OBJECTIVES Emergency contraception pills (ECP) are among the 13 essential commodities in the framework for action established by the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children. Despite having been on the market for nearly 20 years, a number of barriers still limit women's access to ECP in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) including limited consumer knowledge and poor ...

Many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) have high rates of child trauma exposure and limited access to psychological services. Caregivers are often a child's key source of support following trauma in such contexts. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of primary caregivers in supporting their child posttrauma. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 female caregivers ...

BACKGROUND Many of the assessment tools used to study depression among older people are adaptations of instruments developed in other cultural setting. There is a need to validate those instruments in low and middle income countries (LMIC). METHODS A one-phase cross-sectional survey of people aged [greater than or equal to] 65 years from LMIC. EURO-D was checked for psychometric properties. C...

BACKGROUND Across cultures, women are more likely than men to report somatoform disorders (SD), depression and anxiety. The aim of this article is to describe the co-morbidity of SD with depression/anxiety and to investigate the possible mechanisms of this relationship in women in low and middle income countries (LMIC). METHODS We reviewed two databases: MEDLINE and PsycINFO from 1994 to 2012...

BACKGROUND Intersectoral collaboration between government sectors such as Health and Social Development and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in communities is crucial for provision of psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) for those with severe mental illness. This study aims to provide recommendations for strengthening such intersectoral collaboration in South Africa and with relevance to othe...

BACKGROUND Studies from high income countries (HIC) have generally shown higher osteoporotic fracture rates in urban areas than rural areas. Low bone mineral density (BMD) increases susceptibility to fractures. This review aimed to assess whether urbanicity is consistently associated with lower BMD globally. METHOD Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Global Health (-April 2013) were searched for articl...

The past decade has seen notable progress in confronting the HIV epidemic. By the end of 2013, almost 13 million persons living with HIV had access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In addition, progress has also been achieved in terms of HIV prevention with 26 LMIC achieving a 50% decrease in number of new infections including 15 countries in sub-Sahar...

BACKGROUND Successful vaccination strategies against norovirus will require understanding the burden of disease and relevant genotypes in populations. However, few data are available from cohort studies of adults living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a nested case-control study within a Peruvian military cohort to characterize the burden of noro...

BACKGROUND Collaborations among researchers, clinicians, and individuals with mental illness from high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are crucial to produce research, interventions, and policies that are relevant, feasible, and ethical. However, global mental health and cultural psychiatry research publications have been dominated by HIC investigators. OB...

Noncommunicable diseases (NCD)––cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes mellitus, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases––account for two-thirds of death and disability, globally, every year [1]. CVD alone, including coronary artery and cerebrovascular disease, accounts for 30% of the global burden of disease. As many lowand middle-income countries (LMIC) progress through the epidem...