Knowledge translation platforms: Broker, intermediary or more? A scoping review of definitions, functions and characteristics.

Background: Knowledge translation platforms (KTPs), also referred to as intermediaries, play a key role in supporting evidence-informed decision-making. Numerous KTPs exist globally, striving to translate evidence into policy. However, these platforms are described in varying ways, and some KTPs do not explicitly identify themselves as such.

Investigating inequality of childhood obesity in Bangladesh: a decomposition analysis.

Background: Due to rapid changes in global food systems, urbanisation, changes in lifestyle and dietary intake, many developing countries, including Bangladesh, are experiencing overweight-related issues among children and mothers. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of obesity among under-five children and to examine the factors that are potentially contributing to socio-economic inequalities of childhood obesity in Bangladesh.

Methods: Data were extracted from the latest Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017-18 - a nationally representative cross-sectional survey which utilised a two-stage stratified sampling frame to cover the entire population of the country.

Childhood diarrhoeal disease in South Asian countries: a population-based analysis.

Introduction: Despite advancements in water sanitation and vaccination, childhood diarrhoeal diseases (CDDs) continue to pose significant public health challenges, especially in South Asia. This study aims to estimate the pooled prevalence of CDDs in South Asia and identify the key factors contributing to its persistence, providing crucial insights for future policy and intervention strategies.

Methods: This study utilised data from the most recent Demographic Health Surveys conducted between 2015 and 2022 in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, the Maldives and Pakistan, focusing on children under 5 years old.

The importance of internet penetration in reducing carbon dioxide emission growth rates and establishing environmental sustainability in South Asia.

South Asia is regarded as a global region with high susceptibility to carbon emission-related climatic problems. As a result, the persistent rise in carbon dioxide emission levels of the South Asian countries has motivated policymakers to develop strategies that are relevant for making this region environmentally sustainable. Although previous research works conducted in the South Asian context have emphasized the pertinence of reducing the annual level of carbon dioxide emissions, those studies have disregarded the issue that the vast reliance of South Asian countries on fossil fuels may prevent them from abating their yearly emission figures.

Socio-Economic Correlates of time Use of Older Population in India.

This study examines the time allocation of older individuals in India across paid, unpaid household domestic, unpaid caregiving, and residual activities throughout 24 hours and the factors that are associated with it. The nationally representative first Time-Use Survey (2019), conducted by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), is used in this study. The results from multivariate linear regression revealed that the expected probability of spending time on paid activities was significantly lower for older females, the oldest-old age groups (80 years and above), and widowed/divorced/never-married older adults compared to their respective counterparts.

Understanding Drivers of Sustained Engagement in SMS-Based Nutrition Programmes: A Realist Evaluation With an Equity Lens in Tanzania.

Child undernutrition remains a global challenge, intricately linked to systemic inequities in access to maternal and child health and nutrition (MCHN) services. While SMS-based behaviour change communication (BCC) offers a scalable strategy to address this challenge, its effectiveness is often undermined by low and inconsistent user engagement. This study extends the impact evaluation of the mNutrition programme in Tanzania-a nationwide SMS-based BCC programme aimed at improving maternal and child nutrition (MCN)-to investigate what drives sustained, long-term engagement-an important but underexplored gap.

Centring lived experiences in food environment research: A methodological framework and application in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Poor-quality diets and diet-related non-communicable diseases are a pressing global issue. Food environments, where everyday food choices intersect with broader food system dynamics, have emerged as a key policy intervention point. However, these environments are complex, shaped by physical, social, cultural, and political factors, and require insights from diverse stakeholders, especially those who provide and consume food.

Pandemic futures, future preparedness: diverse views in the wake of Covid-19.

The deliberations for the Pandemic Accord have opened an important moment of reflection on future approaches to pandemic preparedness. The concept had been increasingly prominent in global health discourse for several years before the pandemic and had concretised into a set of standardised mainstream approaches to the prediction of threats. Since 2019, the authors and the wider research team have led a research project on the meanings and practices of preparedness.

Childhood diarrheal infections among the multi hazard disaster risk zones in Bangladesh: A household level analysis.

Bangladesh's geographic and climatic conditions make it highly disaster-prone, increasing the vulnerability of under-five children to diarrheal infections. This study analyzed the MICS Bangladesh 2019 dataset using a multivariable logistic regression model to assess diarrhea prevalence in low, moderate, and high multi-hazard risk zones, focusing on floods, tornadoes, cyclones, and earthquakes. Diarrhea prevalence was highest in high-risk zones (7.

Thalassemia in Bangladesh: progress, challenges, and a strategic blueprint for prevention.

Thalassemia, a preventable hereditary disorder causing defective hemoglobin production, presents a growing public health concern in Bangladesh, a country situated within the Global Thalassemia Belt. This review systematically synthesizes all available data on the prevalence, clinical characteristics, management challenges, and socio-economic implications of thalassemia in Bangladesh, offering a blueprint for a prevention strategy tailored to its unique socio-economic and cultural context. The review highlights a high carrier prevalence of 10.

A review of the business case for workforce nutrition initiatives.

Undernutrition and malnutrition remain persistent challenges in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially among workers in labour-intensive sectors. Workplace nutrition programmes (WNPs) have shown promising health benefits, but evidence on their business impact remains scarce-particularly in LMIC contexts. This review examines whether WNPs generate measurable business outcomes that could incentivise employer investment.

