March 12, 2025
LMICs are disproportionately burdened by sparse medical oxygen coverage.
The One Health Trust’s Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan and other members of the Lancet Global Health Commission on Medical Oxygen Security established in 2022, published a report highlighting the need for better, more equitable access to medical oxygen. The Commission found that in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) only 30 percent of people in need of medical oxygen for acute medical and surgical conditions receive adequate oxygen therapy. Achieving Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 will require that countries prioritize investments in medical oxygen infrastructure to address the root causes of poor access to lifesaving medical oxygen. [The Lancet Global Health]
A framework shift to transform food systems
OHT’s Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan and Dr. Costanza Conti co-authored a systematic review of the roles and patterns of interactions in the food system transformation framework. An assessment of 40 case studies across 24 countries revealed 5 types of interactions among actors: Autonomous Bottom-Up, Collaborative Bottom-Up, Top-Down Struggles and Resourceful Bottom-Up, Collaborative Top-Down, and Transformation Alliances. The authors propose a shift from dichotomous “top-down” and “bottom-up” interactions to the concept of “transformation functions,” where existing or needed capabilities for transformation would guide the framework of interactions. [Global Food Security]
Risk factors for early-onset neonatal sepsis in the West Bank
A retrospective observational study of neonates with culture-positive early-onset sepsis (EOS) in Palestinian intensive care units in the West Bank found Escherichia coli (15.1 percent), Klebsiella spp. (15.1 percent), and α–hemolytic streptococcus (11.6 percent) comprised the most commonly isolated pathogens. Premature birth and low birth weight were the leading risk factors of EOS in this population. [BMC Pediatrics]
One Health research and practice in the Arab region
A review reveals that One Health research outperformed planetary health research in the Arab region, in terms of productivity and the number of contributing countries. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were the leading contributors to One Health and planetary health research in this region, with most research projects involving international collaborations with non-Arab countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. In the Arab region, the arid climate and reliance on livestock farming increase the risk of zoonotic pathogen transmission and reinforce the need for One Health research and practice. [Science in One Health]
Antibiotics are overprescribed for pediatric diarrhea in Mozambique.
A cross-sectional surveillance study of antibiotic use for pediatric diarrhea management in six hospitals in Mozambique between 2014 and 2019 revealed a high prevalence (93.2 percent) of antibiotic prescription among hospitalized children. The study also found that nearly half of all admitted children (49.1 percent) received more than one antibiotic. The World Health Organization treatment guidelines for acute diarrhea do not suggest routine antibiotic prescription, highlighting the need for local antibiotic stewardship to reduce misuse and overuse of antibiotics. [BMC Infectious Diseases]
More than half of individuals exposed to chlamydia and gonorrhea in Lyon, France received unnecessary antibiotics.
Results of a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of asymptomatic exposed individuals preemptively treated for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) in Lyon, France indicated that 59.6 percent received at least 1 unnecessary antibiotic treatment, with NG exposure associated to more potential antibiotic overuse than CT exposure (odds ratio: 1.9). Male gender (OR: 2.3) and all sexual orientations except heterosexuality (OR: 3.3) were significantly associated with potential antibiotic overuse. [Infectious Diseases Now]
Assessing the risk of human-bat contact in the Netherlands
An assessment of individuals of the general public, at-risk individuals, and those living in a home with a bat roost in the Netherlands showed that despite bats living in proximity with humans, direct contact between bats and humans is rare among the general public and common in people occupationally exposed to bats. Positive bat perception scores, higher bat knowledge, and greater bat disease knowledge scores increased the probability of an individual having direct contact with bats. [One Health Outlook]
The role of oral health providers in promoting HPV vaccination
While human papillomavirus (HPV) has long been shown to cause cervical cancer, oropharyngeal cancer has surpassed cervical cancer as the most common type of HPV-related cancer. Over 70 percent of oropharyngeal cancer cases are caused by HPV, highlighting the role of dentists and other oral health providers in HPV prevention efforts. Although the stigma linked to HPV as a sexually transmitted disease may represent a barrier, oral health providers may have opportunities to passively share information about HPV vaccination with their patients through their regular clinical practice. [Journal of the California Dental Association]
Human, animal, and environmental risk factors for zoonotic pathogen transmission
A recent review underscores the importance of the One Health approach in understanding the transmission dynamics of zoonotic pathogens, particularly in the context of immunocompromised individuals. Livestock farming, antimicrobial use, and animal and environmental reservoirs such as airborne dust, pose serious risks to humans and animals in their roles as carriers and transmitters of zoonotic pathogens. [Frontiers in Veterinary Science]
Understanding public opinion on an H5N1 outbreak through social media
An analysis of memes shared on Facebook in response to the recent H5N1 influenza outbreak in the United States reveals how this outbreak became conflated with other online debates, such as the debate over consuming raw milk. Studying memes related to public health issues can offer early insights into public opinion and help stakeholders develop effective risk messaging and combat misinformation. Future social media analyses should include other platforms to better assess the landscape of online messages around public health issues. [Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness]
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