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Parashar R, Nanda S, Smith SL, Shroff Z, Shawar YR, Hamunakwadi DL, Shiffman J. Comparing priority received by global health issues: a measurement framework applied to tuberculosis, malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and dengue fever. BMJ Glob Health 2024; 9:e014884. [PMID: 38977402 PMCID: PMC11256119 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The relative priority received by issues in global health agendas is subjected to impressionistic claims in the absence of objective methods of assessment of priority. To build an approach for conducting structured assessments of comparative priority health issues receive, we expand the public arenas model (2021) and offer a framework for future assessments of health issue priority in global and national health agendas. METHODS We aimed to develop a more comprehensive set of measures for conducting multiyear priority comparisons of health issues in six agenda-setting arenas by identifying possible measures and data sources, selecting indicators based on feasibility and comparability of measures and gathering the data on selected indicators. We applied these measures to four communicable diseases-tuberculosis (TB), malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and dengue fever-given their differing impressionistic claims of priority. Where possible, we analysed the annual and/or 5-year trends from 2000 through 2022. RESULTS We observed that TB and malaria received the highest priority for most periods in the past two decades in most arenas. However, a stagnation in development funding for these two conditions over the last 8-10 years may have fuelled the neglect claims. Despite having a higher disease burden, diarrhoea has been slipping in global priority with reduced spending, fewer clinical trials and stagnating publications. Dengue remains a low-priority condition but has witnessed a sharp rise in attention from the pharmaceutical industry. DISCUSSIONS We expanded the arenas model by including a transnational arena (international representation) and additional measurements for various arenas. This analysis presents an approach to enable comparative trend analysis of the markers of agenda status over a multiyear period. More such analyses can bring much-desired objectivity in understanding how attention to global or national health issues changes over time in different arenas, potentiating a more equitable allocation of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Parashar
- Health Systems and Policy, Independent Consultant, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Global Business School of Health, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sharmishtha Nanda
- Independent Consultant, Delhi, India
- International Center for Research on Women Asia Regional Office, New Delhi, India
| | - Stephanie L Smith
- School of Public and International Affairs, Virginia Tech, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Zubin Shroff
- WHO Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Yusra R Shawar
- International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Jeremy Shiffman
- International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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AbuShihab K, Obaideen K, Alameddine M, Alkurd RAF, Khraiwesh HM, Mohammad Y, Abdelrahim DN, Madkour MI, Faris ME. Reflection on Ramadan Fasting Research Related to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being): A Bibliometric Analysis. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2023:10.1007/s10943-023-01955-9. [PMID: 38110843 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01955-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
There is a large body of research on Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) and health in Muslim communities, that can offer insights to promote the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), which encompasses good health and well-being. Based on recent bibliometric evidence, we hypothesized that RIF research is highly relevant to SDG 3, particularly Targets 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, and 3.5. Therefore, this bibliometric study quantified RIF literature supporting SDG 3 and associated targets over the past seven decades and explored themes and trends. All types of research articles were extracted from the Scopus database from inception to March 2022. Microsoft Excel, Biblioshiny, and VOSviewer were used to qualitatively and quantitatively examine RIF research trends supporting SDG 3 and associated targets. We identified 1729 relevant articles. The number of publications notably increased since 1986, with a dramatic increase in 2019-2020. RIF research predominantly supported Target 3.4 (reducing risk for non-communicable diseases), with research hotspots being diabetes, diabetes medications, pregnancy, physiology, metabolic diseases, and obesity and metabolism. This target was also the most commonly supported by dedicated authors and institutions publishing on RIF, whereas other SDG 3 targets were negligibly addressed in comparison. Our comprehensive bibliometric analysis of RIF literature showed growing support for SDG 3 through positive contributions to half of the SDG 3 targets, although Target 3.4 received the most attention. We also identified knowledge gaps that may shape further research directions on RIF and promote the achievement of SDG 3 in Muslim communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia AbuShihab
- Nutrition and Food Research Group, Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences (RIMHS), Sharjah University, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Khaled Obaideen
- Sustainable Engineering Asset Management Research Group, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Mohamad Alameddine
- Department of Health Service Administration, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences (RIMHS), University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Refat Ahmad Fawzi Alkurd
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Department of Nutrition, University of Petra, Amman, Jordan
| | - Husam M Khraiwesh
- Department of Nutrition and Food Processing, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Al-Balqa' Applied University, Salt, Jordan
| | - Yara Mohammad
- College of Engineering and Information Technology, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Dana N Abdelrahim
- Health Promotion Research Group, Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences (RIMHS), Sharjah University, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed I Madkour
