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Think tanks have long been viewed as an important player in the policy-making of US government. However, in an era of global health threats, less attention has been given on how they engage in health security issues thus affecting policy-making of the government. This study first reviews the historical and evolving paradigms of health security, tracing its conceptual development from its roots in the mid-20th century to its contemporary relevance. Taking the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a well-known and comprehensive think tank of the United States, as the research subject, this study then explores its role in the formulation of health security policies of the United States. The study reveals that CSIS significantly influences the health security policies of the United States by conducting strategic analyses, offering evidence-based recommendations, and serving as a critical platform for dialogue between health experts, policymakers, and government officials. By bridging research and practical policymaking, CSIS not only provides actionable insights but also facilitates inter-agency collaboration and global health security strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of universal coverage depends on ensuring that patients have access to medicine. Encouraging local production of medicines in developing countries can provide better access to medicines. In addition to determining the quality of pharmaceutical goods, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) also determine their cost. According to market forecasts, the active pharmaceutical ingredients market is expected to increase from USD 193.15 billion in 2023 to USD 285.29 billion by 2028. Pakistan largely depends on India and China for its Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient requirements. It was feared that a shortage of medicines would result from Pakistan's government suspending all trade with India on August 9, 2019. To improve health security in Pakistan, the Government of Pakistan has introduced an API promotion Policy in 2022. Financial and non-financial incentives have helped many countries develop their API industries like China, India, and Bangladesh. The current domestic API market of Pakistan is around 150 million $. After the introduction of the policy, the existing units are increasing their capacity while eight new API units are in the process of establishment. Through local production of APIs and intermediates, Pakistan can improve its health security by learning from the experiences of neighbouring countries, especially China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al Bashaer Economic Journal is the property of Al Bashaer Economic Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract There is a growing tendency in global discourse to describe a health issue as a security issue. But why is this health security language and framing necessary during times of crisis? Why is the term “health security” used when perhaps simply saying “public health” would do? As reference to ‘health security’ grows in contemporary discourse, research, advocacy, and policymaking, its prominence is perhaps most consequential in public health. Existing power dynamics in global health are produced and maintained through political processes. Securitisation of health, which facilitates urgent and exceptional measures in response to an event, is a politically charged process with the tendency to further marginalise already marginalised individuals, groups, and nations. By exploring the ethical and practical consequences of a powerful actor’s move to securitise health, the essay highlights the importance of considering the perspectives and well-being of marginalised individuals, groups and nations who may be impacted by the move. The essay challenges the assumption that securitising health or framing health as a security issue necessarily leads to good outcomes. It highlights the historical roots and explores the contemporary implications of “health security”, and invites critically informed discourse on its use within global health.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic—with its first reported case in Sri Lanka in March 2020—had the potential to impact the risk of re-establishing malaria, a disease which was eliminated from Sri Lanka in 2012. Post-elimination, the country remains highly vulnerable to a return of malaria on account of high vector mosquito densities and the inflow of imported malaria cases. Methods Parallels between COVID-19 and malaria after its elimination as health security threats were drawn, and the many ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the prevention of re-establishment of malaria programmes in the country in 2020 were examined. The implications of this experience for global health security are analysed. Results In 2020, imported malaria cases were fewer than in the previous 3 years, due to restrictions on international travel. Yet, a high level of malaria case and entomological surveillance was sustained through surveillance strategies modified to focus on quarantine centers, in response to the pandemic. As a result, more imported malaria cases were detected by active case detection than by passive surveillance. Some of the operational shifts adopted by the Anti Malaria Campaign were moving rapidly into functioning as an intersectoral player by reinforcing its collaborations with the Ministries of Aviation and Defense, switching to the use of online communication systems, and integrating and synergizing its field activities with the COVID-19 control programme. Conclusions The experience highlights the need for disease control programmes to be agile, flexible and responsive, and underscores the importance of maintaining even a lean focal programme for diseases such as malaria after they have been eliminated. Sustaining public health leadership and robust technological capacities in communication and data management were paramount in preventing the disruption of the malaria prevention programme during the pandemic and sustaining the malaria-free status of the country.

