Long-term trends in mortality risk associated with short-term exposure to air pollution in 10 Japanese cities between 1977 and 2015.

Background And Aim: Short-term associations between air pollution and mortality have been well reported in Japan, but the historical changes in mortality risk remain unknown. We examined temporal changes in the mortality risks associated with short-term exposure to four criteria air pollutants in selected Japanese cities.

Methods: We collected daily mortality data for non-accidental causes (n = 5,748,206), cardiovascular (n = 1,938,743) and respiratory diseases (n = 777,266), and air pollutants (sulfur dioxide [SO], nitrogen dioxide [NO], suspended particulate matter [SPM], and oxidants [Ox]) in 10 cities from 1977 to 2015.

Drawings as tools to (re)imagine space in interdisciplinary global health research.

Understanding the role of space in infectious diseases' dynamics in urban contexts is key to developing effective mitigation strategies. Urbanism, a discipline that both studies and acts upon the city, commonly uses drawings to analyze spatial patterns and their variables. This paper revisits drawings as analytical and integrative tools for interdisciplinary research.

The Impact of Sequestration on Artemisinin-Induced Parasite Clearance in Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Africa.

Background: Artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum is spreading in Southeast Asia and Africa. In vivo susceptibility to artemisinin is studied by looking at the rate of decline of peripheral parasitemia (parasite clearance half-life). However, parasites that are adhered/sequestered to the endothelium and undetectable in the peripheral blood are not considered in the estimation of parasite clearance.

Classifying caesarean section to understand rising rates among Palestinian refugees: results from 290,047 electronic medical records across five settings.

Background: Rising caesarean-section rates worldwide are driven by non-medically indicated caesarean-sections. A systematic review concluded that the ten-group classification system (Robson) is the most appropriate for assessing drivers of caesarean deliveries. Evidence on the drivers of caesarean-section rates from conflict-affected settings is scarce.

Associations Between Extreme Temperatures and Cardiovascular Cause-Specific Mortality: Results From 27 Countries.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Existing studies on the association between temperatures and cardiovascular deaths have been limited in geographic zones and have generally considered associations with total cardiovascular deaths rather than cause-specific cardiovascular deaths.

Methods: We used unified data collection protocols within the Multi-Country Multi-City Collaborative Network to assemble a database of daily counts of specific cardiovascular causes of death from 567 cities in 27 countries across 5 continents in overlapping periods ranging from 1979 to 2019.

Role of oxides of nitrogen in the ozone-cardiorespiratory visit association.

Ozone (O)-induced health effects vary in terms of severity, from deterioration of lung function and hospitalization to death. Several studies have reported a linear increase in health risks after O exposure. However, current evidence suggests a non-linear U- and J-shaped concentration-response (C-R) function.

Factors determining membership in community-based health insurance in West Africa: a scoping review.

Background: In many low-income countries, households bear most of the health care costs. Community-based health insurance (CBHI) schemes have multiplied since the 1990s in West Africa. They have significantly improved their members' access to health care.

Prevalence of depressive disorders in a primary care setting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: A cross-sectional epidemiological study.

Objective: This research was conducted to identify the prevalence and associated factors of depressive disorders, as well as evaluate the recognition rate of general practitioners in detecting these mental health issues in primary care.

Method: Five hundred and twelve participants (55.3% female, mean age = 46.

An urgent need for COP27: confronting converging crises.

The last 12 months have provided further evidence of the potential for cascading ecological and socio-political crises that were warned of 12 months ago. Then a consensus statement from the Regional Action on Climate Change Symposium warned: "the Earth's climatic, ecological, and human systems are converging towards a crisis that threatens to engulf global civilization within the lifetimes of children now living." Since then, the consequences of a broad set of extreme climate events (notably droughts, floods, and fires) have been compounded by interaction with impacts from multiple pandemics (including COVID-19 and cholera) and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Association between neonatal phototherapy and future cancer: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Phototherapy is the main treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia to prevent encephalopathy. It is generally believed to be safe; however, some studies have shown it might be associated with cancer development. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to assess the effect of neonatal phototherapy on future cancer risk.

Do mothers pick up a phone? A cross-sectional study on delivery of MCH voice messages in Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: Voice messages have been employed as an effective and efficient approach for increasing health service utilization and health promotion in low- and middle-income countries. However, unlike SMS, voice message services require their users to pick up a phone call at its delivery time. Furthermore, voice messages are difficult for the users to review their contents afterward.

Strategic silences, eroded trust: The impact of divergent COVID-19 vaccine sentiments on healthcare workers' relations with peers and patients.

Background: Polarized debates about Covid-19 vaccination and vaccine mandates for healthcare workers (HCWs) challenge Belgian HCWs ability to discuss Covid-19 vaccine sentiments with peers and patients.Although studies have identified drivers of HCWs vaccine hesitancy, they do not include effects of workplace interactions and have not addressed consequences beyond vaccine coverage.

Methods: Interviews and focus group discussions with 74 HCWs practicing in Belgium addressed Covid-19 vaccine sentiments and experiences of discussing vaccination with peers and patients.

A systematic review of randomised controlled trials of the effects of digital health interventions on postpartum contraception use.

Background: Digital health interventions (DHI) have been used to enhance the uptake of postpartum contraception and reduce unmet contraception needs. We conducted a systematic review of the effectiveness of DHI on postpartum contraceptive use and repeated pregnancy.

Method: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, CINAHL and Cochrane CENTRAL (January 1990-July 2020).

Hansen's disease (leprosy) in Japan, 1947-2020: an epidemiologic study during the declining phase to elimination.

Objectives: Leprosy, or Hansen's disease was a major public health problem in Japan in the early 20th century. Today, the number of new cases has decreased significantly. We aimed to investigate the trends of leprosy in Japan over the past 73 years and the challenges faced in recent years.

Burden and mortality of sepsis and septic shock at a high-volume, single-center in Vietnam: a retrospective study.

Background: Sepsis and septic shock have high mortality rates and often require a prolonged hospital stay. Patient outcomes may vary according to multiple factors. We aim to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and factors associated with mortality and hospital stay.

Communication in Neglected Tropical Diseases' elimination: A scoping review and call for action.

Background: Although the practice of communication is often called upon when intervening and involving communities affected by NTDs, the disciplinary framework of health communication research has been largely absent from NTD strategies. To illustrate how practices conceptualized and developed within the communication field have been applied in the context of NTD elimination, we conducted a scoping review focusing on two diseases currently targeted for elimination by the WHO: lymphatic filariasis and Chagas disease.

Methods: We examined studies published between 2012 and 2020 in five electronic databases.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and infection rate in Manila, Philippines prior to national vaccination program implementation: a repeated cross-sectional analysis.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 seroepidemiological studies are used to guide public health decision making and to prepare for emerging infectious diseases. Disease occurrence estimates are limited in the Philippines, the country with the highest reported number of coronavirus disease-related deaths in the Western Pacific region. We aimed to estimate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and infection rate among outpatient clinic attendees in Metro Manila prior to the implementation of the national coronavirus disease vaccination program.

Leishmania major Strain-Dependent Macrophage Activation Contributes to Pathogenicity in the Absence of Lymphocytes.

Infection of C57BL/6 wild-type mice with Leishmania major 5-ASKH or Friedlin strains results in relatively similar pathogenicity with self-healing lesions within weeks. Parasite clearance depends on nitric oxide production by activated macrophages in response to cytokines produced mainly by CD4 Th1 cells. In contrast, C57BL/6 Rag2 knockout mice, which lack T and B lymphocytes, show distinct pathologies during infection with these strains.