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences (RIMHS), University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - MoezAlIslam E Faris
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences (RIMHS), University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
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Jessani NS, Williamson RT, Choonara S, Gautier L, Hoe C, Jafar SK, Khalid AF, Rodríguez Salas I, Turcotte-Tremblay AM, Rodríguez DC. Evidence attack in public health: Diverse actors' experiences with translating controversial or misrepresented evidence in health policy and systems research. Glob Public Health 2022; 17:3043-3059. [PMID: 34996335 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2021.2020319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bringing evidence into policy and practice discussions is political; more so when evidence from health studies or programme data are deemed controversial or unexpected, or when results are manipulated and misrepresented. Furthermore, opinion and misinformation in recent years has challenged our notions about how to achieve evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM). Health policy and systems (HPS) researchers and practitioners are battling misrepresentation that only serves to detract from important health issues or, worse, benefit powerful interests. This paper describes cases of politically and socially controversial evidence presented by researchers, practitioners and journalists during the Health Systems Research Symposium 2020. These cases cut across global contexts and range from public debates on vaccination, comprehensive sexual education, and tobacco to more inward debates around performance-based financing and EIDM in refugee policy. The consequences of engaging in controversial research include threats to commercial profit, perceived assaults on moral beliefs, censorship, fear of reprisal, and infodemics. Consequences for public health include research(er) hesitancy, contribution to corruption and leakage, researcher reflexivity, and ethical concerns within the HPS research and EIDM fields. Recommendations for supporting researchers, practitioners and advocates include better training and support structures for responding to controversy, safe spaces for sharing experiences, and modifying incentive structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasreen S Jessani
- Centre for Evidence-Based Health CareStellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Shakira Choonara
- Shakira Choonara Development Consulting, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lara Gautier
- Département de Gestion, d'Évaluation et de Politique de Santé, École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Connie Hoe
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sakeena K Jafar
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Irene Rodríguez Salas
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health System Impact Fellowship, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Turcotte-Tremblay
- Health & Science Section, La Nación Newspaper, San José, Costa Rica.,Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public health, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniela C Rodríguez
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Banerjee S, Szirony GM, McCune N, Davis WS, Subocz S, Ragsdale B. Transforming Social Determinants to Educational Outcomes: Geospatial Considerations. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10101974. [PMID: 36292421 PMCID: PMC9601624 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10101974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In recovering from one of the worst educational crises in recorded history due to the pandemic, in a mission to rebuild and become more resilient, there has been a heightened urgency to provide resources to communities most in need. However, precisely identifying those needs have become all the more important due to the increase in popularity of e-learning as a suitable option and the improvement of technologies. Most notably, socially disadvantaged and historically marginalized communities were disproportionately and severely impacted by several aspects of the pandemic, in terms of health, economics, access to education, and sustainable well-being. This differential effect was modeled spatially with the combination of aerial photogrammetry, traditional geospatial mapping, and other robust AI-driven techniques to synthesize and analyze the various types of data. In this original research study, we apply various spatial health variables, relate them to educational variables in an initial empirical process of understanding how to address equity-related considerations from the context of the learner’s experience, providing the empirical evidence for the development of locally tailored learner support and assistance, meeting students where they are by specifically identifying and targetting geographically underserved areas. We found that there were clear statistically significant relationships between educational attainment and several physical (p < 0.001), mental (p = 0.003), access to healthy food/food security (p < 0.001), and uptake of preventative health measures (p < 0.001), which also varied geographically. Geographic variations in learning experiences demonstrates the unquestionable need to understand a variety of physical, mental, and dietary factors surrounding the student’s success. Understanding a combination of these factors in a geospatial context will allow educational institutions to best serve the needs of learners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sri Banerjee
- School of Health Sciences and Public Policy Core Faculty, Walden University, 100 Washington Avenue South Suite 1210, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - G. Michael Szirony
- School of Counseling Core Faculty, Walden University, 100 Washington Avenue South Suite 1210, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA
| | - Nina McCune
- Department of Inclusive Teaching and Learning, Walden University, 100 Washington Avenue South Suite 1210, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA
| | - W. Sumner Davis
- School of Health Sciences and Public Policy Faculty, Walden University, 100 Washington Avenue South Suite 1210, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA
| | - Sue Subocz
- Office of the Associate President, Walden University, 100 Washington Avenue South Suite 1210, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA
| | - Brian Ragsdale
- Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Walden University, 100 Washington Avenue South Suite 1210, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA
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