Health Topics
- Translating Implementation Experiences and Lessons Learned From Polio Eradication Into a Global Health Course: Insights From an International Consortium
Using international collaborations to develop educational materials presents several challenges but offers enormous benefits in gleaning a wealth of information, perspectives, and context. The global course that resulted from this collaboration mirrors the goals of implementation science more broadly—to bring the findings of research into routine practice to improve health services.
- Implementation of GeneXpert for TB Testing in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review
This review highlights a commonality of implementation barriers across geographically dispersed GeneXpert interventions for TB testing. This indicates the importance of using implementation frameworks to report findings that can improve public health outcomes across low- and middle-income countries.
- Micronutrient Powders for Infants and Young Children
Providing standalone micronutrient products for household use is not an easy strategy, but under the right conditions, it can work. To be effective, micronutrient powder programs require robust commodity logistics and support of uptake and adherence.
- COVID-19 Pandemic in India: Through the Lens of Modeling
We reflect on and review India's COVID-19 pandemic response through the lens of modeling and data. The lessons learned from the Indian context may be beneficial for other countries.
- Social Distancing in the Era of COVID-19: A Call for Maintaining Social Support for the Maternal Population
In the era of COVID-19, pregnant and postpartum women, an already vulnerable group, are facing unforeseen and compounding stressful events with reduced social protections. We argue that to prevent harmful consequences that may surpass the effects of the crisis itself for pregnant women and their families, it is imperative to prioritize maintaining formal and informal sources of social support for mothers in proposed infection control policies.
- Faith-Based Advocacy for Family Planning Works: Evidence From Kenya and Zambia
Faith-based organizations and religious leaders can be effective family planning advocates for policy change, funding, and services. To do so, they need evidence-based knowledge, training, support within their faith communities, as well as respect for their beliefs and values.
- The COVID-19 Pandemic Exposes Another Commercial Determinant of Health: The Global Firearm Industry
Firearm violence is a public health crisis worsened by lobbying, marketing, and supply chain tactics from the private industry. During the heightened burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health practitioners should use a commercial determinant of health lens to combat this threat.
- A Mixed-Methods Study of Factors Influencing Access to and Use of Micronutrient Powders in Rwanda
Gaps in complementary feeding practices hinder the use of multiple micronutrients powder (MNP) in Rutsiro district in Rwanda. Successful MNP program implementation requires uninterrupted availability and accessibility to the product, as well as greater understanding of health benefits of the MNP.
- STEPS: A Solution for Ensuring Standards of TB Care for Patients Reaching Private Hospitals in India
A low-cost model for engaging the private sector to address gaps in TB care and ensuring that patients in the private sector receive the standards of care in India was feasible. The pilot project showed improvements in standards of care, which benefits the patient, government, private hospitals, and society.
- Differentiated Service Delivery Models for HIV Treatment in Malawi, South Africa, and Zambia: A Landscape Analysis
Observing the diversity of differentiated service delivery models for HIV treatment in use in sub-Saharan Africa can help policy makers and program planners to improve decision making for treatment delivery in the future. This effort can inform decisions about how to optimize the distribution of models across facilities and regions and how to plan for budget and resource allocation.