Context: Since COVID-19, the European Commission (EC) has sought to expand its activities in health through the development of a European Health Union and within it the Health Emergencies Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). Methods: The authors applied a discourse analysis to documents establishing HERA to investigate how the EC legitimated the creation of this institution. They focused on how it framed health emergencies, how it framed the added value of HERA, and how it linked HERA to existing EU activities and priorities. Findings: Their analysis demonstrates that security-based logics have been central to the EC's legitimation of HERA in alignment with a "securitization of health" occurring worldwide in recent decades. This legitimation can be understood as part of the EC's effort to promote future integration in health in the absence of new competences. Conclusions: Securitization has helped the EC raise its profile in health politically without additional competences, thereby laying the groundwork for potential future integration. Looking at the discursive legitimation of HERA sheds light not only on whether the EC is expanding its health powers but also how it strategizes to do so. HERA, while constrained, allows the EC to further deepen security-driven integration in health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ground crossing borders are considered a threat to health security due to their complex and challenging environments. The objective of this scoping review is to identify the main themes crucial for implementing effective health management at ground crossing borders to maintain health security. Methods: This scoping study was conducted following the methodological framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Documents published from January 2005 to December 2023 were searched for using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and UN databases. Two reviewers screened and reviewed eligible studies in three stages: duplicate identification and elimination, title and abstract screening, and full-text assessment. Data were charted and grouped into themes, the frequency of each theme and its percentage was calculated, and then thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Forty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Areas of research were grouped into eight themes: "Infection Prevention and Control measures (IPC) (17%)", "Collaboration, Coordination, and Partnership (17%)", "Research and Data Sharing (15%)", "Build Border Health Capacity (13.5%)", "Planning (13.5%)", "Communication (13%)", "Legislations and Frameworks (7%)", and "Services and Assistance for At-Risk Groups (4%)". Through this scoping review, we found that the eight themes are interconnected, and are crucial for implementing effective health management at the ground crossing borders and for better emergency preparedness responses among countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Almost 30 years since the Maastricht Treaty provided an explicit legal basis in the health realm, the European Union (EU) declared global health an "essential pillar" of its external action. Yet, it is still seeking to "come of age" as a global health actor. This might be facilitated by the securitisation of health, which was evident during the COVID-19 crisis, often framed as a war against a common enemy. However, the literature is yet to establish whether these analogies were systematically embraced by EU institutions, signalling a Zeitenwende – or "epochal tectonic shift" – in the EU's health-related discourse. Through an analysis of key strategic documents and public statements, this article determines the extent to which COVID-19 drove the attempted securitisation of global health in the EU. Relatedly, it discusses whether this framing might be conducive to an enhanced EU actorness on the world stage. The article concludes that, after COVID-19 struck, some EU institutions did intensify their "health security" rhetoric in pursuit of an expanded, more "mature" role. While this shift was neither widespread nor enduring enough to be characterised as "epochal", it does denote the EU's turn towards a less altruistic conception of its global health action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an analysis and comparison of the health security practices (HSP) of 47 African countries based on 2019 and 2021 data. Its objective is to assess, rank, and cluster the countries based on their HSP performance and progress over this period. A comprehensive Entropy-TOPSIS-K-means-based evaluation system was constructed for this purpose. Initially, the entropy method was utilised to analyze and compare investment priorities. Subsequently, the Entropy-TOPSIS was used to evaluate and compare the level of health security (HS) performance and the degree of improvements made by countries over the study period. Finally, the K-means cluster analysis method was applied to classify countries based on their comprehensive evaluation scores. Among the six identified criteria, prevention, detection, reporting, and health system practices were deemed crucial for HS decision-making in both cases. The study revealed significant differences in HSP levels and changes in countries' improvement levels between their practices in 2019 and 2021. The study classifies the security levels of African countries into five clusters and provides a detailed analysis, implications, and recommendations to aid decision-makers in enhancing HS outcomes. Its results offer empirical evidence to support planning, resource allocation, and reallocation for strengthening HSP in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital health and learning have expanded significantly in recent decades though their use in settings of acute health emergencies has only recently begun. Growing experience among organizations working in the digital health and learning space suggest that virtual communities of practice in these areas may have value in response to health emergencies. Evaluation of recent virtual programs applied in acute health emergencies suggest that a pre-established digital learning network can serve as a valuable resource when an acute health emergency strikes. This paper introduces the concept, and explores the potential value of developing a prioritization framework, informed by health security assessments, to identify countries most vulnerable to future health crises. By using an anticipatory approach and framework to identify high risk regions, digital learning programs can be developed proactively, building networks that can be activated during emergencies. Creating and prioritizing virtual learning networks in regions at high risk of health emergencies can improve response capacities. Developing a framework to identify countries and regions of greatest risk can help policy makers, educators, and donors, focus limited resources on high need areas.

