Global Health Action最新文献

{"title":"A twinning initiative between midwife associations in Ghana and Sweden -A process evaluation study.","authors":"Hanna Fjellström, Emelie Sandberg, Johanna Blomgren, Malin Grahn, Fredrica Hanson, Netta Ackon, Gifty Baidoo, Louise Nordström, Malin Bogren","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2457824","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2457824","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study describes the evaluation of a twinning initiative between the Ghana Register Midwives Association and the Swedish Association of Midwives. Recognising the importance of midwives being supported by a national midwife association, the initiative was to strengthen the professional association in Ghana as a labour union and to inspire Swedish midwives to involve themselves in international work.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The study aimed to evaluate a twinning initiative between the Ghana Registered Midwives Association and the Swedish Association of Midwives.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Two focus group discussions and four individual interviews were held with nine midwives from the Ghana Registered Midwives Association (<i>n</i> = 6) and the Swedish Association of Midwives (<i>n</i> = 3). The interviews and analysis were guided by a process evaluation framework using content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The twinning initiative was successfully implemented regarding fidelity, dose, and reach, despite adaptations to the original project plan. Both associations gained visibility, with the Ghana Registered Midwives Association growing its paid membership by 97%, from 631 to 1,245 members during the twinning initiative. The results suggest that the Swedish Association of Midwives enhanced its understanding of international midwifery, promoted knowledge exchange, and raised awareness of midwives' global roles in improving care.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The Ghana Registered Midwives Association and the Swedish Association of Midwives had a positive experience with the twinning initiative, despite deviations from the original plan. Midwives from both associations benefitted from sharing best practices and mutual support in their roles as newly formed labour trade unions. These findings could benefit other midwife associations in future twinning initiatives.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2457824"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11792115/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143080951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Term stillbirths in Eastern Uganda: a community-based prospective cohort study.","authors":"Martin Chebet, Peter Olupot-Olupot, Andrew D Weeks, Ingunn Marie S Engebretsen, Noela Regina Akwi Okalany, Francis Okello, Thorkild Tylleskär, Kathy Burgoine, David Mukunya","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2024.2448895","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2024.2448895","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Every year, 1.9 million stillbirths occur worldwide, of whom 1.5 million occur in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Southeast Asia.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aims to determine the incidence and risk factors and to describe underlying causes for term stillbirths in Eastern Uganda.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a cohort study of pregnant women enrolled at 34 weeks of gestation or more and followed to birth between January 2021 and January 2024. Enrolment and follow-up were done in the community by trained midwives. Using structured questionnaires, details of maternal health, pregnancy and birth were captured.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We enrolled 6101 participants and analysed 5496 for incidence of term stillbirth and 5296 for risk factors. Of the participants, 4913/5296 (92.8%) were between 14 and 35 years, and 4456/5296 (84.1%) had a health facility birth. There were 101 term stillbirths (61 were intrapartum and 40 antepartum). The incidence of term stillbirth was 18.4 per 1000 births (95% CI 14.8 to 22.9). The most common underlying causes of stillbirth were prolonged or obstructed labour 32/101 (31.7%) and malaria 20/101 (19.8%). The factors associated with term stillbirths were caesarean birth (aRR 3.3; 95% CI 2.00 to 5.4), intimate partner violence (aRR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.8) and maternal age above 35 years (aRR 2.2; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.9).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Eastern Uganda has a high rate of term stillbirths with more than half occurring during labour. Efforts are needed to improve the quality of birth care and to prevent intimate partner violence.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2448895"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11792121/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Concepts of healthy and environmentally sustainable diets clash with a life in transition - Findings from a qualitative study in urban Burkina Faso.","authors":"Hannah Fülbert, Souleymane Zoromé, Roch Modeste Millogo, Ina Danquah, Alina Herrmann","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2457193","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2457193","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sub-Saharan African countries like Burkina Faso face a dietary transition and are experiencing a shift in disease burden.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>We explored perceptions of healthy and environmentally sustainable dietary habits in urban Burkina Faso in order to tailor nutritional interventions to the local population and ultimately improve public and planetary health.