📄 Category

public and global health

433 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

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on childhood immunization coverage in Indonesia: lesson learned from a nationwide analysis of the Expanded Programme on Immunization

This nationwide analysis of Indonesia's Expanded Programme on Immunization reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant, uneven decline in childhood immunization coverage during its first year, particularly in districts with high infection rates and weak health system capacity, though coverage largely recovered by the second year.

Nurina, A., Puspaningrum, E., Tandy, G., Pattilima, D., Hegar, B., Wangge, G., Hamers, R., Elyazar, I., Surendra, H.2026-04-18
📄 public and global health

Understanding inequalities in COVID-19 vaccination between migrants and non-migrants in Germany: The role of psychological factors of vaccine behaviour

This study analyzes German data to reveal that psychological factors, particularly vaccine confidence, explain nearly two-thirds of the vaccination gap between migrants and non-migrants, though the specific drivers vary significantly by country of origin, necessitating tailored health communication strategies.

Bartig, S., Siegert, M., Hoevener, C., Michalski, N.2026-04-17
📄 public and global health

Ethnic and Social Health Inequalities in Body Mass Index Trajectories through Childhood and Adolescence: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study in Leicestershire UK

This longitudinal study of over 5,500 children in Leicestershire reveals that BMI trajectories diverge as early as age two, identifying South Asian ethnicity and socioeconomic deprivation as key risk factors for childhood-onset obesity and highlighting the critical importance of early-life interventions, including breastfeeding and physical activity, to address these health inequalities.

Leuenberger, L. M., Belle, F. N., Spycher, B. D., Goutaki, M., Lo, D. K. H., Gaillard, E. A., Kuehni, C. E.2026-04-17
📄 public and global health

Economic Burden and Return on Investment of Immunization Programs in Saudi Arabia: A Health Economic Evaluation

This health economic evaluation demonstrates that immunization programs in Saudi Arabia against measles, influenza, and pneumococcal diseases generate substantial economic benefits with a return on investment of 9.0, underscoring the critical value of sustained vaccination funding for reducing disease burden and enhancing national productivity.

Alshahrani, A. M., Ashour, A. m.2026-04-17
📄 public and global health

Baseline Assessment of Drug-Drug Interaction Knowledge Among Healthcare Providers in Kibaha, Tanzania

A baseline assessment in Kibaha, Tanzania, reveals that while professional training enhances healthcare providers' ability to recognize safe drug combinations, it fails to improve—and in some cases hinders—their capacity to detect potentially harmful drug-drug interactions compared to lay intuition.

Salim, A., Allen, M., Mariki, K., Pallangyo, T., Maina, R., Mzee, F., Minja, M., Msovela, K., Liana, J.2026-04-16
📄 public and global health

Accumulation of Benzalkonium Chloride from Disinfectants in Dust Associated with Increased Microbial Tolerance

This study demonstrates that benzalkonium chloride from disinfectants accumulates in household dust, where higher concentrations correlate with increased microbial tolerance, suggesting that indoor antimicrobial use may drive the development of microbial resistance.

Yu, J., Tillema, S., Akel, M., Aron, A., Espinosa, E., Fisher, S. A., Branche, T. N., Mithal, L. B., Hartmann, E. M.2026-04-16
📄 public and global health

The single item physical activity (SIPA) measure: a major role for global surveillance and community program evaluation

This study analyzes noise complaint data from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station to demonstrate that current annual noise models fail to capture the full scope of community impacts, revealing widespread negative sentiment, health concerns, and life disruptions driven by low-frequency noise and training schedules that necessitate improved metrics and operational adjustments.

Bauman, A., Owen, K., Messing, S., Macdonald, H., Nettlefold, L., Richards, J., Vandelanotte, C., Chen, I.-H., Cullen, B (…)2026-04-16
📄 public and global health

Adherence in Monitoring of ART response and turnaround time of results as per HIV viral load testing guideline among people living with HIV in Dar es salaam Region.

A 2021 cross-sectional study in Dar es Salaam reveals that adherence to national HIV viral load testing guidelines is suboptimal due to significant delays in sample collection and result turnaround, poor documentation, and challenges related to patient negligence and storage capacity.

Masegese, T., MUNG'ONG'O, G. S., Kamala, B., Anaeli, A., Bago, M., Mtoro, M. J.2026-04-16
📄 public and global health

Strengthening School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programme Implementation: Evidence from Expert Consensus in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Through a two-round Delphi study with 20 experts in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, this paper identifies critical priorities for strengthening school WASH implementation, including coordinated governance, dedicated funding, inclusive infrastructure, and menstrual hygiene management, to improve learner health and educational equity.

SERONEY, G. C., Magak, N. A. G., Mchunu, G. G.2026-04-16