In Ethiopia, the primary source of medical knowledge from antiquity to the turn of the 20th century was local medical expertise. The western contemporary medical healthcare services didn’t begin till the first decades of the 20th century. Health infrastructure has an unambiguous effect on increasing health security. The most overlooked topics in Ethiopian history and historiography are healthcare and medical history because of its fixation on issues of politics. Pertinent to this, no research has been conducted on the historical growth of medical institutions and their supporting infrastructures, the equitable allocation of people and material resources, and the rate at which public health security has increased in order to balance public mortality in Gojjam Province. Thus, the purpose of this research is to investigate health infrastructure development and its impact on health security in Ethiopia since the 20th century with special focus on Gojjam Province. The qualitative research approach was employed, because it is a representational design that aids in understanding historical processes and human experiences in a specific historical setting. Primary and secondary data sources obtained through interviewing and document analysis were used for this qualitative analysis. The paper discusses the development of healthcare infrastructure, the types of Care Centers, and health security issues in the period under discussion in Gojjam Province. It is hoped that this research will assist experts of the field, the local community, and policymakers better understand how the institutions, infrastructures, and distribution of health services have evolved and impacted health security in Gojjam.

The article discusses the need of involvement of private health organization in the health care security and universal health coverage. Topics mentioned include the transition towards an inclusive health systems governance for both public and private sectors, the proposal of a socioecological and practice-based method to achieve an effective governance of mixed health systems and the goal of strengthening the workforce in the health industry.

The securitisation theory (ST) often gives rise to the debate on the positive and negative dimensions of security. ST is frequently quoted in this debate to explore what happens when threats are labelled as a security issue. The positive and negative points in the debate on ST are closely related to migration, environment, and health. However, like other international relations (IR) theories, the ST debate often fails to reflect the voices and experiences of different regional contexts. This article contributed to the securitisation debates by adding the perspectives and experiences of the Southeast Asia region by applying critical literature review analysis, using primary and secondary sources data collection. Although public health challenges are global phenomena, the way they are addressed may vary across geographical regions. The article reviews the consequences of securitising on contagious diseases in Southeast Asia as the region is often associated with distinctive political cultures that shape the governing norms. Securitisation has clearly made a positive impact on the health security cooperation in the region. Instead of encouraging state-centric thinking, the securitisation of health crises has prompted ASEAN countries to be more region-centric, ultimately challenging the regional norms that have historically obstructed cooperation across the nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One's health security (i.e., the ability to minimize risks and respond to public health threats) is a conferred right of citizenship but individuals construct identities during the process of securing their health. However, how this occurs, in relationship to the state, remains largely implicit or taken‐for‐granted. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19)' provided a unique opportunity to explore the relationship between oneself and governing social norms of health citizenship. We drew on secondary analysis of data from a previous (published) qualitative descriptive study that was conducted during May to September 2020 of COVID‐19, to explore 72 immigrants' experience (from 21 countries) of health security in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews and analysed using critical realism. The majority of participants were women. We demonstrate how individuals implicitly engaged in 'extra' work—gendered and driven by mechanisms of good citizenship—connected to the will to health, against ethopolitical work to regulate risks, of and for themselves, in public discourse. Public discourse tended to follow racialized hegemonic norms, which also reproduced systemic cultural racism. We argue that empathetic understanding of this process is conducive to enhancing one's resistance to stereotypes, and to bolstering immigrants' resilience to seeking health security during public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeszyty Prawnicze Biuro Analiz Sejmowej is the property of Kancelaria Sejmu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Many existing studies and researches have shown the link between vaccine hesitancy and rurality. To test the validity of this assertion, this paper uses COVID-19 vaccine as a reference case and tries to understand vaccine hesitancy in urban communities through the conceptual lens of post-truth. The argument enunciated in the paper is based on data gathered through an online survey, conducted from May to October 2021. Thematically, this paper identified two themes: 'mistrust' and 'misinformation', revealing the coupling effect of the themes and the intersection of vaccine hesitancy and post-truth in two urban (Islamabad and Rawalpindi) communities of Pakistan. While the discussions were contextual, this paper epistemically shows that the reality of COVID-19 was blurred by misinformation which translated into cynicism, mistrust and hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccine and the outcome proved why health security must be taken seriously, especially in the post-truth era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the panic-buying of COVID-19 vaccines by wealthy countries for their citizens, otherwise known as 'vaccine nationalism', and the quest to develop local capacity for the production of vaccines in Nigeria. The paper argues that in the light of the global race, and attempts by countries to urgently secure the COVID-19 vaccines for their citizens, it behoves on the government of Nigeria to invest in the health security of its citizens and put aside the over-dependency on charity and goodwill of Western countries at every turn. The paper concludes that vaccine nationalism can spur the development of home-grown capabilities not just for vaccine against COVID-19 but vaccines and other novel therapeutic or prophylactic products for the prevention and treatment of endemic and emerging disease. This will in turn create jobs, improve healthcare delivery, curb medical tourism and stem the tide of migration of health professionals. The methodology is descriptive in approach, relying on personal observation and data gleaned from journals, magazines and Newspapers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study provides insights into how flooding exacerbates health issues and the direct and indirect effects on physical and food security in northern Nigeria through the increased prevalence of waterborne diseases such as cholera and malaria, displacement of people, leading to overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions in temporary shelters and the disruption of agricultural activities, resulting in food shortages and increased prices, undermining food security in the region. Relying on secondary sources of data collection and utilising content analysis, the study investigates the impact of flooding on health, physical and food security in Northern Nigeria, Using the Human Security Theory (HST) developed by Mahbub ul Haq and Amartya Sen in 1994 to emphasise the protection of individuals and communities from various threats, including environmental disasters like flooding. Findings revealed that flooding causes outbreaks of infectious diseases, inadequate sanitation, and making people vulnerable to infection, affecting mental, social, and physical health. It also causes internal displacement, homelessness, economic hardship, psychological violence, and flooding affects agricultural productivity, destroying crops and farmland, which threatens food security. This study recommended that the Nigerian government overhaul emergency response services to ensure hygienic conditions, that people have access to clean water and sanitation, and that infectious diseases are prevented after flooding. Immediate assistance should be provided to displaced persons, including food, shelter, and healthcare, as well as to relocate affected communities to construct and maintain effective drainage systems to prevent flooding and engage local communities in flood risk management and adaptation measures. Land use planning and enforcement should be improved to mitigate flood risks. It should establish reliable early warning systems to alert communities of potential floods, promote water conservation and efficient irrigation practices, and encourage crop cultivation on soils with high water-holding capacity.

