Annals of Global HealthPub Date : 2026-06-03eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.5334/aogh.5268
Shama Patel, Katherine O Robsky, Wenhui Mao, Umar Usman, Lorena Garcia, Olubukola Omobowale, Gugu Mchunu, Joowhan Sung, Gari Clifford, Anant Madabhushi, Azra Ismail, Saara Bidiwala, Seemab Mehmood, Christine Ngaruiya, Paul E Kilgore, Keith Martin
{"title":"Promise to Practice: Reimagining Artificial Intelligence for Equitable Global Health Impact.","authors":"Shama Patel, Katherine O Robsky, Wenhui Mao, Umar Usman, Lorena Garcia, Olubukola Omobowale, Gugu Mchunu, Joowhan Sung, Gari Clifford, Anant Madabhushi, Azra Ismail, Saara Bidiwala, Seemab Mehmood, Christine Ngaruiya, Paul E Kilgore, Keith Martin","doi":"10.5334/aogh.5268","DOIUrl":"10.5334/aogh.5268","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming health worldwide, yet its benefits remain unevenly distributed and insufficiently evaluated in real-world settings. Drawing on a structured narrative landscape review conducted by the Consortium of Universities of Global Health Research Committee's AI working group and deliberations from its 2025 pre-conference session (171 registrants), we synthesize AI applications across education, epidemiology, and clinical medicine, with an emphasis on data equity in global health. The review drew on peer-reviewed and gray literature across these domains and was synthesized thematically to identify implementation barriers, governance challenges, and equity implications. In conjunction with illustrative case studies, we identify five strategic imperatives: contextualized governance frameworks, equitable capacity-building, rigorous implementation and cost-effectiveness research, open knowledge repositories, and community-centered ethical design. We argue that AI must shift from technological optimism to locally led, evidence-driven, and equity-centered deployment. Without these paradigm shifts, AI risks reinforcing the very inequities it aims to solve.</p>","PeriodicalId":48857,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Global Health","volume":"92 1","pages":"51"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13239324/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148200840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annals of Global HealthPub Date : 2026-05-28eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.5334/aogh.5309
Marco Lizwan, Ling Zhu, Noah Tapaua, Antonia Zeng, Oriana Ng, Kim Chai Chua, Yeow Leng Chua
{"title":"Transitioning from Episodic Cardiac Missions to Sustainable National Cardiac Surgery Services in Papua New Guinea: A Mixed-Methods Programme Evaluation.","authors":"Marco Lizwan, Ling Zhu, Noah Tapaua, Antonia Zeng, Oriana Ng, Kim Chai Chua, Yeow Leng Chua","doi":"10.5334/aogh.5309","DOIUrl":"10.5334/aogh.5309","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background:</i> Access to cardiac surgery remains severely limited in many low- and middle-income countries, where care is often delivered through short-term missions or overseas referrals. Papua New Guinea (PNG) is undergoing a transition towards sustainable national cardiac surgical capacity. <i>Methods:</i> We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of a March 2026 Singapore-PNG cardiac surgery mission at Port Moresby General Hospital. Quantitative data were collected using Likert-scale surveys assessing key domains of mission performance. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings were used to identify pragmatic strategies to improve cardiac surgical delivery within existing system constraints. <i>Results:</i> Twenty-eight participants completed the evaluation. Overall mission experience was rated highly (mean 4.61 ± 1.07). Strengths included multidisciplinary collaboration, education and increasing local leadership. However, key challenges were identified in post-operative care (protocol clarity mean 2.86 ± 1.33), ICU coordination and supply chain reliability. Workforce gaps and communication inefficiencies further impacted care delivery. <i>Conclusion:</i> Mentorship-based cardiac missions can support local capacity development, but sustainable service delivery requires targeted improvements in post-operative care systems, workforce capability and operational processes. These findings highlight practical strategies to strengthen cardiac surgical services in resource-constrained settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":48857,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Global Health","volume":"92 1","pages":"50"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13220737/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148139496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annals of Global HealthPub Date : 2026-05-27eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.5334/aogh.5047
Kevin P Fiori, Alexander Plum
