London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Brain Penetrant Calcium Channel Blockers Were Not Associated With Reduced Alcohol Consumption: Converging Results From Two Large Independent Cohort Studies Using Electronic Health Records

ABSTRACT Purpose Alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains a major public health problem, with few effective treatments. L‐type calcium channel blockers (LTCCBs) have genetic and preclinical support as potential treatments for AUD. Methods We evaluated whether brain penetrant (BP)‐LTCCB...

Microbial keratitis management through the lens of pharmacy attendants in Siraha district of Nepal: A study of knowledge, attitudes, and practices

Background Microbial keratitis (MK) is endemic in many developing countries including Nepal and is a preventable cause of blindness. Many Nepalese rely on community pharmacies or medical shops as their primary source of healthcare. This study explored the knowledge and experience...

Dietary pattern and epigenetic aging: a longitudinal twin study

Diet is an environmental factor influencing aging and life expectancy. Age-associated DNA methylation and epigenetic clocks are primary hallmarks of aging and may be modified by diet. However, observed associations between diet and epigenetic clocks may be confounded by familial...

Feasibility and performance of eye movement perimetry for glaucoma triage in Tanzania: A prospective cross-sectional study in a real-world setting

Triaging access to glaucoma diagnostics could allow patients to receive earlier care to slow disease progression. There is a particular need in lower-resource settings where the cost and lack of portability of standard automated perimetry (SAP) restrict access. Eye movement perim...

Delivering disability-inclusive eye care for older people in northern Uganda: a qualitative study of provider experiences using the Levesque framework

Abstract Background Population ageing is accelerating rapidly, resulting in rising numbers of older people with functional limitations and morbidities including vision impairment. Despite Uganda having a supportive disability-inclusive health policy framework, older people with d...

How can complex interventions be adapted to context? A qualitative analysis of the implementation of DREAMS in three Kenyan settings

In Kenya, the DREAMS Partnership (“Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe”) aims to reduce new HIV cases among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW; aged 10–24) through a comprehensive programme of interventions. The impact of DREAMS varies across settin...

Strengthening systems to monitor antibiotics. An action oriented approach

Background Antibiotics have become lynchpins of our modern systems of healthcare, animal health and agriculture. Monitoring the types and volumes of antibiotics distributed, used and discharged across these systems is critical to provide evidence for action. With limited resource...

Development of a checklist of characteristics to help identify predatory journals: a Delphi study

This is a Delphi study that aims to achieve expert consensus on the most important characteristics for identifying predatory journals. The results will be used to develop a checklist that may support researchers, editors, librarians, institutions, and policymakers when assessing...

Are older adults in China living longer happy years? A cohort-based multistate analysis, 2002–2018

Abstract China’s rapid population ageing raises the question of whether added years of life are also happy years. Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2002–2018), we applied a cohort-based multistate life table method to estimate partial-cohort happy...

The anthropogenic fingerprint on emerging infectious diseases

Abstract Emerging infectious diseases are a hallmark of the Anthropocene 1,2 . Human-driven ecosystem changes and human–wildlife–livestock contact can drive the emergence of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases 3–5 , but how much these processes shape landscapes of outbreak risk is...

Inequalities in chronic respiratory disease: working towards policy change?

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are chronic lung diseases that have long-standing inequalities in both their overall prevalence, and in the frequency and severity of their exacerbations [1], [2]. Overall mortality rates are higher in the most deprived deci...

An Equity Analysis of the Prevalence, Costs and Coping Mechanisms of Informal Payments in the Utilisation of Healthcare Services in Nigeria

ABSTRACT Background Informal payments in healthcare facilities increase the cost of services, negatively impacting access and utilisation, particularly for poor and vulnerable populations. However, those affected may adopt various coping strategies to alleviate the financial burd...

Global policy determinants of national human papillomavirus vaccine introductions in 2006–2025

BACKGROUND: Although safe and effective human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have been available since 2006, national introduction in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has progressed slowly. HPV vaccine adoption may have been shaped by evolving World Health Organization (WH...

Antibiotic resistance profile of Staphylococcus aureus in pediatric cases from rural Gambia

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant public health concern worldwide. Despite its impact, surveillance systems for detecting AMR in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) are often suboptimal. Using data from a population-based surveillance study of children aged < 5...

‘Africans Against Malaria’—introducing a new diaspora-led initiative to strengthen malaria prevention amongst UK-based travellers visiting friends and relatives in malaria-endemic African countries

Use of malaria prevention methods, particularly chemoprophylaxis, amongst the UK-based African diaspora is low; a long-standing issue that remains inadequately addressed. Here, we present ‘Africans Against Malaria’, a unique initiative ‘led by Africans, for Africans’ to improve m...

Survival benefit of deceased donor kidney transplantation versus continued dialysis: international target trial emulation

Abstract Objective To quantify the survival benefit of deceased donor kidney transplantation versus continued dialysis according to patients’ characteristics (age, diabetes, cardiovascular disease), donor quality (standard criteria donor or expanded criteria donor) and donor retr...

Sexual health and healthy aging: the five ‘I’s conceptual framework

Sexual health remains important throughout life, including in older age. This special collection shows that older adults need respectful, inclusive, and culturally appropriate sexual health services. The five ’I’s framework – importance, individuality, inclusion, involvement, and...

Health co-benefits of sustainable dietary transitions to reduced red and processed meat intake in the United Kingdom: a modelling study

Abstract Purpose Reducing meat intake and increasing plant-based food consumption are priorities for chronic disease prevention and environmental sustainability across Europe. Previous modelling has outlined how policy interventions could shift dietary patterns to align with meat...

An ecological systems perspective on supporting beginning teachers in small schools in England

This study employs Ecological Systems Theory to understand how small school ecosystems influence the development of beginning teachers. It explores the role of individuals and of the school ecosystem in six small schools supporting the induction and professional development for b...

Proximity biotinylation at the host-Shigella interface reveals UFMylation as an antibacterial pathway

Abstract Host cells contest invasion by intracellular bacterial pathogens with multiple strategies that recognise and/or damage the bacterial surface. To identify host defence factors targeted to intracellular bacteria, we developed a proximity biotinylation approach coupled to q...