📄 Category

public and global health

432 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

Formative Evaluation to Inform Recruitment and Engagement Strategies for emergency activation of blood donors in Nimba County, Liberia

This formative evaluation conducted in Nimba County, Liberia, utilized semi-structured interviews to identify key motivations, barriers, and strategic preferences among family replacement and paid blood donors, revealing that while health concerns and logistical challenges hinder the formalization of civilian walking blood banks, targeted community outreach and sustained engagement with existing donors could effectively enhance the local blood supply.

Ridge, L. J., Barnes, L., Lori, J. R., Kennedy, S. B., Ware, R., Subah, O., Zeantoe, G. C.2026-10-28
📄 public and global health

Association between Blood Lead Levels and Anaemia in a Pregnant Population in the Kintampo Area of Ghana: A Prospective Cohort Study

This prospective cohort study of 300 pregnant women in Ghana's Kintampo area found that while both anaemia and blood lead levels increased significantly across trimesters, there was no statistically significant association between elevated lead exposure and anaemia, suggesting that anaemia in this population is driven by factors other than lead.

Agyemang, V., Addai-Mensah, O., Boateng, L. A., Sackey, B., Dosoo, D., Adu-Gyasi, D., Gyasi-Konadu, D., Adjei, I. A., Fe (…)2026-10-26
📄 public and global health

Kidney research (APOL1 and FSGS) violates new ethics of 'race': Medicontextualism debunks bad science undermining healthcare

This paper argues that disparities in kidney disease previously attributed to biological race are actually driven by structural racism and unequal social conditions, proposing a "medicontextualism" framework that debunks race-based science and advocates for a structural-racism polygenic risk score to guide equitable healthcare.

Burke, C. O., Tanzer, J. R., Burke, L. M.2026-10-25
📄 public and global health

Long-term retention and associated factors among volunteer community health workers in southwestern Uganda: a 17-to-21-year retrospective cohort study

This 17-to-21-year retrospective cohort study in southwestern Uganda reveals that over 60% of volunteer community health workers remained active after nearly two decades, with peer support and consistent access to reporting tools identified as the strongest modifiable factors driving their long-term retention.

Byamugisha, E., Kanyesigye, H., Kyomuhangi, T., Atukunda, G., Brenner, J., Kabakyenga, J.2026-10-23✓ Author reviewed ⓘ
📄 public and global health

Nicotine pouch use for smoking cessation in Great Britain: real-world effectiveness, trends, and user characteristics, 2021-2026

Between 2021 and 2026, nicotine pouch use as a smoking cessation aid in Great Britain rose substantially, particularly among young men, and while its overall impact on quit success remains uncertain, it was associated with higher success rates specifically among users who did not concurrently use e-cigarettes.

Jackson, S. E., Tattan-Birch, H., Sun, H., Cox, S., Oldham, M., Brown, J.2026-10-23
📄 public and global health

Shared Data As a Mechanism for Integration between Housing and Health Sectors: A Qualitative Interview Study in the UK

This UK-based qualitative study identifies six models of cross-sector data sharing between housing and health, concluding that successful integration relies not just on digital infrastructure but also on the essential relational, organizational, and ethical work required to legitimize and operationalize these data exchanges.

Adegboye, O., Wyke, E., Ali, S., Veltman, J., Sheringham, J.2026-10-22
📄 public and global health

Impact of air pollution and tobacco smoke on the placental small non-coding RNA landscape

This study comprehensively characterized the placental small non-coding RNA landscape in 390 samples and identified specific smoking-associated alterations, particularly the downregulation of miR-421 and upregulation of imprinted DLK1-DIO3 locus snoRNAs, while finding no statistically significant associations with air pollution after multiple-testing correction.

Falcon-Gracia, A., Vespalcova, H., Peligri, D., Aguilar-Lacasana, S., Pantano, L., Nurtdinov, R. N., Garcia, Z., Domingu (…)2026-10-19
📄 public and global health

Burden and factors associated with hospitalization among patients with chronic Diseases at a tertiary Hospital in Wolaita Zone, South Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional study

This cross-sectional study at a tertiary hospital in Wolaita Zone, South Ethiopia, reveals a high burden of hospitalization among chronic disease patients driven primarily by drug discontinuation, with male sex identified as a risk factor and regular physical exercise as a protective factor.

Koyra, H. C., Belete, Y. W., Kanche, Z. Z., Desalegn, Z., Koyra, M. M.2026-10-16