public and global health papers

Public and global health examines how we protect communities from disease, manage outbreaks, and improve well-being across the world. This vital field connects diverse research on everything from infectious disease control and vaccination strategies to the social factors that shape our collective health. Because these studies often impact policy and daily life, understanding them quickly is more important than ever.

At Gist.Science, we track every new preprint published in this category on medRxiv to ensure you never miss a breakthrough. We process each submission to provide both plain-language explanations for general readers and detailed technical summaries for experts, making complex findings accessible to everyone.

Below are the latest papers in public and global health, freshly summarized from the most recent medRxiv releases.

📄 public and global health

Implementation strategies for integrating TB treatment into community pharmacies for people with TB/HIV in Uganda using human-centered design methodology

Using a Human-Centered Design methodology in Kampala, Uganda, researchers developed and refined a four-component implementation strategy to integrate tuberculosis treatment into community pharmacies for people with TB/HIV, focusing on trust-building, standardized workflows, capacity strengthening, and quality assurance for future pilot evaluation.

Izudi, J., Cattamanchi, A., Sekaggya-Wiltshire, C., King, R., Kiwanuka, N., Sammann, A.2026-09-17

📄 public and global health

The SCAMP Research Challenge programme: Co-developing research with young people for young people.

The SCAMP Research Challenge successfully demonstrated that co-developing research with young people through a peer-led programme not only enhanced recruitment and data collection for the world's largest adolescent mobile phone study but also empowered students with research skills and fostered meaningful, sustained engagement in public health science.

Curtis, N., Thompson, R., Cheng, L., Shen, C., Smith, R., Biswas-Evans, R., Di Simplicio, M., Toledano, M. B.2026-09-17

📄 public and global health

Adolescent videogaming, cognitive development and interactions with gender in the SCAMP cohort

This prospective study of the SCAMP cohort reveals that while overall adolescent videogaming duration does not consistently predict cognitive development, specific gaming genres and gender significantly influence outcomes, with certain genres enhancing or impairing attention and spatial skills differently for boys and girls.

Thompson, R., Heller, J., Curtis, N., Larsen, S., Shen, C., Smith, R. B., Thomas, M. S. C., Dumontheil, I., Toledano, M. (…)2026-09-16

📄 public and global health

Adversity and patterns of health visiting in England: Evidence from linked administrative data and expert-by-experience workshops

Using linked administrative data and expert workshops, this study found that health visiting services in England delivering high-intensity, age-distributed support across the 0–5 year range—rather than focusing primarily on babies—are associated with improved developmental outcomes and reduced inequalities for families facing adversity.

Mc Grath-Lone, L., Harron, K., Barlow, J., Bennett, S., Kendall, S., Kirman, J., Lamont, A., Liu, M., Saloniki, E.-C., W (…)2026-09-15

📄 public and global health

Are population-wide mass media campaigns still relevant in an era of low smoking prevalence? Insights from the Power to Quit campaign in England

The Power to Quit mass media campaign in England was associated with increased engagement in smoking cessation support, particularly among less advantaged adults and those who recognized the campaign materials, although these gains largely continued pre-existing upward trends in support uptake.

Jackson, S. E., Brown, J.2026-09-15

📄 public and global health

Language, perceived discrimination and barriers to complaint use: sub-Saharan African immigrants' healthcare experiences in Oslo, a qualitative interview study

This qualitative study of sub-Saharan African immigrants in Oslo reveals that while many perceive discriminatory healthcare encounters, barriers such as anticipated futility, emotional conservation, and procedural uncertainty prevent them from filing formal complaints, thereby masking systemic inequities and highlighting language accessibility as a critical determinant of accountability.

Taadi, P. K., Derman, B.2026-09-14

📄 public and global health

WITHDRAWN: Combined triglyceride-glucose and frailty index (TyGFI) and risk of endometrial cancer in U.S. women aged >=45: NHANES 2011-2018 analysis integrating data engineering and machine learning with logistic modeling

This withdrawn study analyzed NHANES 2011-2018 data to demonstrate that the combined triglyceride-glucose and frailty index (TyGFI) is significantly associated with endometrial cancer prevalence in U.S. women aged 45 and older, emerging as the dominant predictor in machine learning models with an AUC of 0.999.

Zhou, Y., Ma, J., Zhang, Y.2026-09-08

📄 public and global health

Early human capital, the COVID-19 food-insecurity shock, and adult mental health: a 22-year cohort study in Ethiopia, India, and Peru

This 22-year cohort study across Ethiopia, India, and Peru finds that while early childhood human capital does not predict adult mental health, household food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increases depressive and anxiety symptoms in young adults, highlighting the critical need to protect food security during economic shocks in low- and middle-income countries.

Diaz Flores, M. A., Jimenez Rivera, W. M., Pena Huaman, G. M., Romero Molina, U.2026-09-08

📄 public and global health

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health service utilization among patients with chronic non-communicable diseases in Ghana

This cross-sectional study of 844 Ghanaian patients with chronic non-communicable diseases reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced health service utilization, with a disproportionately higher impact observed in the non-epicentre Northern region compared to the epicentre Ashanti region, driven by factors such as age, income, disease duration, and health insurance status.

Tannor, E. K., Newton, S., Busse, R., Gatorwu, S., Safo, J. K., Adjei, R., Amuasi, J., Quentin, W.2026-09-08

📄 public and global health

Mapping national and subnational zero-dose prevalence and multidimensional inequities across 77 countries

This study analyzes data from 77 countries to reveal that zero-dose children are disproportionately concentrated in specific subnational areas and among multidimensionally disadvantaged groups, highlighting the need to move beyond national averages to target context-specific barriers for equitable immunization.

Huang, C., Chi, R., Gong, Y., Yan, C., De Broucker, G., Fang, H., Yin, X., Zhang, H., Patenaude, B. N.2026-09-07