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted an exploratory qualitative study with semi-structured face-to-face interviews in three informal and two formal neighborhoods of Ouagadougou. The sample comprised 36 adult participants. The interviews were conducted in Mooré and French, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed inductively, using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants described their ideal healthy and environmentally sustainable diet as traditional, local, natural, pure, organic, and transparent in terms of food production, processing, and preparation. Perceived barriers to achieve such diets were: limited financial resources, reduced availability of products and limited time for food preparation. Furthermore, participants highlighted discordant food preferences in the family, and a lack of understanding around the interconnection between nutrition, health and the environment as barriers. Most of these barriers were aggravated by the experience of a life in transition due to modernizing lifestyles, globalizing food systems, and a changing environment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Participants' ideal of a healthy and environmentally sustainable diet clashed with a life in transition. To improve public and planetary health, interventions should aim to empower individuals, alleviate financial constraints, and shape global and local food environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2457193"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11823391/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143400449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Low-level viremia in people with HIV in Ethiopia is associated with subsequent lack of viral suppression and attrition from care.","authors":"Ilili Jemal Abdulahi, Per Björkman, Alemseged Abdissa, Patrik Medstrand, Anton Reepalu, Olof Elvstam","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2464342","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2464342","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Low-level viremia during antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been associated with inferior outcomes, but knowledge on the impact of low-level viremia in the current era of dolutegravir-based ART in low-income countries is limited.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate whether low-level viremia predicts virologic non-suppression and attrition from care in people with HIV receiving ART in Ethiopia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We included people receiving ART at public health facilities in an urban area in central Ethiopia and categorized persons with ≥1 available viral load 2019-2020 as having either suppression (<u><</u>150 copies/mL) or low-level viremia (151-1,000 copies/mL); people with >1,000 copies/mL were excluded. We used multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, ART regimen, type of health facility, and duration of ART to analyze the associations between viremia category and incidence of unsuppressed viral load (>1,000 copies/mL) and attrition from care (death or loss to follow-up) during 3 years of follow-up.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 12,165 participants, the median age was 44 years, 64.2% were female, and 89.1% received tenofovir/lamivudine/dolutegravir. Of the study population, 11,959 (98.3%) had suppression and 206 (1.7%) had low-level viremia. Over 3 years of follow-up, 2.2% of participants with suppression and 11.3% with low-level viremia had unsuppressed viral load. Low-level viremia was associated with both unsuppressed viremia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-6.2) and attrition (aOR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.7-6.6).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Among Ethiopian people with HIV receiving ART, low-level viremia predicted subsequent virologic non-suppression and attrition from care, supporting current recommendations for heightened attention to low-level viremia in ART recipients.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2464342"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11827032/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143411043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of HARP (The Health Access for Refugees' Project) on vaccine hesitancy in people seeking asylum and refugees in Northern England.","authors":"Marie-Clare Balaam, Melanie Haith-Cooper","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2457808","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2457808","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Evidence suggests that people who are asylum seekers and refugees experience poorer physical and mental health compared to the general UK population and poor outcomes from COVID-19 if unvaccinated. However, this population can experience vaccine hesitancy and other barriers inhibiting their up-take of the COVID-19 vaccine.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study explored the influence of HARP (Health Access for Refugees' Project) workshops on the intention to have the vaccine in people who are asylum-seekers and refugees.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative study including clients (asylum-seekers and refugees), volunteers and HARP staff was undertaken to explore perceptions of HARP workshops and their influence on the barriers to the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine including vaccine hesitancy. Semi-structured telephone interviews were undertaken with 10 participants, HARP clients (<i>n</i> = 1), HARP volunteers (<i>n</i> = 6, of whom 4 had been clients) and staff (<i>n</i> = 3). Data were thematically analysed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Intention to have the vaccine was influenced by trusted sources including peers and health professionals. Tailoring evidence-based information to individuals and challenging misinformation were important influencers on vaccine uptake. HARP activity increased the uptake of vaccines in large accommodation centres and hotels. Grassroots-level interventions such as HARP workshops appear to increase intention to take up the COVID-19 vaccine in asylum seeking and refugee communities.