📄 Category

public and global health

384 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

20+ years of mass drug administration against urogenital schistosomiasis on the Zanzibar islands: Is praziquantel still efficacious?

A longitudinal study conducted on Pemba Island between October 2024 and March 2025 found that praziquantel remains highly efficacious against urogenital schistosomiasis following over 20 years of mass drug administration, with egg reduction rates exceeding the WHO's 90% threshold, although efficacy was slightly lower and negatively associated with pre-treatment infection intensity in one school.

Knopp, S., van Dijk, N. J., Ndum, N. C., Pennance, T., Ali, M. N., Suleiman, K. R., Denwood, M., Juma, S., Ame, S. M., E (…)2026-08-14
📄 public and global health

Child disciplining practices and their association with child stunting in Rwanda: insights from a population-based study

A 2021 population-based study in Rwanda involving 601 mother-child pairs reveals that the use of physical and non-physical disciplining methods, particularly when combined, is significantly associated with an increased risk of child stunting, underscoring the need for positive parenting education and integrated child protection services.

Utumatwishima, J. N., Mogren, I., Elfving, K., Umubyeyi, A., Krantz, G.2026-08-13
📄 public and global health

Study Protocol: Risk and resilience factors in problematic internet use among Sami and non-Sami adolescents in Finnmark, Arctic Norway: the role of social norms and ethnic identity

This study protocol outlines a population-based cross-sectional survey in Finnmark, Norway, designed to investigate how social norms, ethnic identity, and discrimination influence problematic internet use among Sami and non-Sami adolescents, with the goal of informing culturally appropriate mental health interventions.

Hansen, S., Mollersen, S., Spein, A. R., Javo, A. C.2026-08-13
📄 public and global health

Evaluation and demonstration of a new tuberculosis diagnostic tool for Indonesia: Study protocol of the EVIDENT cluster randomised controlled trial

This paper outlines the protocol for the EVIDENT cluster randomised controlled trial in Indonesia, which aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-component public health intervention incorporating a new near-point-of-care tuberculosis diagnostic tool (MiniDock MTB) on sputum and tongue swabs to improve TB case detection and notification.

Afifah, N., Koesoemadinata, R. C., Ardiansyah, E., Wahyudi, K., Lestari, B. W., van Crevel, R., Graham, S., McAllister (…)2026-08-13
📄 public and global health

The benefits, harms, and cost-effectiveness of age-based and risk-stratified screening for prostate cancer with MRI

While MRI-first screening for prostate cancer can reduce overdiagnosis and improve health outcomes compared to PSA-based strategies, its high resource demands make risk-stratified approaches (using polygenic risk scores or PSA triaging) necessary to achieve both clinical and cost-effectiveness within the UK healthcare system.

Callender, T., Moore, C. M., Frangou, E., Emberton, M., Pashayan, N.2026-08-12
📄 public and global health

State-level trends in urban-rural differences in cigarette smoking in the United States

Using 2018–2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, this study reveals that rural adults in the United States consistently exhibit higher cigarette smoking rates than urban adults across most states, with disparities persisting or widening over time despite adjustments for demographic and educational factors.

Ulm, C., Golden, S. D., Hill, F., Wiesen, C. A., Mills, S. D.2026-08-10
📄 public and global health

Identifying Communities at Risk for Poor Health using Multidimensional vs. Unidimensional Neighborhood Disadvantage Indices

This study demonstrates that using a parsimonious, unidimensional neighborhood disadvantage or affluence index provides greater precision in identifying US census tracts with high disease burdens compared to a more complex multidimensional index, which was found to underestimate health risks in the most disadvantaged areas.

Clarke, P., Rollings, K., Melendez, R., Duchowny, K., Gypin, L., Noppert, G.2026-08-10
📄 public and global health

Detection and Genomic Characterization of Heartland and Bourbon Viruses in Amblyomma americanum ticks from Nebraska

This study reports the first detection and genomic characterization of Heartland and Bourbon viruses in Nebraska *Amblyomma americanum* ticks, utilizing whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to document the viruses' westward expansion alongside their host and reveal their evolutionary divergence from strains found in Missouri.

Pella, Z., Moody, J., Rodriguez, S. A., Chandler, S., Smith, H., Bartling, A. M., Herzog, K. S., Uhm, S. A., Stein, S. (…)2026-08-10
📄 public and global health

Safety and immunogenicity of recombinant hepatitis E vaccine in healthy pregnant women between 14 and 34 weeks of gestation and non-pregnant women of reproductive age: Protocol for a Phase II, randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled trial

This protocol outlines a Phase II, randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in Karachi, Pakistan, designed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the recombinant hepatitis E vaccine (Hecolin) in pregnant women between 14 and 34 weeks of gestation compared to non-pregnant women, aiming to address the critical lack of data regarding vaccine use in this high-risk population.

Song, K. R., Nisar, I., Lee, J., Yang, L., Kim, D. R., Riskiana, A., Telele, N. F., Hotwani, A. F., Ansari, N., Nausheen (…)2026-08-10
📄 public and global health

Who is and who is not attempting to quit smoking? A population study in Great Britain, 2020-2026

This 2020–2026 population study in Great Britain found that approximately 37% of adult smokers made a serious quit attempt in the past year, with higher odds associated with younger age, ethnic minority status, mental health conditions, use of nicotine replacement therapies or vapes, and strong motivation to stop, while lower odds were linked to older age, higher cigarette consumption, and riskier alcohol use.

Jackson, S. E., Robson, D. E., Brown, J., Notley, C. J., Garnett, C., Cox, S.2026-08-07