Globalization and Health最新文献

{"title":"Do alcohol industry-funded organisations act to correct misinformation? A qualitative study of pregnancy and infant health content following independent analysis.","authors":"Gemma Mitchell, Chris Baker, May Ci van Schalkwyk, Nason Maani, Mark Petticrew","doi":"10.1186/s12992-025-01125-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-025-01125-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Access to reliable, accurate, and up-to-date health information is a crucial component of global population health. Like other health-harming industries, the alcohol industry is known to provide misinformation to the public, including on alcohol, pregnancy, and infant health. It is unknown whether industry information changes following independent public health analysis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We extracted data using the homepage, menu, and search tool functions (where available) from seven industry-funded charity and nonprofit company websites (Aware, South Africa; Drinkaware, Ireland; Drinkaware, United Kingdom; Éduc'alcool, Canada; DrinkWise, Australia; Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, United States; and International Alliance for Responsible Drinking) that have previously been found to misrepresent the evidence on alcohol, pregnancy, and infant health. We conducted a qualitative, thematic analysis using a published framework of 'dark nudges and sludge' misinformation techniques.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Omission of information, functionality problems, and the positioning and sequencing of information in ways that framed or obfuscated its meaning were the most common forms of misinformation identified. These types of misinformation were often mixed with (limited) relevant information and were most often found in combination. We found pregnancy and infant health information for the consumer on five of the seven websites studied (Drinkaware, Ireland; Drinkaware, United Kingdom; DrinkWise; Éduc'alcool; and Aware). Information on pregnancy and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder was found on these five sites, although they did not all provide information on miscarriage, breastfeeding, or fertility. We could not find any pregnancy and infant health information directed to the consumer on the remaining sites (Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility and International Alliance for Responsible Drinking). Six of the seven websites had a search tool function; these often produced irrelevant information.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Following independent public health analysis of their informational outputs, misinformation about pregnancy and infant health remains present on alcohol industry-funded websites. Warnings to the public to avoid alcohol industry-funded information sources should form an essential part of the global effort to tackle health misinformation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":"21 1","pages":"68"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12613373/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145503368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Constructing and contesting industry's role in multistakeholder governance: a qualitative analysis of responses to WHO consultations.","authors":"Amber van den Akker, Xinmei Sun, Britta K Matthes, Kathrin Lauber, Anna B Gilmore","doi":"10.1186/s12992-025-01159-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-025-01159-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Multistakeholderism as a norm stating that global public issues should be addressed by all those who affect or are affected by this issue, has become increasingly institutionalised in global governance, including the United Nations (UN) system. Despite an increasing body of evidence showing the risks of corporate capture of multistakeholder governance (MSG) and its related inability to deliver effective public health outcomes, this approach is increasingly common. While research shows that industry actors have pushed for MSG, and others have questioned its legitimacy, how MSG is constructed, legitimised and contested by different actors has not been systematically studied. Analysing responses to World Health Organization (WHO) consultations related to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and associated risk factors, this study examines how actors construct or contest the legitimacy of MSG to address these public health issues.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our analysis of 135 responses to 10 consultations revealed significant differences in how actors justified or contested MSG. Proponents of MSG, primarily industry-affiliated organisations, often cited industry expertise and resources as key justifications for a multistakeholder approach, in which they invariably included industry as a key stakeholder. Conversely, non-profit and academic respondents often argued against industry inclusion in MSG, referring to conflicts of interest, corporate capture of the policy process and the associated risks that MSG with industry actors poses to democratic and effective policymaking. While actors commonly invoked the same values (e.g., participation, effectiveness, fairness), they interpreted these differently, to argue for or against the inclusion of industry in MSG.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings underscore the contested nature of MSG, with actors calling on similar values and terminology to support fundamentally opposing positions. The ambiguity of concepts like participation, accountability and conflicts of interest may risk creating an opportunity for private sector interests to promote MSG as an ambiguous governance concept to fit their agenda. Given the normative role of WHO and other UN agencies in shaping what is considered 'good governance', it is essential for the WHO and other UN agencies to critically examine the evidence on multistakeholder approaches before deciding on its appropriateness and use unambiguous terminology when discussing their interpretation of the approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":"21 1","pages":"66"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12606952/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145494291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing 'connective tissue' in public-private partnerships: a stakeholder survey on multisectoral collaboration in global health.","authors":"Gavin Allman, Sumithra Krishnamurthy Reddiar, Carrie Ngongo, Meritxell Mallafré-Larrosa, Cristina Parsons Perez, Helen McGuire, Roberto F Iunes, Andrea Vassalotti, Kyle Peterson, Rachel Nugent","doi":"10.1186/s12992-025-01156-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-025-01156-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Public-private partnerships have the potential to advance solutions to complex dilemmas such as the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. Knowledge creation, trust, and social capital among partners - encapsulated in the term \"connective tissue\" - are key considerations for the cohesion and sustainability of multisectoral collaborative efforts in global health.