Background: More than 104 million (approximately 8%) of India’s population belongs to Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities. About 35% of STs live below the poverty line and compared to other social groups, have poorer health and social indicators. Many live in remote areas or forest areas and have poor physical access to health facilities. ST communities have also been disproportionately affected by displacement and forced migration due to development projects. Although ST communities are exposed to a combination of social, economic and environmental factors that may affect their mental health and wellbeing, there is limited data related to mental health needs of tribal communities in India, with few mental health interventions involving tribal communities and limited evidence of appropriate mental health promotion interventions.  Mental health promotion (MHP) is based on broader principles of health promotion in which the focus is not on disease or pathology but on promoting overall health and ps

Background Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common and debilitating condition that primarily affects individuals over 50. It results from degenerative changes in the structures surrounding the spinal canal—such as the intervertebral discs, facet joints, and ligaments—that lead to a narrowing of the central lumbar spinal canal. People with LSS often experience pain, numbness, or weakness in one or both legs, which worsens with standing or walking but is relieved by sitting or bending forward. When symptoms do not improve with conservative treatments like medication or physiotherapy, surgery is often recommended. Decompression surgery, such as a laminectomy or laminotomy, involves removing bone and ligament tissue that contribute to the narrowing of the spinal canal. While some individuals experience symptom relief following surgery, strong evidence supporting the efficacy of this approach is still lacking. Aim This project aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety and cost-effect

Background An infodemic according to the WHO is “an overabundance of information, both online and offline”, and typically accompanies outbreaks and pandemics e.g. COVID-19. Mis- and dis-information have wide ranging serious and adverse impacts on individuals, communities and health systems, and undermines public health responses to COVID-19. The 3rd WHO IM training is aimed to address the critical and urgent global need to develop capacity in infodemic management interventions and practice to understand and mitigate the impact of infodemics in a timely manner. Aim The 3rd IM training is aimed to build capacity so that trainees will be able to apply their knowledge and skills gained in national preparedness and response to infodemics and support the development of networks for knowledge and resource exchange The training will encompass global and region-specific topics in the infodemic and health misinformation Research Methodology The virtual tr

An estimated 11–32% of the global disease burden is due to surgically correctable illnesses. Lancet Commission on Global Surgery estimated that 5 billion people do not have adequate access to safe affordable surgical care when needed. Contrary to belief, investing in surgical services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is affordable, saves lives, and promotes economic growth. Global Surgery is defined as an area of study, research, practice, and advocacy that seeks to improve health outcomes and achieve health equity for all people who need surgical and anaesthesia care, with a special emphasis on underserved populations and populations in crisis. Among these surgically treatable diseases, trauma causes over four million deaths annually, predominantly in LMICs and is an important aspect of Global surgery. Cancer, similarly, is the second most lethal noncommunicable disease after cardiovascular disease and accounted for about 9.9 million deaths, globally in 2020. Around 9% of all cancer death

Background Pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure (also known as hypertension), gestational diabetes and anaemia increase risks to the mother and baby during pregnancy the world over, but the burden is particularly great in certain contexts, including many parts of rural India. These complications can have longer-term consequences after birth. For instance, up to 50% of women who experience gestational diabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 5-10 years. Meanwhile, following preeclampsia (a disorder of pregnancy that is marked by the onset of high blood pressure), women are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications, while anaemia (which over half of the women in India experience during their pregnancy) can markedly affect a woman’s well-being, energy and productivity in society if it persists. These challenges are coupled with the reality that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are two of the l

Background Australia is a world leader in health and medical research, however an ongoing research barrier is the slow recruitment of research participants across the country. Increasing community involvement in medical research is a key goal for the government’s “National One Stop Shop” for clinical trials. Research registers are a proven way of connecting patients and researchers, but these registers typically address specific diseases, focus on people attending metropolitan centres of excellence, and can be difficult for patients to navigate. Disease-agnostic research registers offer participants of all types a single point of access to research. Aims Join Us is a not-for-profit, disease-agnostic health research register dedicated to connecting everyday Australians with meaningful research opportunities. Join Us aims to achieve better health and wellbeing for the Australian community by removing a major barrier to the recruitment of participant