INTRODUCTION In high-income countries, secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is higher among disadvantaged groups. We examine socioeconomic inequalities in SHS exposure at home and at workplace in 15 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS Secondary analyses of cross-sectional data from 15 LMICs participating in Global Adult Tobacco Survey (participants ≥ 15 years; 2008-2011) were used. C...

I n the last few years, a growing amount of evidence highlighted the urgent need for research aimed at assessing mental health status in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs): this revealed a substantial gap between the burden caused by mental disorders and the resources devoted to prevent and treat them (Kakuma et al., 2011). In fact, while more than 80% of the global population lives in LMI...

Large-scale immunization programmes now extend to all parts of the world, including least developed countries, where they reach unprecedented numbers of people. The number of vaccine doses administered worldwide continues to increase as new vaccines are developed and made available, and more people have access to immunization services. Development of immunization programmes in lowand middle-inc...

Although universal health coverage (UHC) is a global health policy priority, there remains limited evidence on UHC reforms in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This paper provides an overview of key insights from case studies in this thematic series, undertaken in seven LMICs (Costa Rica, Georgia, India, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Thailand) at very different stages in the transition...

BACKGROUND There are no nationally representative population-based studies investigating the relationship between physical activity, chronic conditions and multimorbidity (i.e., two or more chronic conditions) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and studies on a multi-national level are lacking. This is an important research gap, given the rapid increase in the prevalence of chronic di...

BACKGROUND The number of Master of Public Health (MPH) programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is increasing, but questions have been raised regarding the relevance of their outcomes and impacts on context. Although processes for validating public health competencies have taken place in recent years in many high-income countries, validation in LMICs is needed. Furthermore, impact...

Examination of the composition of the health workforce in many low and middle-income countries (LMICs) reveals deep-seated heterogeneity that manifests in multiple ways: varying levels of official legitimacy and informality of practice; wide gradation in type of employment and behaviour (public to private) and diverse, sometimes overlapping, systems of knowledge and variably specialised cadres ...

The food, tobacco and alcohol industries have penetrated markets in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a significant impact on these countries’ burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Tangcharoensathien and colleagues describe the aggressive marketing of unhealthy food, alcohol and tobacco in LMICs, as well as key tactics used by these industries to resis...

Maternal and newborn infections are a major contributor to mortality morbidity globally. Lost-cost, effective safe interventions needed address these. Based on promising findings, azithromycin has been identified as potentially antibiotic reduce maternal in low- middle-income countries (LMICs). However, robust randomized clinical trials range of settings confirm these findings well under...

The global burden of trauma and surgical conditions fall disproportionately on lowand middle-income countries (LMICs). 2 Inopportunely, developing countries are least equipped to provide essential surgical care. Consequently, LMICs have a significant burden of unmet surgical needs. When these fragile health systems are disrupted by conflict, a natural disaster or an epidemic the volume and qual...