Orientation: Digital health delivers value in the form of efficiency, efficacy and transformation by automation and strengthening of global health care systems, according to the World Health Organization. Yet, sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) health care systems still experience an evident misalignment between their business models (BMs) and digital health value propositions. As a result, digital health interventions (DHI) are duplicated for similar purposes; several pilot projects hardly reach country-wide implementation and health security remains unattainable, in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. Research purpose: The study aims to conduct a scoping review highlighting how the value-add propositions of DHI could align with health care system BMs in SSA. Motivation for the study: The study was informed by the need to address the impact of health care business models on adopting Digital Health and advanced Industry 4.0 technologies for Health Security in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) context. Research design, approach and method: The paper followed Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage scoping review guide to identify publications on the value propositions of DHI in health care systems of SSA. Main findings: There is limited scholarly work focused on how sub-Saharan African health care system BMs cater to DHI in relation to the fast-paced advancements in technology. Drivers of value-add creation, inhibitors of digital health value capture and the requirements of BMs that support the value propositions offered by DHI were discussed. Practical/managerial implications: Findings can assist health managers to redirect the trajectory of integrating digital health value propositions interventions in SSA health care systems towards redressing recurrent challenges that inhibit technology adoption. Contribution/value-add: The paper highlights how the value-add propositions of digital health should be aligned to BMs of health care systems in SSA to ensure duplications are addressed and provide a move towards wide-scale implementations.

As the global communities approach 2030, towards achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (Good health and well-being), there are commendable technology-driven efforts in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to address health care system-related challenges, including the development of national Digital Health strategies. While these strategies are supposed to drive health care systems strengthening for health security, the extent to which they are being operationalised, implemented and impact measurement is scarcely reported. The Digital Health strategies have expiry timelines and do not consider the integration or implications of Industry 4.0 technology advancements on the health sector. The authors make a probable claim that national Digital Health strategies may not achieve their objectives without adequate re-assessments and that the scarce reporting constitutes a transdisciplinary gap between government-led health authorities, health care practitioners and academic research collaboration. Hence, the objective of this article was to conduct a review of existing peer-reviewed literature that have somewhat investigated implementation of Digital Health strategies in SSA. The findings suggest that inadequate capacity to monitor and report progress, limited available resources and the lack of Digital Health leadership are three of the critical factors that contribute to the uncoordinated and slow pace at which national Digital Health strategies are being operationalised in SSA. Transdisciplinary contribution: The article advocates for a transdisciplinary approach through strategic stakeholder engagement between relevant health authorities, academia, industry and non-scientific stakeholders to coordinate, monitor, assess and in reporting extent of national Digital Health strategies implementation, towards UN SDG 3.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, several countries suspended or restricted mass gathering (MG) events to mitigate the risk of superspreading events. Prohibiting MGs aimed to lessen the likelihood of highly infectious persons coming into close contact with many others. Now that the world has opened its doors wide and removed most of precautionary measures, many questions arise. In this review, we aimed to summarize the current evidence regarding the policies and regulations that were implemented for the safe return of MG events. Besides, we highlighted the impact of the return of MG events during 2021 on the trajectory of COVID-19 spread. Canceling MG events can carry religious, societal, economic, and public negative consequences necessitating the safe return of these events. The experience with the COVID-19 pandemic was the foundation for the recommendations for the safe conduction of MG events during the pandemic by international public health bodies. When policymakers adequately applied precautionary measures and strategic approaches, we witnessed the safe holding of huge MG events without aggravating the COVID-19 situation or increasing the number of new cases beyond the capacity and readiness of the national healthcare system.