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This model could be adopted for health screening such as breast cancer and other vaccinations within asylum seeking and refugee communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2457808"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11792117/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feasibility and impact of a patient support group care model on diabetes and hypertension care in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya: a quasi-experimental study.","authors":"Richard E Sanya, Caroline H Karugu, Samuel Iddi, Peter M Kibe, Lilian Mburu, Lilian Mbau, Victor Kibe, Sloan Mahone, Naomi S Levitt, Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch, Gershim Asiki","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2482304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2025.2482304","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>A support group care model including self-financing is a promising strategy to improve care for patients with diabetes or hypertension in resource-constrained settings.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>We investigated the uptake, feasibility, and impact of a self-financing patient support group care model on cardiometabolic parameters among adult patients with uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A two-group prospective quasi-experimental study was conducted. The outcomes were changes in mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index, and waist-hip ratio in control versus intervention communities, assessed 6 months after intervention implementation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At baseline, 118 patients with diabetes (intervention, 60; control, 58) and 176 with hypertension (intervention, 87; control, 89) were enrolled. At endline, 81 patients with diabetes and 137 with hypertension were surveyed. In the intervention arm, HbA1c decreased from 10.8% to 9.0% (mean difference [95% CI]: -1.7 [-2.4, -0.9] <i>p</i> < 0.001) and in the control arm from 10.6% to 9.9% (-0.9 [-1.5, -0.3] <i>p</i> = 0.005). Difference-in-difference analysis showed a notably greater reduction in HbA1c in the intervention arm (-0.942 [0.463] <i>p</i> < 0.05). In the intervention arm, SBP decreased from 155.0 mmHg to 148.7 mmHg (-6.3 [-11.7, -0.9] <i>p</i> = 0.022) and in the control arm, from 160.1 mmHg to 152.5 mmHg (-7.6 [-12.9, -2.3] <i>p</i> = 0.005). DBP in the intervention arm changed from 99.1 mmHg to 97.9 mmHg (-1.1 [4.2, 1.9] <i>p</i> = 0.462) and in the control arm from 99.7 mmHg to 94.8 mmHg (-4.9 [7.8, -2.0] <i>p</i> = 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A self-financing patient support group care model is feasible, improves cardiometabolic parameters and can be a strategy to manage diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases in low-resource settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2482304"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143812772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring socio-economic dimensions in HIV research: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis (1992-2024).","authors":"Lyudmila Yermukhanova, Marat Kuzembayev, Akkumis Salkhanova, Nazerke Narymbayeva, Aigul Tazhiyeva, Dinara Nurgalievna Makhanbetkulova, Alireza Afshar","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2474787","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2474787","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The socio-economic burden of HIV infection remains a critical global health concern. This study was conducted to perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the socio-economic burden of HIV infection, highlighting research trends, collaboration networks, and the evolving focus on social determinants of health over the past 32 years. A systematic search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection databases, covering publications from 1992 to 2024. The analysis was performed using RStudio and Biblioshiny, focusing on 1,054 studies from 422 publications. This study revealed a steady annual growth rate of 16.72% in publications on the socio-economic burden of HIV from 1992 to 2024, with the USA and Canada leading in contributions. The University of Toronto emerged as the top institution, while 'social determinants of health' and 'HIV infections' were identified as pivotal research themes. Collaboration networks were predominantly among high-income countries, with limited engagement from high-burden regions like sub-Saharan Africa. Key journals, such as AIDS and Behavior, were identified as central to advancing the field. Thematic analysis highlighted a shift from biomedical to socio-economic factors, emphasizing the need for equitable global collaboration and research addressing disparities in HIV management. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of HIV socio-economic burden research, emphasizing the need for increased collaboration with high-burden regions and a continued focus on addressing social determinants of health in HIV management.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2474787"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11905308/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143606958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Workplace sexual harassment is associated with poor mental well-being among employees at a large Swedish university.","authors":"Frida Pilgaard, Per-Olof Östergren, Gisela Priebe, Anette Agardh","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2465050","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2465050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sexual harassment (SH) is a persistent problem at workplaces around the world, including academia.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study examines the association between SH and mental well-being among employees at Lund University (LU) in Sweden.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey targeting all LU employees in 2019. SH exposure was measured using a ten-item scale capturing SH experiences and enabling the differentiation between soliciting and non-soliciting types of SH. Validated instruments were used to measure two aspects of mental well-being; mental health (GHQ-12) and vitality (SF-36 vitality scale). Association between SH exposure and outcome variables was investigated through multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounders. Modifying effects of gender, age, background and academic position, respectively, on the relation between SH and outcomes were studied.