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A survey was conducted with 23 stakeholders of projects in four countries supported by Access Accelerated, a collective of biopharmaceutical and life sciences companies. The survey elicited perspectives on the factors that strengthen collaboration and develop knowledge creation, trust, and social capital within the multisectoral partner network.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Survey respondents related how connective tissue was cultivated through implementation of multiple projects with shared goals. Identified barriers to effective collaboration included resource constraints, while facilitators included shared objectives and overlapping activities. Qualitative responses provide deeper understanding of how multisectoral collaboration contributed to the sustainability of the Access Accelerated initiative.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Measurement of connective tissue enhances understanding of project performance by addressing dynamic and previously overlooked outcomes of multisectoral collaboration. Multisectoral health initiatives can incorporate implementation science methods into measurement approaches to strengthen connective tissue among partners and stakeholders.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial number: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":"21 1","pages":"67"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12607086/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145494342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gaza's health emergency: impact of armed conflict and its global health repercussions.","authors":"Majid Ali, Inayat Ur Rehman, Kah Seng Lee, Long Chiau Ming","doi":"10.1186/s12992-025-01161-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-025-01161-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Gaza Strip, characterized by its dense population and persistent geopolitical instability, has experienced decades of armed conflict, resulting in systematic healthcare infrastructure deterioration. The healthcare delivery system has been collapsed by Israeli military operations, creating cascading effects that extend beyond regional boundaries. The medical facilities have been targeted, combined with humanitarian aid restrictions, has created unprecedented challenges in providing essential healthcare services to the affected population. The environmental degradation resulting from infrastructure destruction poses additional threats to regional and global health systems. This analysis examines the multifaceted health crisis encompassing healthcare system dysfunction, pharmaceutical supply chain disruption, infectious disease proliferation, and the consequent implications for global health security.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":"21 1","pages":"65"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12590689/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145451846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From zero-COVID to global alignment: transnational pressures and China's pandemic communication transformation.","authors":"Dandan Liu, Siti Ezaleila Binti Mustafa, Nor Zaliza Binti Sarmiti","doi":"10.1186/s12992-025-01155-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-025-01155-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Public health crises are governed not only through policies but also through talk. Government press conferences are ritualized arenas where authorities construct meaning, claim competence, and manage domestic and international legitimacy. China's abrupt transition from \"zero‑COVID\" to a strategy of coexistence provides a critical case for examining how transnational pressures-from the World Health Organization, diplomatic partners, markets, and global media-shape official communication over time.</p><p><strong>Main body: </strong>This study analyzes 154 central government press‑conference transcripts (February 2020-February 2023) using a mixed‑methods design that combines topic modeling with qualitative frame analysis and process tracing of international pressure events. We segment the period into four phases-International Scrutiny, Global Cooperation, International Isolation, and Global Alignment-and identify seven recurring frames spanning health‑system capacity, epidemiological standards, vaccine diplomacy, economic-health trade‑offs, supply‑chain interdependence, and policy adaptation. Event‑timing analysis shows a consistent lag of roughly 7-21 days between major international cues and subsequent adjustments in domestic frames, with the economic-health and policy‑adaptation frames most responsive. A micro‑level discourse analysis demonstrates \"semantic governance\": lexical substitutions (\"optimization,\" \"new phase\") and contextual recoding that converted a substantive policy reversal into a narrative of adaptive improvement. We argue that authorities achieved discursive alignment with evolving global norms without immediate policy convergence, illustrating how sovereignty sensitivities are managed communicatively. The findings also reveal equity‑relevant mechanisms: semantic smoothing that stabilizes compliance can under‑specify risks for vulnerable groups during transition windows, and generic references to \"key populations\" can displace time‑bound commitments to protection and access. Building on these insights, we propose two practical tools for global health governance: (1) an equity checkpoint for each policy pivot (plain‑language risk summaries, service guarantees, and a short equity note), and (2) a discursive alignment dashboard that tracks lead-lag to international guidance, domain‑specific alignment, and semantic markers of convergence or divergence.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Pandemic communication in China followed a cyclical frame‑reinforcement pattern rather than a linear arc, and relied on semantic governance to manage rapid policy change under transnational pressure. Recognizing and monitoring these communicative mechanisms can strengthen global health governance and reduce equity risks during future protracted emergencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":"21 1","pages":"64"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12584499/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145444628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The return of Chinese nurses from overseas (2009-2023): a mixed-method study on influencing factors.","authors":"Xinyi Liao, Shuting Li, Mengqi Li, Jun Wang, Jushuang Li, Huaping Liu, Ling Wang, Lili Fu, Chunli Zhang, Mengdie Li, Lina Yi, Chun Hao","doi":"10.1186/s12992-025-01157-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-025-01157-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The shortage of nurses poses a growing threat to global healthcare quality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Out-flow of nurses from these regions to developed countries exacerbates the global imbalance in nursing resources. However, some nurses decide to return home after gaining experience abroad. Understanding their motivations, challenges, and opportunities can offer valuable insights for China and other nations facing similar challenges.