Monkeypox (MPX) is a viral zoonotic disease that is endemic in Central and West African countries had affected countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and South and North America. Some globally reported cases were linked to history of recent travel to endemic regions, however, official reports revealed homosexual practices among the majority of reported cases. In response to global increase MPX burden and number of cases, the WHO declared MPX a Public Health Emergency with International Concern (PHEIC) on July 23, 2022. The first MPX case in Saudi Arabia was a returning traveler from Europe to Riyadh on July 14, 2022. It is essential for policy makers to maintain neutral tone for health education messages and inform the public that MPX transmits via physical contact.

Disease transmission is dependent on a variety of factors, including the characteristics of an event, such as crowding and shared accommodations, the potential of participants having prolonged exposure and close contact with infectious individuals, the type of activities, and the characteristics of the participants, such as their age and immunity to infectious agents [1–3]. Effective control of outbreaks of infectious diseases requires rapid diagnosis and intervention in high-risk settings. As a result, syndromic and event-based surveillance may be used to enhance the responsiveness of the surveillance system [1]. In public health, surveillance is collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data across time to inform decision-making and aid policy implementation [1]. In this review article we aimed to provide an overview of the principles, types, uses, advantages, and limitations of surveillance systems and to highlight the importance of early warning systems in response to the information received by disease surveillance. The study conducted a comprehensive literature search using several databases, selecting, and reviewing 78 articles that covered different types of surveillance systems, their applications, and their impact on controlling infectious diseases. The article also presents a case study from the Hajj gathering, which highlighted the development, evaluation, and impact of early warning systems on response to the information received by disease surveillance. The study concludes that ongoing disease surveillance should be accompanied by well-designed early warning and response systems, and continuous efforts should be invested in evaluating and validating these systems to minimize the risk of reporting delays and reducing the risk of outbreaks.

Background: West Java is the province with the highest number of productive age population in Indonesia. The productivity of this age group is significantly influenced by health and education factors, with health teaching materials serving as educational tools. Among the challenges that hinder the productivity of active adults, chronic disease poses a significant threat. Purpose: This study aimed to describe the cholesterol, blood sugar, and uric acid examinations in active adults, including the need for health teaching materials. Method: The sampling method used was purposive sampling, with inclusion criteria being active adults aged 18 to 60 years, who work or study at an educational institution in Bandung Regency. Meanwhile, adults with mental illness were excluded, resulting in a sample size of 70 participants. The method for checking cholesterol, blood sugar, and uric acid used a Glucose Cholesterol Uric acid (GCU) meter. Results: The results showed that 12 adults had high cholesterol levels, while 6 had elevated blood sugar and uric acid levels. In the young age group (aged 18-44 years), 2 adults experienced hypercholesterolemia. The most sought-after teaching material for chronic disease was preventing sugar intake in soft drinks and the benefits of enhancing a healthy lifestyle through education. Furthermore, establishing prevention programs in educational institutions is an essential requirement to prevent the development of chronic and safeguard the productivity of active adults. Conclusions: Based on the results, it was recommended that productive and active adults receive training in chronic disease awareness and facilitate regular general check-ups (GCUs). This proactive approach was expected to contribute to the development and health security of the country.

Background: The World Health Assembly (WHA), on 1st December 2021, unanimously agreed to launch a global process to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement, or other international instrument under the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) constitution to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. We aimed to explore the role of global health diplomacy (GHD) in pandemic treaty negotiations by providing deep insight into the ongoing drafting process under the WHO leadership. Methods: We conducted a narrative review by searching Scopus, Web of Sciences, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar search engine using the keywords "Pandemic Treaty," OR "International Health Regulations," OR "International conventions," OR "International treaties" in the context of recent COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, we included articles recommending the need for GHD, leadership and governance mechanisms for this international treaty drafting approved by the WHA. Results: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of GHD bolstered the international system and remained high on the agendas of many national, regional and global platforms. As per Article 19 of the WHO constitution, the Assembly established an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft and negotiate this convention/ agreement to protect the world from disease outbreaks of pandemic potential. Since GHD has helped to strengthen international cooperation in health systems and address inequities in achieving health-related global targets, there is a great scope for the successful drafting of this pandemic treaty. Conclusion: The pandemic treaty is a defining moment in global health governance, particularly the pandemic governance reforms. However, the treaty’s purpose will only be served if the equity considerations are optimized, accountability mechanisms are established, and a sense of shared responsibility is embraced. While fulfilling treaty commitments might be complex and challenging, it provides an opportunity to rethink and build resilient systems for pandemic preparedness and response in the future.

