids study protocol; crossing boundaries for positive health literacy outcomes.

Background: Health attitudes and behaviours formed during childhood greatly influence adult health patterns. This paper describes the research and development protocol for a school-based health literacy program. The program, entitled HealthLit4Kids, provides teachers with the resources and supports them to explore the concept of health literacy within their school community, through classroom activities and family and community engagement.

Pokémon-Go: Why Augmented Reality Games Offer Insights for Enhancing Public Health Interventions on Obesity-Related Diseases.

Stimulating widespread interests of the population to participate in behavioural changes through information and technology has been an aim of much health informatics research. The recent widespread participation of the augmented reality game Pokémon Go which encourages exercises, provides significant insights into the potential of information technology to improve healthcare intervention on obesity-related disease. Does Pokémon Go point to another way of achieving health benefits using mobile devices? This paper analyses the features of Pokémon Go in relation to potential health benefits.

Temporal trends and risk factors for readmission for infections, gastrointestinal and immobility complications after an incident hospitalisation for stroke in Scotland between 1997 and 2005.

Background: Improvements in stroke management have led to increases in the numbers of stroke survivors over the last decade and there has been a corresponding increase of hospital readmissions after an initial stroke hospitalisation. The aim of this study was to examine the one year risk of having a readmission due to infective, gastrointestinal or immobility (IGI) complications and to identify temporal trends and any risk factors.

Methods: Using a cohort of first hospitalised for stroke patients who were discharged alive, time to first event (readmission for IGI complications or death) within 1 year was analysed in a competing risks framework using cumulative incidence methods.

Attitudes, perceptions and potential uptake of male circumcision among older men in Turkana County, Kenya using qualitative methods.

Background: In many communities, older men (i.e., over 25 years of age) have not come forward for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) services.

Regional and temporal trends in malaria commodity costs: an analysis of Global Fund data for 79 countries.

Background: Although procurement consumes nearly 40% of Global Fund's money, no analyses have been published to show how costs vary across regions and time. This paper presents an analysis of malaria-related commodity procurement data from 79 countries, as reported through the Global Fund's price and quality reporting (PQR) system for the 2005-2012 period.

Methods: Data were analysed for the three most widely procured commodities for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria.

Trends in procurement costs for HIV commodities: a 7-year retrospective analysis of global fund data across 125 countries.

Background: Nearly 40% of Global Fund money goes toward procurement. However, no analyses have been published to show how costs vary across regions and time, despite the availability of procurement data collected through the Global Fund's price and quality reporting system.

Methodology: We analyzed data for the 3 most widely procured commodities for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV.

Gogo care and protection of vulnerable children in rural Malawi: changing responsibilities, capacity to provide, and implications for well-being in the era of HIV and AIDS.

The role of older women in the care and protection of vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa may be changing given increasing rates of orphanhood due to AIDS. Concern regarding their capacity to provide for children and implications for their health and well-being dominate the literature. However, studies have not yet examined the situation of older caregivers in comparison to their younger counterparts over time.

Angina and intermittent claudication in 7403 participants of the 2003 Scottish Health Survey: impact on general and mental health, quality of life and five-year mortality.

Background: Angina and intermittent claudication impair function and mobility and reduce health-related quality of life. Both symptoms have similar etiology, yet the physical and psychological impacts of these symptoms are rarely studied in community-based cohorts or in individuals with isolated symptoms.

Methods: The 2003 Scottish Health Survey was a cross-sectional survey which enrolled a random sample of individuals aged 16-95 years living in Scotland.

Mobile phone use for contacting emergency services in life-threatening circumstances.

Background: The potential health benefits of mobile phone use have not been widely studied, except for telemedicine-type applications.

Study Objectives: This study seeks to determine whether initial contact with emergency services via a mobile phone in life-threatening situations is associated with potential health benefits when compared to contact via a landline.

Methods: A record-linkage study was carried out in which data from all emergency dispatches for immediately life-threatening events from a United Kingdom county ambulance service were linked to the Patient Admission System at two major local hospitals.

