BackgroundInjuries are a leading cause of death in children and adolescents in the 5-19 age group. Despite this they have received comparatively less public and policy attention in previous decades due to a focus on infectious diseases. Indicators are an important tool for advocacy, monitoring, policy planning and public awareness. Indicators related to injury are few and focus mostly on road safety, making it challenging for policymakers to direct their efforts and compare progress across countries.AimWe aimed to develop a more representative, detailed, and useful suite of policy-relevant indicators for childhood unintentional injuries to support and evaluate injury prevention initiatives for UNICEF, across their country offices worldwide that better represent the child and adolescent unintentional injury burden.Research MethodologyThe George Institute for Global Health used a five-step process to find and select the best ways to measure childhood injury risks. First, we did a thorough search of both publish

BackgroundDementia is a decline in thinking skills that affects our ability to conduct day-to-day activities. It is not a normal part of ageing however there is a greater risk of dementia as we age. There are currently around 472,000 people affected by dementia in Australia, which is predicted to double in the next 35 years.Studies have shown that high blood pressure increases the risk of dementia. Some studies suggest that medication to lower blood pressure might help reduce the risk of dementia but there is insufficient evidence for clear recommendations. The RECALL-Pilot trial aims to address this gap in the current body of research.AimTo encourage nationwide participation, RECALL-Pilot is trialling a new online approach to clinical trials, which will inform the future design of a larger clinical trial on dementia risk reduction.Research MethodologyThere are no face-to-face appointments in this study except for two blood tests – participants will carry out the rest of the pilot trial online from home.&nb

BackgroundThe health effects of climate change are not gender neutral, and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to the dangers posed by a warming planet. Countries with a tropical climate, such as India, are experiencing more frequent and severe heatwaves, threatening the health of mothers and their babies. Extreme heat exposure has been linked to a doubling in the risk of miscarriage, as well as a greater risk of other adverse birth outcomes, including restricted fetal growth, low birth weight, premature birth, and stillbirth.AimHeat in Pregnancy – India (HiP-India) is a multi-disciplinary project designed to understand how extreme heat leads to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Its team consists of experts across institutions in the UK and India, who will use state-of-the-art climate, imaging, and laboratory diagnostics to assess how heat exposure affects maternal, placental, fetal and lactation function.Research methodologyHiP-India involves the following activities:Monitoring heat exposure and physiolog

Background:Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) due to bleeding into the brain by the rupture of a blood vessel, is the most serious and least treatable type of stroke. Outcome prediction after ICH is fundamental to guiding the care of patients. However, the current range of prediction tools are limited. Machine Learning, especially, deep learning, has the potential to assist and improve outcome prediction/prognosis.Aim:To use deep learning to develop a robust decision-tool to assist clinicians predict key outcomes at a personalised level in patients with ICH as part of routine clinical practice.Research Methodology:Collection and use of data from surveys and focus groups to assist in the design and validation of the machine learning software.Secondary use of existing datasets including brain imaging data and medical records (demographics, clinical data, medical history, haematoma parameters, other imaging parameters, management over 7-days) to train the prediction model.Current Status:The project was launched in

BackgroundIn India, approximately 1 million community health workers, known as ASHAs, care for 25 million pregnant women and their babies each year.Detecting high-risk conditions in women before complications arise is crucial for averting maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. In rural India, factors like anaemia, hypertension and gestational diabetes persist as significant risk factors.SMARThealth Pregnancy improves community-based screening and management of anaemia, diabetes and hypertension during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Integrating our large language model (LLM) chatbot into the SMARThealth Pregnancy platform will enable real-time assistance for ASHAs through the provision of guideline-based information.AimsTo collaboratively develop an LLM to help ASHAs deliver guideline-based care for pregnant and postpartum women in rural India.Research MethodologyThis pioneering initiative aims to collaborate with ASHAs to co-create an LLM-based chatbot customised to their needs that will provide c

BackgroundThe burden of chronic kidney disease is growing, with a global prevalence between 11-13%. Whilst data on kidney disease in Fiji is sparse, one retrospective study estimated an incidence of untreated kidney failure between 793 - 938 per million population, with 86.2% mortality at 20 months.Treatment for kidney failure in Fiji includes dialysis and transplantation (overseas), with both incurring an out-of-pocket cost to patients. Chronic kidney disease is the fourth leading cause of death in Fiji, despite dialysis services expanding nationally. At present there is no standardised data collection regarding kidney care, making advocacy for, and planning of, kidney care services difficult.AimTo improve understanding regarding kidney care and the incidence, prevalence and survival of patients treated for kidney failure in Fiji.To generate evidence-based recommendations for kidney failure treatment in Fiji.Research MethodologyThis project will implement a prospective kidney replacement therapy registry in

As we advance towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3 for health through Universal Health Coverage (UHC) reforms in various Indian states, prior experience suggests that health interventions tend to privilege already advantaged populations, creating inequality. There is, therefore, an urgent need to understand the magnitude of inequalities in coverage of UHC at the state level related to age, sex, place of residence, religion, caste status, tribal status, district, as appropriate, and how they have come about using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Aims and Objectives       The project aims to assess the magnitudes of inequalities related to UHC-linked health reform in the Indian state of Kerala and then use participatory, qualitative methods to assess the mechanisms underlying these inequalities. The project will build on a novel and innovative approach undertaken with the World Health Organisation to build capacity in the monitoring of heal

Urban health, with special focus on the health of vulnerable populations, has been underserved in the recent years. People living on the streets and slum dwellers are at the worst risk of contracting infectious diseases and are increasingly prone to non-communicable diseases owing to changing lifestyles.  Vijaywada has 111 slums with 26% of the total population residing in slums, on streets and in other underprivileged settlements in the city. The city has a population of 1.5 million people and is ranked third in the world on population per sq. km., following Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Hyderabad (Pakistan). The total unmet need for family planning is below national average that is 6.1%. One of the major challenges faced by the people living in these slums is poor living conditions. Around 20 slums in Vijayawada are situated on river bends and canals, making these areas very hazardous in terms of sanitation, accessibility to potable water and general living conditions. These slums are densel

Around 150 million people are affected with mental disorders in India. Depression, Anxiety, stress and associated risk of suicide are some of the most common mental disorders. Earlier research has shown that India has high suicide rates with Andhra Pradesh having one of the highest suicide rates in the country at around 37.5/100,000 people. The gaps in seeking adequate healthcare for common mental disorders, which included depression, stress and elevated suicide risk, is around 75-80% in resource-limited settings such as India, as compared to 40-50% in developed countries. There are multiple reasons for this treatment gap, some of which include stigma, lack of trained mental health professionals, limited awareness about mental health etc. These problems are more severe in rural areas. Training mental health professionals in sufficient numbers in these settings are, simply not pragmatic. Hence, it is the need of the hour to develop innovative strategies to increase access to a basic standard of