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Workplace SH was associated with poor mental health (PMH) (OR 1.5 (95% CI 1.1-2.0)) and low vitality (LV) (OR 1.8 (95% CI 1.3-2.5)) among women and with LV (OR 2.0 (95% CI 1.1-3.9)) among men, after adjusting for confounders. Among women, experiences of non-soliciting and soliciting SH combined were associated with PMH and LV. Among men, experiences of non-soliciting SH behaviours exclusively were associated with LV. Indications of synergistic interaction affecting the association between SH and LV were found related to age, background and academic position, but not gender.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Workplace SH is a significant risk factor for poor mental well-being, primarily among female, but also among male university employees. These findings can inform local policies for prevention of SH.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2465050"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11841154/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143450632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sexual and reproductive health literacy of higher education students: a scoping review of determinants, screening tools, and effective interventions.","authors":"Nour Waleed Zuhair Alhussaini, Usra Elshaikh, Khadiga Abdulrashid, Sana Elashie, Noor Ahmed Hamad, Ghadir Fakhri Al-Jayyousi","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2480417","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2480417","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Health literacy is a determinant of overall health, particularly among college students who are at increased risk for negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Contextualized sexual and reproductive health education serves as an important protective measure for this population. This scoping review examines sexual and reproductive health literacy among college students to identify key determinants, screening tools, and effective interventions. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a comprehensive systematic search was conducted through PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases without restrictions to capture all publications related to health literacy of students of higher education from January 2013 to March 2023. Out of 4,526 articles identified in the initial search, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Most studies were cross-sectional and conducted in the USA. Sexual and reproductive health literacy was examined as both an outcome, influenced by factors like age, gender, religion, study area, sexual education, birthplace/region, and race/ethnicity, and as an exposure shaping knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding sexual and reproductive health. On the interpersonal level, family influence played a crucial role in shaping sexual and reproductive health literacy. The review also found correlations between health literacy and knowledge, attitudes, and practices, with technology-based interventions. Based on the findings, a conceptual model was developed. Research on sexual and reproductive health literacy remains limited, particularly in sensitive sociocultural contexts. Further studies are needed to explore the impact of sociocultural, religious, and environmental factors on young people's health literacy in order to inform more effective interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2480417"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11934179/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143671452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A study protocol for developing a spatial vulnerability index for infectious diseases of poverty in the Caribbean region.","authors":"Behzad Kiani, Beatris Mario Martin, Angela Cadavid Restrepo, Helen J Mayfield, Eloise Skinner, Ana Karina Maldonado Alcaíno, Eric J Nilles, Colleen L Lau, Benn Sartorius","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2461867","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2461867","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Infectious diseases of poverty (IDoP) affect disproportionately resource-limited and marginalized populations, resulting in spatial patterns of vulnerability across various geographical areas. Currently, no spatial indices exist to quantify vulnerability to IDoP at a fine geographical level within countries, such as municipalities or provinces. Without such an index, policymakers cannot effectively allocate resources or target interventions in the most vulnerable areas. This protocol aims to specify a methodological approach to measure spatial variation in vulnerability to IDoP. We will evaluate this methodological approach using surveillance and seroprevalence data from the Dominican Republic (DR) as part of a broader effort to develop a regional index for the Caribbean region. The study will consist of three main components. The first component involves identifying the relevant factors associated with IDoP in the Caribbean region through a scoping review, supplemented by expert-elicited opinion. The second component will apply a Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process to weigh the aforementioned factors and develop a spatial composite index, using open data and available national surveys in the DR. In the final component, we will evaluate and validate the index by analysing the prevalence of at least three IDoPs at a fine-grained municipal level in the DR, using seroprevalence data from a 2021 national field study and other national surveillance programs. The spatial vulnerability index framework developed in this study will assess the degree of vulnerability to IDoP across different geographical scales, depending on data availability in each country.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2461867"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11816615/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143392324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}