A scoping review of activities intended to reduce publication bias in randomised trials.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends that a randomised controlled trial (RCT) publishes its results in a peer-reviewed journal within 24 months of study completion. When RCTs are not published or publication is delayed, this can contribute to publication bias, which is the tendency for studies with positive or significant results to be published more frequently than studies with nonsignificant or negative results. This bias skews the available evidence, creating a distorted view of the research landscape.

Case studies of health economic analyses informing pharmaceutical health technology assessments for essential medicine selection and public-sector guidelines in South Africa.

Background: Constrained resources under universal health coverage (UHC) necessitate a balance between medication costs and essential health system requirements. Policymakers practice priority-setting, as either implicit or explicit rationing, embedded in evidence-informed decision-making processes to guide funding decisions. Health technology assessment (HTA) is a method that may assist explicit evidence-informed priority setting.

Home visits for preterm/low birthweight infants in South Africa: Qualitative evidence synthesis.

Background: Prematurity and low birth weight (LBW) are the main causes of neonatal mortality in South Africa (SA). Home visits by lay health workers (LHWs) may be effective in addressing this.

Aim: To inform a national guideline on LHW home visits as part of the Global Evidence, Local Adaptation (GELA) project, we conducted a rapid qualitative evidence synthesis exploring the acceptability, feasibility and equitability of this intervention for preterm and LBW babies.