{"title":"New Pathways to Health Equity: How Implementation Science Can Lead Global Learning to Transform US Healthcare.","authors":"Kevin P Fiori, Alexander Plum","doi":"10.5334/aogh.5047","DOIUrl":"10.5334/aogh.5047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The US healthcare system, despite its resources, faces persistent health inequities. Paradoxically, highly effective, community-centric innovations often emerge from resource-constrained low- and middle-income countries. This paper describes how the field of global learning can be an approach for translating these global insights into actionable strategies and that implementation science (IS) provides a methodology to guide the process. Two case studies are described as examples: (1) the adaptation of Community Health Worker best practices from Togo to the Bronx, New York, to address local health disparities; (2) the localized, integrated care model at Michigan's Corner Health Center, which adopted principles from women's groups in India. By applying an IS framework to global learning innovations, the US can effectively adapt proven global solutions to close domestic health gaps and foster a more resilient healthcare system.</p>","PeriodicalId":48857,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Global Health","volume":"92 1","pages":"49"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13220738/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148139443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annals of Global HealthPub Date : 2026-05-26eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.5334/aogh.5189
Chul S Hyun
{"title":"Migration-Informed Cancer Equity: A Global Perspective.","authors":"Chul S Hyun","doi":"10.5334/aogh.5189","DOIUrl":"10.5334/aogh.5189","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Health equity is now a central aim of modern medicine, yet US cancer-prevention frameworks remain largely shaped by domestic policy histories and nationally bounded conceptions of disparity. While essential for addressing longstanding racial inequities, these frameworks often overlook malignancies driven by infection, geography, and early-life exposure-risks that are well characterized in global cancer epidemiology but imperfectly translated into domestic prevention strategies. As migration reshapes disease distribution, this misalignment leaves persistent gaps in the prevention of cancers such as gastric, liver, and cervical cancer among immigrant and diaspora populations. This perspective advances a migration-informed approach to cancer equity that integrates nativity, early-life exposure, and transnational determinants into prevention design. Using gastric cancer as a case study, we show how omission of migration-linked risk contributes to systematic under-recognition of high-risk populations in low-incidence countries, despite strong global evidence for effective prevention. Achieving meaningful cancer equity in the twenty-first century will require frameworks that extend beyond national borders and reflect how cancer risk is distributed in an increasingly mobile world.</p>","PeriodicalId":48857,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Global Health","volume":"92 1","pages":"48"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13220729/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148139504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annals of Global HealthPub Date : 2026-05-22eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4994
Bhakti Hansoti, Catherine Stodola, Smriti Ridhi, Binita Adhikari, Cyrus Engineer, Shelly Bratton, Caroline Carnevale, Julius S M Gilayeneh, Roma Chilengi, Sara Bennett
{"title":"National Public Health Institutes Organizational Strengthening Module Framework: Applying Organizational Development Principles.","authors":"Bhakti Hansoti, Catherine Stodola, Smriti Ridhi, Binita Adhikari, Cyrus Engineer, Shelly Bratton, Caroline Carnevale, Julius S M Gilayeneh, Roma Chilengi, Sara Bennett","doi":"10.5334/aogh.4994","DOIUrl":"10.5334/aogh.4994","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background:</i> National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) are government agencies that provide science-based leadership and coordination for public health functions. They are often formed by merging existing public health entities and functions found across and beyond the health sector, seeking to reduce fragmentation and enhance national preparedness and response. Their effectiveness depends on scientific rigor and sustainable capacity that can endure fluctuations in funding and priorities. <i>Objective:</i> To present the NPHI Organizational Strengthening Module (OSM) framework-a practical, adaptable set of tools designed to strengthen organizational design and performance management of NPHI's to institutionalize core public health functions and improve resilience and responsiveness