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.
The Community-Based Blood Pressure Group pilot intervention in Zimbabwe was highly acceptable and effective, significantly improving participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding hypertension while reducing the proportion of individuals with uncontrolled blood pressure.
A May 2024 baseline assessment of public healthcare facilities in Central Equatoria State, South Sudan, reveals that while essential Bellwether surgical procedures are performed, access to quality and affordable care is severely compromised by critical deficits in workforce, financing, and infrastructure, necessitating a national policy and strategic plan to address these gaps.
This study utilizing 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data reveals that among Hausa, Fulani, and Kanuri women in Northern Nigeria, ethnicity and rural residence are robust determinants of healthcare decision-making autonomy, persisting even after controlling for education and wealth, thereby indicating that economic interventions alone are insufficient to overcome entrenched socio-cultural barriers.
This study protocol outlines the AVATAR3 initiative, which aims to contextually adapt and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of the digital AVATAR therapy for distressing voices in Low- and Middle-Income countries through participatory implementation hubs in Ethiopia and India.
This longitudinal content analysis of over 41,000 free-text reports from the UK COPE study reveals that public concerns about COVID-19 evolved significantly over two years, shifting from a primary focus on harming others to a greater emphasis on personal harm, while overall concern levels declined and reflected changing perceptions of risk and responsibility.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.