Prior psychiatric hospitalization is associated with excess mortality in patients hospitalized with non-cardiac chest pain: a data linkage study based on the full Scottish population (1991-2006).

Aims: Non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) is considered a benign condition. We investigate case-fatality following an incident hospitalization for NCCP and determine whether previous psychiatric hospitalization is associated with short-term mortality.

Methods And Results: This was a population-based retrospective cohort study of 159 888 patients discharged from hospital in Scotland (1991-2006) following a first NCCP hospitalization, using routinely collected morbidity and mortality data.

The influence of orphan care and other household shocks on health status over time: a longitudinal study of children's caregivers in rural Malawi.

In the context of rising rates of orphanhood in AIDS-affected settings, very little is understood about implications for caregiver well-being given increasing and intensifying responsibilities for the care of orphaned children. Emotional distress and self-reported health status as well as shifts in household orphan care, wealth, food security and recent illness and death among household members were measured among a panel of 1219 caregivers in rural Malawi between 2007 and 2009. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of improved and diminished caregiver health and emotional distress.

Determinants of hanging and use of ITNs in the context of near universal coverage in Zambia.

Roll Back Malaria recently recommended a policy of universal coverage with insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) so that all age groups can benefit from protection against malaria. Countries adopting the 'universal access' policy include Zambia. Policy implementation in many settings involves mass distribution of free ITNs to achieve a measure of universal coverage.

Trends in incidence and in short term survival following a subarachnoid haemorrhage in Scotland, 1986-2005: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: To examine age and sex specific incidence and 30 day case fatality for subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in Scotland over a 20 year period.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study using routine hospital discharge data linked to death records.

Results: Between 1986 and 2005, 12,056 individuals experienced an incident SAH.

Alcohol brewing and the African tuberculosis epidemic.

Countries in much of Africa are struggling with large tuberculosis (TB) epidemics. Although the treatment programs are being implemented as well as the many constraints allow, more prevention of TB is needed. Based on literature on alcohol and TB, and observations and case studies, we consider one potential area for intervention might be the popular and ubiquitous small bars and beer huts in many towns and cities.

Estimating the impact of stroke unit care in a whole population: an epidemiological study using routine data.

Background And Purpose: Randomised trials indicate that organised inpatient (stroke unit) care has an important impact on patient outcomes with an absolute risk difference (ARD) of 3% for survival and 5% for returning home. However, it is unclear what impact this complex intervention actually has in routine practice. A comprehensive national dataset was used to study the impact of stroke unit implementation.

Overcoming barriers to engaging socio-economically disadvantaged populations in CHD primary prevention: a qualitative study.

Background: Preventative medicine has become increasingly important in efforts to reduce the burden of chronic disease in industrialised countries. However, interventions that fail to recruit socio-economically representative samples may widen existing health inequalities. This paper explores the barriers and facilitators to engaging a socio-economically disadvantaged (SED) population in primary prevention for coronary heart disease (CHD).

Temporal trends in hospitalisation for stroke recurrence following incident hospitalisation for stroke in Scotland.

Background: There are few studies that have investigated temporal trends in risk of recurrent stroke. The aim of this study was to examine temporal trends in hospitalisation for stroke recurrence following incident hospitalisation for stroke in Scotland during 1986 to 2001.

Methods: Unadjusted survival analysis of time to first event, hospitalisation for recurrent stroke or death, was undertaken using the cumulative incidence method which takes into account competing risks.

Age- and sex-specific trends in fatal incidence and hospitalized incidence of stroke in Scotland, 1986 to 2005.

Background: Temporal trends in stroke incidence are unclear. We aimed to examine age- and sex-specific temporal trends in incidence of fatal and nonfatal hospitalized stroke in Scotland from 1986 to 2005.

Methods And Results: Mean age at the time of first stroke was 70.

Primary care burden and treatment of patients with heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Scotland.

Aims: Heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently coexist and present major challenges to healthcare providers. The epidemiology, consultation rate, and treatment of patients with HF and COPD in primary care are ill-defined.

Methods And Results: This was an analysis of cross-sectional data from 61 primary care practices (377 439 patients) participating in the Scottish Continuous Morbidity Recording scheme.