{"title":"Public health round-up.","authors":"","doi":"10.2471/BLT.25.010725","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.25.010725","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":"103 7","pages":"416-417"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231069/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590503","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}
Nicholas Chartres, Quinn Grundy, Fiona A Miller, Björn Beeler, Tracey J Woodruff
{"title":"Negotiating the plastics treaty to protect health and the environment.","authors":"Nicholas Chartres, Quinn Grundy, Fiona A Miller, Björn Beeler, Tracey J Woodruff","doi":"10.2471/BLT.25.294144","DOIUrl":"10.2471/BLT.25.294144","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":"103 7","pages":"414-414A"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231067/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590502","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}
Fiona E Douglas, Chirag Shroff, Richard Meiser-Stedman
{"title":"Treatment of children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress in humanitarian crises: systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Fiona E Douglas, Chirag Shroff, Richard Meiser-Stedman","doi":"10.2471/BLT.24.292608","DOIUrl":"10.2471/BLT.24.292608","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To assess the effectiveness of mental health and psychosocial support interventions for addressing post-traumatic stress symptoms in children and adolescents in humanitarian settings, with separate analyses of targeted and universal interventions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We systematically searched MEDLINE, Web of Science, PTSDpubs and PsycInfo databases for relevant randomized controlled trials that involved individuals aged 18 years or younger in humanitarian settings and compared psychological interventions with passive controls. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed separately for interventions targeted to specific symptoms and for more general universal interventions. The review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023434878).</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>The meta-analysis included 16 trials of targeted interventions (<i>n</i> = 2356) and 11 of universal interventions (<i>n</i> = 3378) that met inclusion criteria. Children and adolescents who received targeted interventions reported significantly fewer post-traumatic stress symptoms after the intervention than controls. These positive effects were sustained at follow-up. Benefits were also observed for depressive symptoms. In addition, universal interventions were associated with significantly fewer post-traumatic stress symptoms. Moderator analyses showed that outcomes were not significantly influenced by country income level, the use of lay or professional therapists, or whether trauma was caused by human-made or natural disasters. However, considerable heterogeneity and a high risk of bias were noted across studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Both targeted and universal mental health and psychosocial support interventions were associated with fewer post-traumatic stress symptoms among children and adolescents in humanitarian settings compared with passive controls. As interventions delivered by non-specialists were also successful, task-sharing could be considered where resources are scarce.</p>","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":"103 7","pages":"445-461"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231071/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590505","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}
Aklilu Azazh, Jacinta Nzinga, Joseph Ngonzi, Kidist Bartolomeos
{"title":"Local capacity for policy development and implementation.","authors":"Aklilu Azazh, Jacinta Nzinga, Joseph Ngonzi, Kidist Bartolomeos","doi":"10.2471/BLT.25.294222","DOIUrl":"10.2471/BLT.25.294222","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":"103 7","pages":"415-415A"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231077/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590500","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}
Karen Blaney, Luke Cardamone, Naomi E Clarke, Mark J Hayes, Michael Muleme, Bridgette J McNamara, Edura Jalil, Storm Holwill, Chuan Kok Lim, Helen O'Brien, Elly Layton, Alexander Fidao, Sally Salmon, Rebecca Kinnear, Mark Ford, Mohammad Akhtar Hussain, Eugene Athan
{"title":"Responding to avian influenza in poultry farms in Victoria, Australia.","authors":"Karen Blaney, Luke Cardamone, Naomi E Clarke, Mark J Hayes, Michael Muleme, Bridgette J McNamara, Edura Jalil, Storm Holwill, Chuan Kok Lim, Helen O'Brien, Elly Layton, Alexander Fidao, Sally Salmon, Rebecca Kinnear, Mark Ford, Mohammad Akhtar Hussain, Eugene Athan","doi":"10.2471/BLT.24.292748","DOIUrl":"10.2471/BLT.24.292748","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To describe a multi-agency public response to an outbreak of avian influenza virus in poultry farms in Victoria, Australia, in 2024.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>After detecting an outbreak of high-pathogenicity avian influenza at a poultry farm and notifying the Victorian health department, Agriculture Victoria identified a further seven infected premises through tracing and surveillance activities. Testing at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness identified high-pathogenicity H7N3 at seven premises in the Golden Plains Shire, and high-pathogenicity H7N9 at a property in the Terang region in the Corangamite Shire. The Victorian health department established a multi-agency incident management team, and we defined, identified and managed contacts and suspected cases. Public health actions included influenza vaccination, antiviral prophylaxis, active surveillance of high-risk contacts, and supporting infection prevention and control measures.