to emerging health threats. <i>Methods:</i> The OSM framework originates from the field of organizational development (OD) and builds on approaches validated in business and public sectors. The framework is tailored to meet the specific OD needs of NPHIs and was developed through reviewing and adapting tools, combined with piloting of each module. <i>Findings:</i> The OSM framework includes a foundational public health function mapping activity and has six independent modules: strategy, partnerships, communication, workforce, finance, and governance-supported by a cross-cutting change management workstream. Each OSM consists of 3-4 concrete steps, beginning with a domain-specific assessment, followed by guided actions and best practices. OSMs are delivered through 3-6-month sprints, typically culminating in a 2-5-year strategy. Designed to engage senior leadership, the tools can be implemented virtually or in-person by internal staff or external facilitators. <i>Conclusions:</i> The OSM framework provides a systematic, evidence-informed approach to organizational strengthening for NPHIs. By focusing on strengthening the strategic and operational capacity of the organization, this approach supports NPHIs in becoming more effective and resilient stewards of national public health, capable of anticipating and responding to emerging health threats.</p>","PeriodicalId":48857,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Global Health","volume":"92 1","pages":"45"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13196681/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148018454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annals of Global HealthPub Date : 2026-05-18eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.5334/aogh.5251
Merve Demirci Atik, Nur Acar, Aylin Güngör Çifci, Arif Hikmet Çİmrİn
{"title":"Characteristics of Patients with Occupational Asthma in Türkiye, a Developing Country.","authors":"Merve Demirci Atik, Nur Acar, Aylin Güngör Çifci, Arif Hikmet Çİmrİn","doi":"10.5334/aogh.5251","DOIUrl":"10.5334/aogh.5251","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background:</i> Occupational asthma (OA) accounts for 10-25% of all adult-onset asthma cases. Prolonged exposure without avoidance worsens the prognosis of asthma. Diagnosis plays a key role in treatment by identifying risk factors and preventing exposure. Previous studies have shown that the most common causative substances may vary depending on the characteristics of each country, and these substances may result in different clinical presentations. This study aimed at evaluating the clinical features and characteristics of workplace exposures among OA patients diagnosed in an Occupational Disease Clinic in Türkiye. <i>Methods:</i> In this cross-sectional study, data were collected retrospectively from clinical records by three experts using a standardised data registration form. Descriptive statistics for OA cases were presented. The chi-square test and the Mann-Whitney <i>U</i> test were used for comparative analysis. <i>Results:</i> The mean time from symptom onset to OA diagnosis for 104 OA cases was nearly four years (46.75 months, ±56.20). High-molecular-weight (HMW) agents were responsible in 22.1% of cases. Skin prick test positivity and a history of atopy were significantly higher in individuals exposed to HMW agents (<i>p</i>-values: 0.008 and <0.001, respectively). One in five (20.2%) OA patients had exposure to metal dust, fumes or welding fumes, and two-thirds (67.3%) were employed in the industrial manufacturing sector. <i>Conclusion:</i> OA is underdiagnosed, particularly in developing countries, and recognition of occupational causality is often delayed. Metal exposure, as indicated by the results, can be a significant contributor to OA in Türkiye. Identifying exposure potentials in line with local economic characteristics may raise awareness.</p>","PeriodicalId":48857,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Global Health","volume":"92 1","pages":"44"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13196675/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148018470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annals of Global HealthPub Date : 2026-05-13eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.5334/aogh.5256
Estibel Dagne Mekonnen, Nigussie Adam Birhan, Denekew Bitew Belay
