Household transmission investigation: Design, reporting and critical appraisal.

Background: Household transmission investigations (HHTIs) contribute timely epidemiologic knowledge in response to emerging pathogens. HHTIs conducted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21 reported variable methodological approaches, producing epidemiological estimates that vary in meaning, precision and accuracy. Because specific tools to assist with the optimal design and critical appraisal of HHTIs are not available, the aggregation and pooling of inferences from HHTIs to inform policy and interventions may be challenging.

Large Discrepancies in Dementia Mortality Reported in Vital Statistics: The Need for Improved Data to Inform Policy.

Purpose: There is limited understanding of the intercountry comparability of dementia mortality data. This study compares reported dementia mortality in national vital statistics between countries and over time. In countries with low dementia reporting, this study identifies other causes to which dementia may be misclassified.

Improving outcomes for children with malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia in Mozambique: A cluster randomised controlled trial of the inSCALE technology innovation.

Background: The majority of post-neonatal deaths in children under 5 are due to malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia (MDP). The WHO recommends integrated community case management (iCCM) of these conditions using community-based health workers (CHW). However iCCM programmes have suffered from poor implementation and mixed outcomes.

Improving community health worker treatment for malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia in Uganda through inSCALE community and mHealth innovations: A cluster randomised controlled trial.

The inSCALE cluster randomised controlled trial in Uganda evaluated two interventions, mHealth and Village Health Clubs (VHCs) which aimed to improve Community Health Worker (CHW) treatment for malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia within the national Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) programme. The interventions were compared with standard care in a control arm. In a cluster randomised trial, 39 sub-counties in Midwest Uganda, covering 3167 CHWs, were randomly allocated to mHealth; VHC or usual care (control) arms.

Burden of mental health problems among pregnant and postpartum women in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

Introduction: Pregnancy and postpartum-related mental health problems pose serious public health threat to the society, but worryingly, neglected in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This review will assess the burden and distribution of maternal mental health (MMH) problems in SSA, with the aim to inform the implementation of context sensitive interventions and policies.

Methods And Analysis: All relevant databases, grey literature and non-database sources will be searched.

Functional limitation as a mediator of the relationship between multimorbidity on health-related quality of life in Australia: evidence from a national panel mediation analysis.

Objective: The inverse relationships between chronic disease multimorbidity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have been well-documented in the literature. However, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains largely unknown. This is the first study to look into the potential role of functional limitation as a mediator in the relationship between multimorbidity and HRQoL.

A hundred years on: The role of human insulin.

There are multiple insulin preparations, and strengths, available in various delivery devices. Modern insulin analogues are characterised by better safety and tolerability, and are increasingly being used across much of the world. Does there still exist a role for human insulin? This brief communication explores the potential indications for human insulin, while discussing the concerns and caveats related to its use, and suggesting ways of safe and smart use of human insulin.

Strengthening cancer control in the South Pacific through coalition-building: a co-design framework.

Background: Cancer is a significant problem for the South Pacific region due to a range of complex health challenges. Currently gaps in diagnosis, treatment and palliative care are significant, and while governmental commitment is strong, economic constrains limit health system strengthening. Alliances have been successful in strengthening non-communicable disease and cancer control policy and services in resource constrained settings.

Understanding and managing psychological distress due to climate change.

Background: Australia has warmed by 1.4°C since pre-industrial times. This is greater than the global average and is predicted to exceed 1.

Combining general and central measures of adiposity to identify risk of hypertension: a cross-sectional survey in rural India.

Aim: In three socioeconomically diverse regions of rural India, we determined the optimal cut-offs for definition of overweight, the prevalence of overweight, and the relationships between measures of overweight and risk of hypertension.

Subjects And Methods: Villages were randomly sampled within rural Trivandrum, West Godavari, and Rishi Valley. Sampling of individuals was stratified by age group and sex.

An analysis of the inclusion of ear and hearing care in national health policies, strategies and plans.

Ear- and hearing-related conditions pose a significant global health burden, yet public health policy surrounding ear and hearing care (EHC) in low- and middle-income countries is poorly understood. The present study aims to characterize the inclusion of EHC in national health policy by analysing national health policies, strategies and plans in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic. Three EHC keywords were searched, including ear*, hear* and deaf*.

Planning, implementation, and sustaining high coverage of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs: What works in the context of low-resource countries?

Cervical cancer due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a leading cause of mortality among women in low-resource settings. Many Sub-Saharan African countries have introduced HPV vaccination programs at the national level in the last few years. However, countries are struggling to maintain sustainable coverage.

The association between obesity, health service use, and work productivity in Australia: a cross-sectional quantile regression analysis.

The burden of disease attributable to obesity is rapidly increasing and becoming a public health challenge globally. Using a nationally representative sample in Australia, this study aims to examine the association of obesity with healthcare service use and work productivity across outcome distributions. We used Household, Income and Labour Dynamics Australia (HILDA) Wave 17 (2017-2018), including 11,211 participants aged between 20 and 65 years.

Using the WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) to Detect Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders among Pregnant Women in Vietnam: a Validation Study.

Purpose: Detection of antenatal common mental disorders in low-resource settings like Vietnam is important and requires a reliable, valid and practical screening tool. Currently, there is no such tool validated for use among pregnant women in Vietnam. This study aims to assess the validity of the Vietnamese version of the 20-item Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) by evaluating its reliability, factorial structure, and performance in detecting common mental disorder (CMD) symptoms, thereby identifying the optimum cut-off score for CMD screening among pregnant women in Vietnam.

Partnership-defined quality approach to companionship during labour and birth in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea: A mixed-methods study.

Companionship during labour and birth is a critical component of quality maternal and newborn care, resulting in improved care experiences and better birth outcomes. Little is known about the preferences and experiences of companionship in Papua New Guinea (PNG), and how it can be implemented in a culturally appropriate way. The aim of this study was to describe perspectives and experiences of women, their partners and health providers regarding labour and birth companionship, identify enablers and barriers and develop a framework for implementing this intervention in PNG health facilities.

The role of hospitals in strengthening primary health care in the Western Pacific.

Despite the imperative to strengthen primary health care (PHC) to respond to demographic and epistemological transitions, and meet commitments to achieve universal health coverage, health systems remain hospital-centric with health resources largely concentrated in urban centres. This paper examines islands of innovation that demonstrate the role hospitals can play in influencing the provision of PHC. Drawing on the literature and country case studies from the Western Pacific region, we illustrate mechanisms used to unlock hospital resources to improve PHC, with the transition towards "systems-focused hospitals".

Refractory and Resistant obesity: Dynamic Concepts, Contemporary Definitions.

Obesity is a chronic disease requiring a multi-disciplinary approach for its management. Despite multiple evolving and potent therapeutic options like GLP-1RA's and bariatric surgery, some patients do not achieve significant weight loss or expected metabolic outcomes. This manuscript highlights the concept of resistant and refractory obesity and provides an operational framework to assess adequacy of therapy, to rule out non-adherence, and to screen for non-adiposity related and iatrogenic causes of weight gain.