Did COVID-19 vaccine enforcement work? Evidence from northwestern and northern Uganda.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination programmes were shaped by diverse approaches to enforcement. Yet, little is known about how public authority influenced modes of enforcement on the ground or their ramifications for governance and public health more broadly. This article focuses on the Ugandan mandatory COVID-19 vaccination programme in two contrasting geographical and socio-political spaces: rural Dei and peri-urban Gulu.

Cash transfer and a psychological intervention: Impact on alcohol outcomes and household welfare in India.

This study uses a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to examine the short-term effects of an alcohol remission program in rural Punjab, India. Participants were assigned to one of four experimental groups: (i) daily vouchers for 30 days, (ii) five psychological counselling sessions, (iii) a combination of both, or (iv) a control group. We evaluated the impact of these treatments on alcohol consumption, household welfare, and psychological well-being.

Out-of-pocket cost and financial catastrophe of patients with cancer: the alarming cost-of-illness in Bangladesh.

Background: Out-of-pocket (OOP) cost of cancer treatment has increased substantially globally. In low- and middle-income countries, many patients face financial distress due to cancer. For patients with cancers in Bangladesh, this study aimed to (1) estimate the annual OOP cost of cancers from households' perspective, (2) assess the coping strategies and financial distress, and (3) examine factors associated with OOP cost.

Urban solid waste management and the decent work: Insights from Tanzania's key cities.

Decent work remains a critical challenge for solid waste workers in urban Tanzania, where rapid urbanization and inadequate waste management policies have created precarious labour conditions. This study investigates the labour practices of employed and freelance solid waste workers in Tanzania's major cities namely Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, and Dodoma through the lens of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) decent work framework. Focusing on key areas such as job and income security, fair wages, occupational health and safety, child protection and social security.

Do health facility governing committees improve health system performance? An ecological study of Mainland Tanzania.

Introduction: Accountability is crucial for improved functionality of health systems and can be ensured through community participation in health governance. To engage the community in the governance of the local health system, health facility governing committees (HFGCs) have been implemented in several low-income and middle-income countries including Tanzania. However, the effect of HFGCs on health system performance is not well studied.

Magnitude, structure and associated factors of illicit cigarette sales in Bangladesh: a pack analysis.

Introduction: Bangladesh's cigarette smoking prevalence remained unchanged (around 14%) between 2009 and 2017. Through tax evasion and regulatory non-compliance, illicit trade might have contributed to the status quo. Little is known about the magnitude of illicit cigarettes in Bangladesh.

Eye injuries in Bangladesh's 2024 student-led mass uprising: A public health crisis unfolds.

The 2024 student-led job quota reform protests in Bangladesh, initially peaceful, escalated into a nationwide uprising. The government responded with excessive force, leading to widespread violence, including severe eye injuries to hundreds of protesters. This study investigates the causes, consequences, and medical responses to these eye injuries, which resulted in lasting physical, psychological, and economic impacts on the victims using secondary data, including reports from human rights organizations, hospital records, and media sources.

Depression, anxiety, and stress among mothers of children with thalassemia in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Despite Bangladesh being one of the major hotspots of thalassemia in the world, this preventable inherited blood disorder is neglected in research and policy level. Mothers are the primary caregivers of children in South Asian countries with limited resources. Caring for a child with thalassemia can be an emotionally challenging experience for mothers in low and middle-income countries including Bangladesh.

The Challenges of Decolonising Sustainability and the Environment in Development Studies (DS).

This think-piece makes a case for addressing the colonial roots of sustainability. It examines how enduring colonial mechanisms and biases have led to certain forms of value and valuing, problematic views of 'pristine nature' and processes of extractivism. These in turn have led to dispossession and violence, especially for Indigenous and marginalised communities in the majority world.

Factors shaping adolescent snack choices in urban Bangladeshi schools: a mixed methods study.

Research on adolescents' snack choices in school food environments has predominantly focused on high-income countries, leaving gaps in low- and middle-income contexts. This study addresses these gaps by examining snack choices and their individual, social and environmental influencing factors among adolescents in 20 urban high schools in Bangladesh using a mixed-methods approach guided by a conceptual model informed social cognitive theory (SCT) and an ecological perspective. Quantitative data were collected through surveys with 975 adolescents (ages 11-17), while qualitative data included focus group discussions with 60 adolescents.

Provision of primary healthcare centers and women's healthcare-seeking behaviour: Evidence from Bangladesh.

This study examines the association between the establishment of primary healthcare providers- community clinics (CCs)- and healthcare-seeking behavior in Bangladesh. Initiated in 1998, CCs aim to provide accessible healthcare services to remote households, particularly focusing on women and children. Using cluster-level data on healthcare provider availability alongside individual-level data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) for 2011, 2014, and 2017-18, the respective sample sizes are 17842, 17886, and 20127 ever-married women, the study offers robust estimates that address endogeneity concerns present in individual-level analyses.

The 2024 Amendments to the International Health Regulations: A New Era for Global Health Law in Pandemic Preparedness and Response?

On June 1, 2024, the World Health Assembly reached consensus on a package of amendments to the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR). These amendments follow nearly two decades of implementation and an intensive multilateral process prompted by the global struggle against COVID-19. This article critically examines whether the amended IHR reflect lessons learned from the pandemic, potentially ushering in a new era for global health law in pandemic preparedness and response, or if they deflect attention from the need for deeper structural reforms.