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were collected from October to November 2023, with a mixed-methods research design. Trends and the distribution of returning nurses were visualized. Cox proportional hazards regression and subgroup analyses were used to examine the relationship between associated factors and return rate. Qualitative data, gathered through semi-structure interview, were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>29.69% participants have returned to China, with the cumulative incidence of return was 47.01% (95% CI 37.96%-57.04%) after 13 years, varying by destination. In the multivariable Cox model, factors like age 30-39 (adjusted HR [aHR] = 0.48, 95%CI 0.31-0.74), advanced language proficiency (aHR = 0.30, 95%CI 0.14-0.64), and average annual income abroad of $50,000: $100,000 (aHR = 0.32, 95%CI 0.20-0.52) and over $100,000 (aHR = 0.52, 95%CI = 0.33-0.83) were independently associated with return rates. Interviews with returning nurses revealed three main themes: (1) challenges faced overseas, mainly language barriers; (2) reasons for return, particularly family considerations; and (3) challenges and opportunities after returning, with better chance in private hospitals as a notable subtheme.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of Chinese nurses returning from abroad, revealing that nearly 30% returned, mainly due to family considerations. More skilled nurses, with international licenses and higher incomes, tend to stay abroad. Most of these returning nurses secure employment in private hospitals, while reintegration into public hospitals proves challenging. The study indicates the potential to leverage returning nurses' global expertise to enhance China's healthcare system.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":"21 1","pages":"63"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12581604/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145437875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food additives in Latin America: a descriptive analysis of the packaged food supply in five countries.","authors":"Camila Zancheta, Mariana F Grilo, Salvador Ayala, Ana Clara Duran, Daniela Canella, Mercedes Mora, Victoria Abril-Ulloa, Lizbeth Tolentino-Mayo, Marcela Reyes, Camila Corvalan","doi":"10.1186/s12992-025-01130-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-025-01130-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Latin America is distinguished by diverse regulatory frameworks and evolving dietary patterns, including the weakening of traditional diets and the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Predominantly produced by transnational corporations, UPFs rely heavily on food additives to achieve desirable sensory properties (e.g., flavor, color), ensure food safety, and extend shelf life. ​Over the past decade, research has increasingly shown that higher consumption of UPFs is associated with poor health outcomes, and food additives have emerged as a potential mechanism underlying this association. However, few studies have systematically analyzed the presence of food additives in the food supply. This study aimed to assess the distribution and patterns of food additives in packaged foods from five Latin American countries.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were obtained from packaged foods and beverages sold in supermarkets in Brazil (2017; n = 9,673), Mexico (2017; n = 15,846), Chile (2018; n = 13,913), Colombia (2018; n = 8,282), and Ecuador (2019; n = 2,083). We used the list of ingredients to search for food additives described in the Codex Alimentarius. We assessed the prevalence of specific food additives, categorized their functional classes, and applied exploratory factor analysis to identify patterns of food additive use, overall and in each country.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Food additives were present in over 75% of the studied products, ranging from 76.1% in Colombia to 84.0% in Ecuador. Food categories with the highest prevalence of additives (> 90%) included confectionery, dairy products, bakery items, and meat products. Most products contained two or more additives (64.3%); nearly 10% contained ten or more. We observed consistent results on the most used additives (i.e., flavorings, citric acid, phosphates, and lecithin) and patterns of food additives used across countries, although differences were observed in the use of specific additives, particularly low-calorie sweeteners and colorings.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Food additives are widely used in the packaged food supply of Latin American countries, and variations in the use of specific food additives likely reflect differences in regulatory frameworks, industry practices, and consumer preferences across countries. Given the increasing concern about the potential health effects of food additives, there is an urgent need to strengthen monitoring efforts and further investigate population-level exposures and associated health outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":"21 1","pages":"62"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12581231/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145437863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global market trends and financial performance of the corporate fast-food industry and their potential contributions to diets high in meat and ultra-processed foods.","authors":"Katherine Sievert, Tanita Botha, Benjamin Wood, Phillip Baker, Tailane Scapin, Gary Sacks","doi":"10.1186/s12992-025-01158-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-025-01158-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The fast-food industry has transformed substantially in recent decades - from diverse, locally rooted providers into a globalised, and increasingly corporate-led industry. Corporate fast-food retailers (FFRs) represent a key retail channel through which both ultra-processed foods and intensively produced animal source foods are consumed and normalised within corporate-industrial food systems. These dietary patterns are strongly associated with increased risks of diet-related diseases and contribute significantly to environmental degradation, including greenhouse gas emissions, land use change, and biodiversity loss. Despite the growing significance of FFRs, there has been limited analysis of their financial strategies and implications for global food system transformation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We conducted a global analysis of market data from 54 countries and financial data of publicly listed FFRs, examining trends in FFR sales (2009-2023), market dominance, and the financial performance of leading publicly listed firms (1980-2023). We found that while sales in high-income countries were stagnating, leading firms maintained stable net profit margins and delivered relatively high shareholder returns, facilitated by financial strategies such as franchising and private equity ownership. U.S.