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>We identified a total of 212 (165 high- and 47 low-risk) unique human contacts with residence locations spread across 25 local government areas. We identified 20 suspected cases from six of the eight infected premises, all of whom tested negative for influenza A. Of the 172 unique high-risk contacts and suspected cases, local health services and clinics reported that 19.2% (33) received antiviral medication and 27.3% (47) received the seasonal influenza vaccine.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our rapid, coordinated, multi-agency response was a success; however, governments, agricultural industries and health workers must strengthen preparedness and response strategies across national, state, regional and local levels to improve surveillance, foster collaboration and address gaps in preventive health care.</p>","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":"103 7","pages":"437-444"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231074/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590504","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}
Toshiaki R Asakura, Sung-Mok Jung, Hiroaki Murayama, Cyrus Ghaznavi, Haruka Sakamoto, Ayaka Teshima, Fuminari Miura, Akira Endo
{"title":"Modelling international spread of clade IIb mpox on the Asian continent.","authors":"Toshiaki R Asakura, Sung-Mok Jung, Hiroaki Murayama, Cyrus Ghaznavi, Haruka Sakamoto, Ayaka Teshima, Fuminari Miura, Akira Endo","doi":"10.2471/BLT.24.291815","DOIUrl":"10.2471/BLT.24.291815","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To understand and simulate international spread of the disease mpox, considering variations in sexual activity levels and international travel among men who have sex with men.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed a mathematical model that considers differing sexual networks and the volume of international travel among men who have sex with men, calibrated to disease incidence data in Japan. We then used our model to simulate the potential international spread of mpox across 42 countries and territories on the Asian continent, assuming Japan as the origin of spread.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Our simulations identified countries and territories at a high risk of mpox introduction, many being low- and middle-income countries and territories in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions. We found that the simulated risk of importation gradually shifted over time from the Western Pacific to the South-East Asia region, and later to the Eastern Mediterranean and European regions. This simulated pattern broadly aligns with actual mpox spread patterns observed between 2023 and 2024.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our multicountry model for mpox outbreaks can help project the possible trajectory of mpox spread across countries and territories on the Asian continent. Our findings warrant global efforts to contain mpox outbreaks, particularly support for low- and middle-income countries and territories which are at higher risk of introduction, so that the risk of continued spread across the Asian continent and beyond is reduced.</p>","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":"103 7","pages":"429-436"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231075/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590501","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}
Emmanuel Grellety, Erica Simons, Mathilde Mousset, Thomas Roederer, Avilah-Phrygie Amakade-Woyengba, Sabino Malwal, Olatunji Joyce Adebayo, Bérengère Guais, Michel O Lacharité, Guyguy Manangama, Nafisa Sani Nass
{"title":"Diagnostic criteria for severe acute malnutrition and fatal outcomes in children aged 6-59 months, Nigeria.","authors":"Emmanuel Grellety, Erica Simons, Mathilde Mousset, Thomas Roederer, Avilah-Phrygie Amakade-Woyengba, Sabino Malwal, Olatunji Joyce Adebayo, Bérengère Guais, Michel O Lacharité, Guyguy Manangama, Nafisa Sani Nass","doi":"10.2471/BLT.24.292143","DOIUrl":"10.2471/BLT.24.292143","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To determine factors associated with inpatient death among a cohort of children aged 6-59 months with severe acute malnutrition in north-western Nigeria.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Our observational study used routine programmatic data of all children aged 6-59 months admitted to two inpatient facilities in Katsina State with severe acute malnutrition in 2022. We assessed nutritional status at admission by weight-for-height z-score (WHZ), mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) and bilateral nutritional oedema using World Health Organization definitions. We used Cox-proportional hazard models to identify predictors of mortality, with and without adjustment for sex, age group, nutritional status at admission, major clinical complications and comorbidities.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Of 12 771 children included in the analysis, we observed an overall inpatient mortality of 8.4%. Compared with children admitted by the MUAC criterion alone, we noted that children admitted by the WHZ criterion alone had twice the risk of death; children admitted with kwashiorkor and low WHZ had more than four times the risk. Older children with marasmus had a higher risk of death than younger children (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.74; 95% confidence interval: 1.50-2.03). We did not observe any significant association between stunting and mortality. Our findings were not altered by any of the complications or comorbidities recorded.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Children with a low WHZ at admission have a higher risk of death than those with a low MUAC, and should be subject to special considerations when associated with oedema. MUAC alone is an insufficient criterion to identify all the children at risk of death from malnutrition.</p>","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":"103 7","pages":"418-428"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231070/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590498","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}
