Examining health equity in Nepal's climate change and health policies through the lens of environmental justice: insights from a content analysis.

Background: Climate change presents a multifaceted challenge with unequal health implications, particularly for vulnerable populations with limited adaptive capacity. Socioeconomic factors are intricately linked with environmental health outcomes and environmental factors significantly exacerbate existing health inequities. Health equity as a goal of environmental justice can address these issues.

Diabetes as a risk factor for tuberculosis disease.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is amongst the leading causes of death from an infectious disease, with an estimated 1.3 million deaths from TB in 2022. Approximately 25% of the global population is estimated to be infected with the TB bacterium, giving rise to 10.

The Extent of Illicit Cigarette Sales in Five Rural Districts of Pakistan: A Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: The Illicit Tobacco Trade (ITT) subverts tobacco control efforts. Cigarette packs sold without legal health warnings undermine efforts to warn the public about the dangers of tobacco. Furthermore, cigarettes sold below minimum retail prices are indicative of tax evasion leading to revenue loss and budgetary deficits in high tobacco-burden economies.

Undernutrition as a risk factor for tuberculosis disease.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of mortality due to an infectious disease, with an estimated 1.6 million deaths due to TB in 2022. Approximately 25% of the global population has TB infection, giving rise to 10.

Self-management of chronic, non-communicable diseases in South Asian settings: A systematic mixed-studies review.

Self-management is crucial in mitigating the impacts of a growing non-communicable disease (NCD) burden, particularly in Low and Middle-Income countries. What influences self-management in these settings, however, is poorly understood. We aimed to identify the determinants of self-management in the high NCD region of South Asia and explore how they influence self-management.

Effectiveness of behavior change interventions for smoking cessation among expectant and new fathers: findings from a systematic review.

Background: Smoking cessation during pregnancy and the postpartum period by both women and their partners offers multiple health benefits. However, compared to pregnant/postpartum women, their partners are less likely to actively seek smoking cessation services. There is an increased recognition about the importance of tailored approaches to smoking cessation for expectant and new fathers.

The global impact of tobacco control policies on smokeless tobacco use: a systematic review.

Background: Smokeless tobacco, used by more than 300 million people globally, results in substantial morbidity and mortality. For smokeless tobacco control, many countries have adopted policies beyond the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which has been instrumental in reducing smoking prevalence. The impact of these policies (within and outside the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) on smokeless tobacco use remains unclear.

Policies regulating retail environment to reduce tobacco availability: A scoping review.

Background: In 2005, the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) entered into force. This treaty was developed in response to the global tobacco epidemic, and it includes measures to reduce both demand for and supply of tobacco. The measures related to demand reduction include raising tax, providing cessation services, promoting smoke free public places, banning advertising, and raising awareness.

Climate change and health in school-based education: A scoping review protocol.

Taking into account the adverse impacts of climate change on human health, the importance of increasing knowledge and gaining essential skills is necessary to mitigate and adapt to its impacts and protect human health. Researchers and experts are urging for more research in the climate-health nexus, as well as calling for efforts that establish climate and health educational goals. They encourage the development of agreed upon, articulated science-based curricula and resources addressing climate-health issues.

Cost-utility of cytisine for smoking cessation over and above behavioural support in people with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis: an economic evaluation of a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To assess the cost-effectiveness of cytisine over and above brief behavioural support (BS) for smoking cessation among patients who are newly diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in low-income and middle-income countries.

Design: An incremental cost-utility analysis was undertaken alongside a 12-month, double-blind, two-arm, individually randomised controlled trial from a public/voluntary healthcare sector perspective with the primary endpoint at 6 months post randomisation.

Setting: Seventeen subdistrict hospitals in Bangladesh and 15 secondary care hospitals in Pakistan.

Health Equity in Climate Change Policies and Public Health Policies Related to Climate Change: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

The relationship between risks to health equity and climate change is well established, and various international organizations and literature has called for intersectoral action for tackling these issues. While there is a growing recognition of the importance of equity-focused responses to climate change, if and how health equity measures are incorporated into climate-change-related policy decisions has not yet been adequately explored. There are numerous approaches and frameworks for conducting policy analysis, and for understanding equity in the context of climate change and public health separately; however, a comprehensive framework for exploring the complexity of these interacting factors is hard to find.

Heat-health action planning in the WHO European Region: Status and policy implications.

Adverse health effects from extreme heat remain a major risk, especially in a changing climate. Several European countries have implemented heat health action plans (HHAPs) to prevent ill health and excess mortality from heat. This paper assesses the state of implementation of HHAPs in the WHO European Region and discusses barriers and successes since the early 2000s.

Impacts of High Environmental Temperatures on Congenital Anomalies: A Systematic Review.

