📄 Category

public and global health

223 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.

Determinants of in-hospital mortality within 48 hours of admission to the Emergency and Urgent Care Department at University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia: a retrospective cross-sectional study

This retrospective study of 385 patients at Zambia's University Teaching Hospital identifies lower Glasgow Coma Scale scores, reduced pulse rates, and out-of-hours (00:00–07:59) admission as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality within 48 hours, highlighting critical areas for improving emergency care protocols in resource-limited settings.

Tambo, J. M.2026-05-12📄 public and global health

Estimated incidence and number of new cases with prenatal alcohol exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Finland 1990-2025

This study estimates that while prenatal alcohol exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) incidence in Finland have declined from the 1990s to the 2020s due to public health interventions, exposure remains common and the burden of FASD substantial, highlighting the need for continued biomarker-based research and strengthened prevention efforts targeting pre-pregnancy recognition.

Jolma, M., Koivu-Jolma, M., Gissler, M., Sarajuuri, A., Autti-Rämö, I.2026-05-12📄 public and global health

Multiplex Pan-Filovirus Assay Performance and Reproducibility Across Varied Geographical and Resource Settings

This study demonstrates that a multiplex pan-filovirus immunoassay yields highly reproducible and precise results across diverse laboratory settings in the US and DRC, validating its utility for serosurveillance, vaccine response assessment, and comparative serologic investigations.

Smith, O. A., Merritt, S., Kompany, J. P., Hoff, N. A., Wong, T. A. S., Kamara, V., Tambu, M., Halbrook, M., Kindrachuk, J., Barrall, A. L., Musene, K., Martin, S. A., Berestecky, J., Orr, R., Myers (…)2026-05-10📄 public and global health

Socioeconomic Inequalities and Environmental Determinants of Child Undernutrition in Cambodia: An Analysis of the 2021-22 Demographic and Health Survey

An analysis of the 2021-22 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey reveals that child undernutrition remains highly prevalent, with stunting, wasting, and underweight significantly driven by socioeconomic inequalities, poor environmental conditions, and specific child characteristics, underscoring the need for multisectoral interventions targeting complementary feeding, poverty reduction, and improved sanitation.

Um, S., Dany, L., Sakha, S., Pav, P., Phan, C., Chamroen, P., Sieng, C., Heng, S.2026-05-08📄 public and global health

Linking transmission dynamics and economic evaluation to assess schistosomiasis programme strategies across districts in Malawi

This study utilizes an integrated transmission and economic model across Malawi's 32 districts to demonstrate that while school-aged child treatment is highly cost-effective for morbidity reduction, community-wide mass drug administration is necessary for elimination and becomes cost-saving only in high-prevalence districts, highlighting the need for strategies tailored to local disease burden and programmatic goals.

Mangal, T. D., Colbourn, T., Phillips, A. N., Mfutso-Bengo, J., Mphamba, P., Mohan, S., Murray-Watson, R., Nkhoma, D., Janouskova, E., She, B., Revill, P., Hallett, T. B.2026-05-07📄 public and global health

Global Detection of Respiratory Illness Outbreaks inTravelers: A Statistical Approach using GeoSentinel Data

This study demonstrates that a hybrid autoregressive generalized linear mixed model combined with Shewhart control charts can effectively detect early respiratory illness outbreaks in international travelers using GeoSentinel data, even in the absence of reliable travel volume denominators, as validated by its successful identification of early COVID-19 signals in China during 2020.

Heidema, S., Stoepker, I. V., Leung, D. T., Piyaphanee, W., Chen, L. H., Diaz-Menendez, M., O'Laughlin, K., Libman, M., Hamer, D. H., van den Heuvel, E. R., Huits, R.2026-05-07📄 public and global health

Antimicrobial Stewardship Knowledge Gaps among Healthcare Professionals at a Ghanaian Tertiary Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Despite having generally positive attitudes and appropriate self-reported practices regarding antimicrobial stewardship, healthcare professionals at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana exhibit significant knowledge deficits, highlighting an urgent need for role-tailored, competency-based training to bridge the gap between favorable attitudes and evidence-based behaviors.

Kyei, B. K., Kyei, E. B., Addo, M. Y., Dugah, E., Adu, C. A. T., Yeboah, A., Kumatia, A. B. A.2026-05-06📄 public and global health

Client Awareness of a Specialised STI Wellness Clinic in Eswatini: Contextualised marketing for a stigma-free client-centred STI clinic.

This proposed cross-sectional study at Eswatini's LaMvelase STI Wellness Centre aims to evaluate client awareness, preferences, and perceptions of marketing strategies to optimize demand creation and improve sexual health outcomes in a high-prevalence setting.

Mafulu, Y. M., Ndlovu, P., Maseko, K. L., Williams, V., Ndabezitha, S., Gwebu, S., Matsenjwa, N., Mhlanga, N., Dube, N., Ndlovu, N., Deku, B.2026-05-06📄 public and global health

Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Comparative Analysis of Condom Use and STI Prevalence Among PrEP Users and Non-Users at a Specialised STI Wellness Clinic in Eswatini

This prospective cross-sectional study conducted at a specialized clinic in Eswatini aims to compare condom use patterns and STI prevalence between PrEP users and non-users to inform future public health strategies and optimize sexual health interventions.

Mafulu, Y. M., Williams, V., Ndlovu, P., Ndabezitha, S., Maseko, K. L., Ndlovu, N., Gwebu, S., Matsenjwa, N., Deku, B., Mhlanga, N., Dube, N.2026-05-06📄 public and global health

Pain across the lifespan: global and regional reference curves from 6.1 million individuals in 118 countries

This study establishes the first global reference curves for pain across the lifespan using data from over 6 million individuals, revealing that pain prevalence is highest in women and unexpectedly peaks in late life among low Human Development Index countries, with significant regional variations in the impact of modifiable risk factors.

Fillingim, M., Tanguay-Sabourin, C., Neuert, L., Zare, A., Norman, J., Guglietti, G. V., Hobeika, L., Ayorinde, A., Salimzadeh, A., Jamshidi, A.-r., Tehrani-Banihashemi, A., Olaya, B., Longo Mbenza, B (…)2026-05-05📄 public and global health