Disease transmission is dependent on a variety of factors, including the characteristics of an event, such as crowding and shared accommodations, the potential of participants having prolonged exposure and close contact with infectious individuals, the type of activities, and the characteristics of the participants, such as their age and immunity to infectious agents [1–3]. Effective control of outbreaks of infectious diseases requires rapid diagnosis and intervention in high-risk settings. As a result, syndromic and event-based surveillance may be used to enhance the responsiveness of the surveillance system [1]. In public health, surveillance is collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data across time to inform decision-making and aid policy implementation [1]. In this review article we aimed to provide an overview of the principles, types, uses, advantages, and limitations of surveillance systems and to highlight the importance of early warning systems in response to the information received by disease surveillance. The study conducted a comprehensive literature search using several databases, selecting, and reviewing 78 articles that covered different types of surveillance systems, their applications, and their impact on controlling infectious diseases. The article also presents a case study from the Hajj gathering, which highlighted the development, evaluation, and impact of early warning systems on response to the information received by disease surveillance. The study concludes that ongoing disease surveillance should be accompanied by well-designed early warning and response systems, and continuous efforts should be invested in evaluating and validating these systems to minimize the risk of reporting delays and reducing the risk of outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, several countries suspended or restricted mass gathering (MG) events to mitigate the risk of superspreading events. Prohibiting MGs aimed to lessen the likelihood of highly infectious persons coming into close contact with many others. Now that the world has opened its doors wide and removed most of precautionary measures, many questions arise. In this review, we aimed to summarize the current evidence regarding the policies and regulations that were implemented for the safe return of MG events. Besides, we highlighted the impact of the return of MG events during 2021 on the trajectory of COVID-19 spread. Canceling MG events can carry religious, societal, economic, and public negative consequences necessitating the safe return of these events. The experience with the COVID-19 pandemic was the foundation for the recommendations for the safe conduction of MG events during the pandemic by international public health bodies. When policymakers adequately applied precautionary measures and strategic approaches, we witnessed the safe holding of huge MG events without aggravating the COVID-19 situation or increasing the number of new cases beyond the capacity and readiness of the national healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monkeypox (MPX) is a viral zoonotic disease that is endemic in Central and West African countries had affected countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and South and North America. Some globally reported cases were linked to history of recent travel to endemic regions, however, official reports revealed homosexual practices among the majority of reported cases. In response to global increase MPX burden and number of cases, the WHO declared MPX a Public Health Emergency with International Concern (PHEIC) on July 23, 2022. The first MPX case in Saudi Arabia was a returning traveler from Europe to Riyadh on July 14, 2022. It is essential for policy makers to maintain neutral tone for health education messages and inform the public that MPX transmits via physical contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South Korean COVID-19 pandemic response implemented a new biosurveillance regime actively utilizing new information and communication technology (ICT) and digital tools, centered on the testing, tracing, and treating (3T) strategy. Critics argue that Korea's 3T strategy may violate individuals' privacy and human rights. According to Foucauldian perspectives, implementing a strict regime of this nature would bolster the government's social surveillance capabilities and enable population control, effectively establishing a "digital big brother" in the age of cyberspace. However, Western media highlights the citizen's voluntary participation in biosurveillance practices as well as the successful national election during the pandemic, praising it as a new pandemic response model for democratic countries. Closer scrutiny reveals that Korea's digital-based biosurveillance system for pandemic response has evolved since the experience with the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak, by citizens' requests and self-help behaviors. The biocitizenship framework's bottom-up approach offers a more robust explanation for the emergence of new biosurveillance in Korea in the context of health security, as opposed to the top-down approach of biopolitics. This article's case study illustrates how the post-MERS digital biosurveillance in Korea serves as a new model of biocitizenship establishing governmental discipline by social compromise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studies in Politics & Society / Polityka & Społeczeństwo is the property of University of Rzeszow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