Links between heat exposure and congenital anomalies have not been explored in detail despite animal data and other strands of evidence that indicate such links are likely. We reviewed articles on heat and congenital anomalies from PubMed and Web of Science, screening 14,880 titles and abstracts in duplicate for articles on environmental heat exposure during pregnancy and congenital anomalies. Thirteen studies were included.

Illicit cigarette trade in the cities of Pakistan: comparing findings between the consumer and waste recycle store surveys.

Background: Concerns about the magnitude of illicit cigarette trade have prevented the Government of Pakistan from increasing tobacco taxes. We estimated the proportion of illicit cigarettes sold in Pakistani cities. Moreover, we compared two methods for collecting cigarette packs and investigated if the illicit cigarette trade equates to tax evasion.

Measuring fidelity to delivery of a new smoking cessation intervention integrated into routine tuberculosis care in Pakistan and Bangladesh: Contextual differences and opportunities.

Introduction: Tobacco smoking among tuberculosis (TB) patients leads to poorer treatment outcomes. Smoking cessation support should be integrated into routine TB care. We measured healthcare providers' fidelity to a smoking cessation intervention integrated into routine TB care, in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Supply Chain Actors' Willingness to Switch the Business of Smokeless Tobacco: A Mixed-Methods Study on Naswar Business in Pakistan.

Introduction: Provision of alternate livelihoods to smokeless tobacco (SLT) supply chain (SC) actors can help in curtailing SLT business and its consumption. We explored the reasons for SC actors' engagement in Naswar (SLT used in South Asia) business and their willingness to switch to other alternatives.

Aims And Methods: We conducted an equal-status concurrent mixed-methods study in four districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

Global impact of tobacco control policies on smokeless tobacco use: a systematic review protocol.

Introduction: Smokeless tobacco (ST) was consumed by 356 million people globally in 2017. Recent evidence shows that ST consumption is responsible for an estimated 652 494 all-cause deaths across the globe annually. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was negotiated in 2003 and ratified in 2005 to implement effective tobacco control measures.

Attitudes of smokers towards tobacco control policies: findings from the Studying Tobacco users of Pakistan (STOP) survey.

Background: Public attitude is a political driver in successful implementation of tobacco control policies. We assessed support for a range of tobacco control policies among smokers in Pakistan.

Methods: We conducted a household survey among adult smokers in 10 cities of Pakistan, using a two-stage random sampling strategy to select households and Kish grid method to select one smoker per household.

Transdisciplinary Research Priorities for Human and Planetary Health in the Context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Human health and wellbeing and the health of the biosphere are inextricably linked. The state of Earth's life-support systems, including freshwater, oceans, land, biodiversity, atmosphere, and climate, affect human health. At the same time, human activities are adversely affecting natural systems.

Associations between high temperatures in pregnancy and risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirths: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess whether exposure to high temperatures in pregnancy is associated with increased risk for preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth.

Design: Systematic review and random effects meta-analysis.

Data Sources: Medline and Web of Science searched up to September 2018, updated in August 2019.

Cytisine for smoking cessation in patients with tuberculosis: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial.

Background: Smoking cessation is important in patients with tuberculosis because it can reduce the high rates of treatment failure and mortality. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of cystine as a smoking cessation aid in patients with tuberculosis in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Methods: We did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, trial at 32 health centres in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

A narrative review of facilitators and barriers to smoking cessation and tobacco-dependence treatment in patients with tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries.

Introduction: Smoking is a substantial cause of premature death in patients with tuberculosis (TB), particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with high TB prevalence. The importance of incorporating smoking cessation and tobacco-dependence treatment (TDT) into TB care is highlighted in the most recent TB care guidelines. Our objective is to identify the likely key facilitators of and barriers to smoking cessation for patients with TB in LMICs.

Implementing smokeless tobacco control policy in Pakistan: a qualitative study among Naswar supply chain actors.

Objective: To obtain insights into the perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) among smokeless tobacco (SLT) supply chain actors in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study to investigate the perceptions about SLT control policy formulation and implementation among exclusive Naswar sellers and point of sale vendors. We conducted five focus group discussions in three districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa using combined deductive-inductive thematic analyses.

Waterpipe use and associated consumer characteristics in the German population: Data from a national representative survey (DEBRA study).

Background: Waterpipes (WP) have a long tradition in certain regions of the world, and their use has been increasing worldwide. Current data on the use of WP in different subgroups of the German population are missing.

Objective: To estimate the current prevalence of WP use and associated socio-demographic characteristics, tobacco smoking status and e-cigarette usage behaviour in the German population aged ≥14 years; to describe the frequency of use and starting age in current WP users.