{"title":"Multilevel Analysis of Severe Anthropometric Failure among Under-Five Children in Benin: A Cross-Sectional Study Using 2017 to 2018 Demographic and Health Survey Data.","authors":"Estibel Dagne Mekonnen, Nigussie Adam Birhan, Denekew Bitew Belay","doi":"10.5334/aogh.5256","DOIUrl":"10.5334/aogh.5256","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background:</i> Child undernutrition remains a major global health challenge and a leading cause of child mortality in low- and middle-income countries. To our knowledge, the combined burden of severe malnutrition has not been assessed in Benin. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of severe anthropometric failure and identify associated risk factors among children under five in Benin. <i>Methods:</i> A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the BDHS 2017-18, including a weighted sample of 11,568 children under five years old. The Composite Index of Severe Anthropometric Failure (CISAF) was used to classify children based on severe stunting, wasting, and underweight. Multilevel logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with CISAF. <i>Results:</i> The prevalence of CISAF was 12.02%. Factors significantly linked to CISAF included children aged 12-23 months (AOR = 1.62), multiple births (AOR = 3.60), small birth size (AOR = 2.11), having diarrhea (AOR = 1.25), lack of improved water sources (AOR = 1.21), having healthcare access problems (AOR = 1.16), rich wealth index (AOR = 0.52), female children (AOR = 0.66), institutional delivery (AOR = 0.61), having media exposure (AOR = 0.83), urban residents (AOR = 0.85), and high community literacy level (AOR = 0.79). <i>Conclusions:</i> This study found that 12.02% of children under five experienced CISAF. To reduce this burden, stakeholders should expand access to maternal and child healthcare, improve access to safe water, strengthen poverty alleviation programs, and enhance community education and media-based health awareness.</p>","PeriodicalId":48857,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Global Health","volume":"92 1","pages":"43"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13178603/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147965049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annals of Global HealthPub Date : 2026-05-11eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.5334/aogh.5207
Virak Sorn, Ian L Rouse, Daravuthy On
{"title":"Hepatitis B Screening and Immunity Gaps in Cambodia: Should Vaccination Be Mandated for Healthcare Workers and Health Sciences Students?","authors":"Virak Sorn, Ian L Rouse, Daravuthy On","doi":"10.5334/aogh.5207","DOIUrl":"10.5334/aogh.5207","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major public health challenge globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination coverage remain suboptimal. In Cambodia, despite more than two decades of inclusion of HBV vaccination in the national immunization program, protective immunity among healthcare workers and health sciences students is not routinely assessed. This policy-oriented perspective examines gaps in HBV immunity among health sciences students. Recent screening data from a Cambodian medical university (2025) reveal that more than half of students lack protective anti-HBs antibody levels, potentially exposing both healthcare providers and patients to preventable transmission risks. This article argues that Cambodia should strengthen nationwide HBV screening and consider mandatory vaccination and booster policies for high-risk groups-particularly healthcare workers and health sciences students. Such measures represent pragmatic institutional safeguards that are critical to reducing occupational transmission, preventing long-term liver disease, and aligning national efforts with the World Health Organization's goal of eliminating HBV as a public health threat by 2030.</p>","PeriodicalId":48857,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Global Health","volume":"92 1","pages":"42"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13178602/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147965015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Social Determinants of Glaucoma Risk and Vision-Related Quality of Life in Rural Nigeria.","authors":"Neil Dogra, Adaora Mezu, BiancaRose Nnabue, Kelechi Mezu-Nnabue, Udo Ubani, Olachi J Mezu-Ndubuisi","doi":"10.5334/aogh.5123","DOIUrl":"10.5334/aogh.5123","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background:</i> Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. Late presentation is common in sub-Saharan Africa; however, most data on social determinants of glaucoma risk originate from high-income countries. We explored how socioeconomic status (SES) and barriers to care affect intraocular pressure (IOP) and vision-related quality of life (VR-QOL) in Imo State, Nigeria. <i>Objectives:</i> To assess relationships between SES, barriers to care, visual functioning, and glaucoma risk in rural Nigeria. <i>Methods:</i> Thirty-six adults at risk for glaucoma were recruited during a free outreach in South-East Nigeria. SES, VR-QOL, and barriers-to-care questionnaires were administered. Participants received medical exams with IOP measurement. <i>Findings:</i> Transportation source was the most consistent SES predictor of outcomes. Participants with more sophisticated