-based corporations dominated the global market, with substantial expansion into countries outside the global North. These trends reflect the consolidation of power within the corporate food regime.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The global expansion of corporate FFRs underscore their growing influence over diets and food systems, with critical implications for public health, ecological sustainability, and social justice. Policies targeting structural leverage points, for example, democratising corporate governance, reducing the influence of private equity, and re-orienting agri-food subsidies, are essential to countering the entrenchment of this model and supporting more democratic and sustainable food systems.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial number: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":"21 1","pages":"60"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12577348/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145421230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Women's views about the use of gendered Corporate Social Responsibility strategies by harmful industries.","authors":"Monique Murray, Hannah Pitt, Simone McCarthy, Grace Arnot, Samantha Thomas","doi":"10.1186/s12992-025-01152-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-025-01152-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are part of a suite of marketing and promotional strategies used by industries whose products and/or practices may be harmful to health and equity. These include the tobacco, alcohol, gambling, fossil fuel and pharmaceutical industries. CSR initiatives have included support for gender equity and empowerment initiatives, such as associations with women's organisations and charities, educational activities, and sports. Limited research has qualitatively investigated women's perceptions of these types of gendered CSR initiatives, including their opinions about appropriate public health and policy responses.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study sought the opinions of n=506 Australian women, aged 18 years and over. Data was collected through an online qualitative survey. Participants were asked about the CSR strategies of a range of harmful industries, including gendered marketing, sponsorship of women's sport, and support for women's causes. Data were interpreted using a reflexive approach to thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three themes were constructed from the data. First, while participants acknowledged that CSR was a profit-making tactic used to enhance the image of harmful industries and mitigate reputational risk, they also thought there could be benefits associated with some CSR strategies - particularly related to women's sport. Second, while many women perceived that CSR strategies could positively influence women's views about harmful industries, others felt women needed to take responsibility for engaging with messages from these industries. Finally, while participants supported increased government regulation of harmful industry promotional tactics, they also recommended educational initiatives to expose industry tactics, and increased responsibility from organisations partnering or taking funding from these industries.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The insights from this study contribute to the growing evidence about the influence of the corporate tactics of industries who are harmful to women's health and equity. While mapping and monitoring of marketing tactics are essential in public health arguments for regulatory reform of these practices, this study shows the important role that community opinions play in understanding the impact of these tactics, and public expectations of policy and public health actions to prevent harms. There is broad support for increased government regulation, and independent education initiatives focused on exposing industry tactics.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial number: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":"21 1","pages":"61"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12577066/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145421308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"China's COVID-19 aid in Africa: trends and implications for future pandemic preparedness.","authors":"Julia Hudson, Raghav Venkataramani, Sailor Miao, Julius N Odhiambo","doi":"10.1186/s12992-025-01153-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-025-01153-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chronic underfunding of pandemic preparedness remains a critical weakness in global health security. Without sustained, strategic investment, the world risks repeating the reactive approaches of past crises. This study examines the modes of COVID-19 aid delivered by the Chinese government across African countries and regions, offering a nuanced understanding of China's operational role in pandemic response. In doing so, it contributes to the global health assistance literature by providing a more comprehensive view of China's involvement in the prevention, treatment, and control of COVID-19.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analysis of 727 Chinese health-related project commitments to African countries indicates that the majority targeted the provision of personal protective equipment (43.33%), followed by diagnostic and medical equipment (26%), and vaccination initiatives (17.88%). Regionally, Southern Africa received the highest average number of projects per country, while Northern Africa received the lowest. At the national level, South Africa (5.09%), Zimbabwe (4.00%), and Cameroon (3.85%) accounted for the largest shares of total projects, whereas Eritrea (0.001%), Cabo Verde (0.004%), and Somalia (0.004%) received the smallest proportions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This research reveals the growing significance of Chinese aid in the global health agenda through its active role in combating COVID-19 across the African continent. It also highlights emerging trends and suggests potential adjustments needed in pandemic financing strategies for more effective future efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":"21 1","pages":"59"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12551319/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145367921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}