National health security is a condition that enables the Indonesian nation to face and overcome various health threats, both originating from within the country and abroad. This research aims to analyze the role of law in realizing national health security. This research uses normative research methods. Data was collected through literature studies of legal regulations, books, journals and scientific articles related to law and health. The data analysis technique used is qualitative analysis. The research results show that law has an important role in realizing national health security, including its role in creating a just and equitable health system, protecting people's health rights, improving the quality of health services, ensuring the availability of safe and affordable medicines and health equipment, encouraging health research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's societies, one of the reasons for maintaining personal and social health is the maintenance of judicial security frameworks, which require proper organization and structuring. The health of societies depends on ensuring individual and collective health, as well as justice and security. Therefore, the present study aimed to review judicial security with the approach of health security. The present review was conducted by searching the keywords “Judicial prevention,” “health-oriented,” “judicial security,” “security,” and “health security” in Scopus, ScienceDirect, ISI, SID, Google Scholar, Springer, and ProQuest databases from 2001 to 2023. A total of 63 articles were found during the search in both English and Farsi languages. Among these articles, 48 were excluded from the study process due to the lack of thematic and content connections, as well as the lack of access to the entire text of the article. Moreover, considering that few studies has been conducted using healthoriented strategies of judicial security, finally, a total of 12 studies were included in the investigation. The findings revealed that judicial health, in order to maintain personal and social health and guarantee security health, requires the use of new trends in the formulation of laws and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Saudi Arabia implemented precautionary measures earlier before the first COVID-19 case had been confirmed. In March 02, 2020, the first COVID-19 was confirmed in Saudi Arabia which resulted in tightening precautionary measures. Turaif’s location and population structure present a challenge for pandemic management. Multidisciplinary approach is essential to ensure efficiency of coordinated effortsbetween local authority and health officials.

The paper focuses on exploring the impact of human trafficking on human security. The primary research method employed is a review of scholarly literature. Considering the complexity of the research subject, scientific papers from various disciplines have been examined. The aim of this article is to present key theoretical considerations and empirical findings regarding the mechanisms through which human trafficking influences different dimensions of human security, namely personal security, health security, food security, economic security, political security, and community security. Findings indicate that human trafficking seriously jeopardizes all domains of human security, and the negative consequences extend beyond the physical integrity and health of the victims. Upon exiting the trafficking network, victims often encounter economic insecurity and community stigma, which hampers their reintegration and creates fertile ground for re-victimization. Hence, considering the far-reaching implications of trafficking in all spheres of life, it can be inferred that human trafficking is a significant cause of human insecurity.

Abstract Background All countries are required to implement International Health Regulations (IHR) through development and implementation of multi-year National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS). IHR implementation requires annual operational planning which involves several tools such as NAPHS, State Party Annual Report (SPAR), Joint External Evaluation (JEE) and WHO IHR Benchmarks tool. Sierra Leone has successfully improved IHR capacities across the years through successful annual operational planning using the above tools. We conducted a study to document and share the country’s unique approach to implementation of NAPHS. Methods This was an observational study where the process of implementing and monitoring NAPHS in Sierra Leone was observed at the national level from 2018 to 2021. Data was obtained through review and analysis of NAPHS annual operational plans, quarterly review reports and annual IHR assessment reports. Available data was supplemented by information from key informants. Qualitative data was captured as notes and analysed for various themes while quantitative data was analyzed mainly for means and proportions. Results The overall national IHR Joint External Evaluation self-assessment score for human health improved from 44% in 2018 to 51% in 2019 and 57% in 2020. The score for the animal sector improved from 32% in 2018 to 43% in 2019 and 52% in 2020. A new JEE tool with new indicators was used in 2021 and the score for both human and animal sectors declined slightly to 51%. Key enablers of success included strong political commitment, whole-of-government approach, annual assessments using JEE tool, annual operational planning using WHO IHR Benchmarks tool and real time online monitoring of progress. Key challenges included disruption created by COVID-19 response, poor health infrastructure, low funding and inadequate health workforce. Conclusion IHR annual operational planning and implementation using evidence-based data and tools can facilitate strengthening of IHR capacity and should be encouraged.

The outdoor rainwater drainage pollution in a large general hospital poses considerable threats to the environment and our health. A systematic analysis method was summarized in the investigation practice. Results showed that the pipe network damage caused by uneven geological settlement was the main reason for the pollution of the rainwater pipe network in the hospital. Countermeasures such as settlement repair and geological foundation reinforcement, rainwater and sewage pipeline transformation, the repair of mixed connection of rainwater and sewage pipes and polluted water sources, drainage health safety in isolated areas, and emergency storage tanks were discussed. After implementing the measures, the NH3-N measured value was within 0.82 mg/L, and the average removal rate was 97.4%. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration also decreased significantly with an average of 12 mg/L and the average removal rate was 91.8%. The results show that the reconstruction can effectively deal with the problem of outdoor rainwater drainage pollution in the hospital. The study has specific engineering reference significance for medical building drainage system's health and safety research. HIGHLIGHTS Uneven geological settlement was the main reason for the pollution of the rainwater pipe network in the hospital.; The stress of the pipe increased with the increase in the relative settlement of the pipe.; There are some countermeasures such as settlement repair and geological foundation reinforcement, rainwater and sewage pipeline transformation, drainage health safety in isolated areas, and emergency storage tank.;