transportation sources had lower IOP (<i>r</i> = -0.71 [95% CI: -0.92 to -0.17], <i>P</i> = 0.019, <i>n</i> = 11) and faced fewer barriers to care (<i>r</i> = 0.37 [95% CI: 0.04 to 0.63], <i>P</i> = 0.026, <i>n</i> = 36). Patients with fewer barriers presented with lower IOP (<i>r</i> = -0.72 [95% CI: -0.92 to -0.18], <i>P</i> = 0.018, <i>n</i> = 11) but longer intervals since their last doctor's visit (<i>r</i> = 0.35 [95% CI: 0.01 to 0.62], <i>P</i> = 0.036). Longer intervals since the prior doctor's visit correlated with worse VR-QOL in reading medicine and food labels (<i>r</i> = -0.39 [95% CI: -0.65 to -0.07], <i>P</i> = 0.017, <i>n</i> = 36). Female participants reported greater cost-related, distance-related, and overall barriers to care (<i>r</i> = -0.44 [95% CI: -0.67 to -0.11], <i>P</i> = 0.008). <i>Conclusions:</i> Transportation limitations and female sex were associated with greater clinical and functional burden. While fewer barriers correlated with lower IOP, longer gaps in care and poorer VR-QOL suggest persistent deficits in glaucoma awareness. Improving transportation access and community health education may support earlier detection and reduce glaucoma burden in rural Nigeria.</p>","PeriodicalId":48857,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Global Health","volume":"92 1","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13155092/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147870208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annals of Global HealthPub Date : 2026-04-20eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.5334/aogh.5198
Nicole C McCann, Jeanette L Kaiser, Nancy A Scott, Tamara Hafner, Andre Zagorski, Mohan P Joshi, Fozo Alombah, Allison Juntunen Morgan, José Antonio Requejo Domínguez, Veronika J Wirtz
{"title":"Fostering Local Ownership of Infection Prevention and Control Strategies: A Multi-country Program.","authors":"Nicole C McCann, Jeanette L Kaiser, Nancy A Scott, Tamara Hafner, Andre Zagorski, Mohan P Joshi, Fozo Alombah, Allison Juntunen Morgan, José Antonio Requejo Domínguez, Veronika J Wirtz","doi":"10.5334/aogh.5198","DOIUrl":"10.5334/aogh.5198","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background:</i> The United States Agency for International Development Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) program supported partner countries to implement infection prevention and control (IPC)-related programs. We evaluated the extent to which MTaPS-supported IPC programs fostered local ownership, such that members of local or national-level health systems had agency in developing and running programs. <i>Methods:</i> We surveyed three respondent groups involved in MTaPS IPC programs across eight African countries: (1) healthcare facility staff, (2) national-level stakeholders, and (3) MTaPS-contracted country implementers. Multiple-choice survey questions asked respondents to rate the quality of collaboration and capacity-building between their country and MTaPS, and the extent to which MTaPS fosters local ownership. Open-response questions inquired about factors that did or did not foster local ownership. We described the proportion of respondents reporting each multiple-choice response option, and conducted qualitative content analysis of open responses to generate themes about respondent perceptions of MTaPS support and local ownership. <i>Results:</i> We included 85 survey respondents: health facility staff (56%), MTaPS-contracted country implementers (29%) and national-level stakeholders (14%). Nearly all respondents rated the quality of MTaPS collaboration and capacity building \"good\" or \"excellent.\" Overall, 75%-92% of respondents rated the quality of MTaPS collaboration and capacity strengthening as \"mostly\" supportive of local ownership and 8%-25% rated it \"sometimes,\" supportive (0% selected \"rarely/never\"). Qualitatively, respondents described six activities as conducive to local ownership, including training, data collection/monitoring, stakeholder engagement, guideline/protocol standardization, creation/development of local committees, and supervision/mentorship/direct technical assistance. A reported barrier to MTaPS' support of local ownership was the inconsistent implementation of activities. <i>Conclusions:</i> IPC programs should continue to prioritize strategies for fostering local ownership, particularly as the funding landscape shifts. To increase IPC program sustainability in advance of future infectious disease threats, additional resources are needed to scale up activities perceived as conducive to local ownership.</p>","PeriodicalId":48857,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Global Health","volume":"92 1","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13109913/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147786477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}