Ashira Menashe-Oren, Martin Nyahoda, Romesh Silva, Martin Bratschi, Ruxana Jina, Philip W Setel, Adam Karpati, Bruno Masquelier, Petra Nahmias, Afsaneh Yazdani, Tanja Sejersen, Haoyi Chen, Stephane Helleringer
{"title":"Improving the measurement of adult mortality.","authors":"Ashira Menashe-Oren, Martin Nyahoda, Romesh Silva, Martin Bratschi, Ruxana Jina, Philip W Setel, Adam Karpati, Bruno Masquelier, Petra Nahmias, Afsaneh Yazdani, Tanja Sejersen, Haoyi Chen, Stephane Helleringer","doi":"10.2471/BLT.24.293074","DOIUrl":"10.2471/BLT.24.293074","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":"103 7","pages":"462-464"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231073/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590499","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":"Self-report and proxy reports in survey data on female genital mutilation, Senegal.","authors":"Kathrin Weny, Romesh Silva, Stefanie J Klug","doi":"10.2471/BLT.24.292383","DOIUrl":"10.2471/BLT.24.292383","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To assess the quality and consistency of reported age patterns of female genital mutilation in self- and proxy-reported survey data.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used 10 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from 2005 to 2023 in Senegal. These surveys contained information on female genital mutilation status and age at experiencing this practice for women who reported data on themselves and daughters for whom data were reported by their mothers. We assessed data quality by completeness of information on age at female genital mutilation in a logistic regression analysis. We compared the occurrence of age heaping across DHS and individual survey characteristics such as education, age cohort and completeness of date of birth reporting. We estimated the median age at female genital mutilation of daughters and women to assess the consequences of differences in data quality for the interpretation of survey data on this practice.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Self-reported data were more prone to incomplete reporting of age at female genital mutilation and age heaping than proxy-reported data. These findings held true across individual survey characteristics and different DHS. The estimates for median age at female genital mutilation were susceptible to differences in data quality of age at female genital mutilation of daughters and women.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Self-reported data on age at female genital mutilation are of lower quality than proxy-reported data. These differences potentially distort trend estimates of age at female genital mutilation. Caution is needed when combining self- and proxy-reported survey data on female genital mutilation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":"103 6","pages":"366-374"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12161157/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144282444","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}
Markus Huber, Madina Andreyeva, Lance D Presser, Joanna Salvi Le Garrec Zwetyenga
{"title":"Health laboratory licensing: a policy and best-practice analysis.","authors":"Markus Huber, Madina Andreyeva, Lance D Presser, Joanna Salvi Le Garrec Zwetyenga","doi":"10.2471/BLT.24.292760","DOIUrl":"10.2471/BLT.24.292760","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To gain insight into how governments regulate their health laboratory sector, by reviewing health laboratory licensing legislation across different health-care systems in a diverse range of 18 countries worldwide.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We selected countries for a diverse range of health-care systems, geography, income level, licensing legislation and standards adhered to. We selected aspects of health laboratory licensing that were consistently present in different countries and suitable for meaningful comparison, focusing on legislative approaches, certification and accreditation models, regulation, quality assurance, and biosafety and biosecurity requirements.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Our analysis revealed that the licensing legislation for health laboratories typically encompasses two principal components: administrative procedural law and substantive law. We observed that the different ways in which countries regulate their health laboratories could be categorized within three distinct legislative approaches, namely: standalone licensing act, general licensing act and one based on a health insurance contract. Most countries used a two-step application process, comprising registration and licensing steps. License validity periods ranged over 1-5 years, with some countries opting for permanent licenses. Countries adopted diverse standards and requirements, with some mandating accreditation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings highlight the diverse legislative approaches to health laboratory licensing, reflecting varying national capacities and regulatory priorities. Integrating robust quality standards, especially those aligned with International Organization for Standardization standard no. 15189, is essential for strengthening laboratory oversight and public health response. Effective licensing frameworks not only enhance domestic laboratory systems but also contribute to global health security through alignment with international obligations.</p>","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":"103 6","pages":"383-391"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12161156/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144282440","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}