Objective To analyze differences in the indicator framework of the Global Health Security Index (GHSI) and the scores of GHSI indicators for 195 contracting countries of International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR2005) between 2019 and 2021. Methods Yearly GHSI evaluation reports and the data on 195 contracting countries of IHR2005 on GHSI indicator scores for years of 2019 and 2021 were downloaded from official GHSI website (https://www.ghsindex.org) and changes in GHSI indicator framework and contracting country-specific scores of GHSI indicators were analyzed. Paired T-test was used to compare between-year differences in and correlations of country-specific scores of GHSI indicators. General linear regression was adopted to assess the collinearities and correlations between total score and scores of primary/secondary indicators of GHSI for 195 contracting countries of IHR2005 in 2021. ResultsIn 2021, the average GHSI score was 38.9 (in a scale with 5 categories and the maximum score of 100) for the 195 contracting countries of IHR2005 nearly the same as that (40.2) of 2019; none of the 195 contracting countries was assessed as having the GHSI score of the optimum grade (the scores of > 80) and 66.7% of the countries were scored below 40, with a median score of 34.9. Compared to that of 2019, the GSHI 2021 index framework was supplemented with 3 secondary indicators, 11 tertiary indicators, and 31 questions. The results of paired T-test showed that the average score of GHSI for the 195 contracting countries in 2021 was increased by 0.1 point against that of 2019, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In comparison with those in 2019, following average scores decreased significantly for primary indicators of preventing the emergence or spread of pathogens (reduced by 0.6, t = – 2.413; P < 0.05) and rapidly responding to/reducing disease transmission (by 4.0, t = – 9.402; P < 0.05), secondary indicators of zoonosis prevention (by 4.8, t = – 6.590; P < 0.001) and trade and travel restrictions (by 58.3, t = – 33.158; P < 0.001). There were strong correlations between country-specific scores of secondary indicators of 2019 and those of 2021, except for the score of trade and travel restrictions (r = 0.117) and the score of implementing response plan (r = 0.237) . General linear regression analysis showed that there was no collinearity among the country-specific scores of 6 primary indicators in 2021, but the total scores of all indicators were significantly correlated with the scores of 6 primary indicators (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusion Based on the assessment using GHSI scores, none of the 195 IHR2005 contracting countries is well prepared for the next probable disease pandemic and the ability to prevent and respond to public health emergencies needs to be improved for the countries.

This Editorial explores organizational travel risk management and advocates for a comprehensive approach to fortify health security for travelers, emphasizing proactive risk management, robust assessments, and strategic planning. Leveraging insights from very important persons (VIP) protocols, organizations can enhance duty of care and ensure personnel safety amidst global travel complexities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Health security as a domain has gained tremendous importance in the recent past. Emerging and re-emerging diseases globally, coupled with the derailment of the determinants of health mainly the socio-political environment, has made health security a cross-cutting entity in diverse fields including International Relations (IR). With the ongoing global polycrisis, the health-related issues which were previously sidelined as a concept of less strategic importance in the IR field, are now contributing to the shift of the world order. This has instilled an increased participation of IR scholars in the discussions and debates on health security concerns. The field of IR contains numerous theoretical lenses through which scholars analyze such situations, policies, and systems of the world. Methods In this paper, we use a scoping review method to inspect how IR theories have been applied in analyzing health security concerns. Results We observed that various diverging IR theories have been used to deliberate on states’ actions in tackling the recent pandemic and have also been prescriptive about the changing notions of multilateralism and international governing organizations. Realism, liberalism, and securitization were among the most frequently applied IR theories in the context of health security discussions. Conclusions This work provides an impetus to enhance the interaction among interdisciplinary teams leading to evolving solutions that can address issues of global importance in the contemporary world.

There are major threats to Bangladesh's food and health security posed by climate change, including a higher risk of food shortage, hunger, and waterborne illnesses. The country's coastline regions, which are most susceptible to the effects of climate change, are where these problems are most severe. The influence of climate change on Bangladesh's food and health security is examined in this research study. The report analyzes the existing level of understanding on this subject, identifies knowledge gaps, and proposes future research possibilities. Based on the literature review, the study found a number of issues, such as crop failure and lower health status, that worsen the effects of climate change on food and health security. The evaluation emphasizes the serious threats that climate change poses to Bangladesh's food and health security, such as a higher risk of food shortage, hunger, and waterborne illnesses. The harshest effects of climate change are on people's health. The report makes a number of suggestions for academics and politicians to address these issues and how policymakers and scholars may approach these problems. HIGHLIGHTS This review article has a greater influence on making the policy for eradication of threats.; This study will be helpful to assess the future of projected food and health security impacts by climate change.;