The policy brief discusses how a challenge-oriented approach to place-based innovation policies The policy brief discusses how a challenge-oriented approach to place-based innovation policies can bring added value to EU Cohesion Policy. In so doing, it looks at the potential implications of can bring added value to EU Cohesion Policy. In so doing, it looks at the potential implications of a challenge-led logic on three dimensions: the rationale of Cohesion Policy, its operational aspects a challenge-led logic on three dimensions: the rationale of Cohesion Policy, its operational aspects as well as its challenges in terms of governance and coordination. Three areas are explored: how a as well as its challenges in terms of governance and coordination. Three areas are explored: how a challenge-driven logic can offer a deliberative approach to formulate challenge-oriented terrichallenge-driven logic can offer a deliberative approach to formulate challenge-oriented territorial development priorities in the context of Cohesion Policy; how the challenge-oriented torial development priorities in the context of Cohesion Policy; how the challenge-oriented approach can provide an optimal coordination framework to consolidate and streamline public approach can provide an optimal coordination framework to consolidate and streamline public investments from across policy areas and governance levels; how it can reinforce stakeholders investments from across policy areas and governance levels; how it can reinforce stakeholders engagement in Cohesion Policy around localised challenges and help build challenge-oriented engagement in Cohesion Policy around localised challenges and help build challenge-oriented partnerships. partnerships.

Background with Europe's demographic diversity growing due to immigration, understanding and addressing the barriers to healthcare experienced by immigrants is of paramount importance. However, an updated systematic review of the literature on this topic is missing. Methods we systematically searched the PubMed and Scopus databases to synthesise quantitative evidence regarding self-perceived barriers to healthcare access faced by immigrants in Europe. Peer-reviewed articles, written in English, published from 2011 onwards, studying adult populations not in detention centres were eligible for the review. Articles were charted according to the population of study, sample size, geographical area and level of study (local vs national), and applied methodology (descriptive vs inferential). Results linguistic and health literacy barriers emerge as the most prominent, and most studied, barriers to healthcare for immigrants. The extant literature covers disproportionally Northern European countries; often uses small sample sizes and convenience sampling; and is particularly limited as far as the undocumented population is concerned. Discussion policies should aim at increasing the availability of interpreters and healthcare materials translated in different languages, as well as at better training health professionals to address specific immigrants’ needs. We encourage future research to focus on healthcare barriers faced by immigrants in Southern and Central European contexts; to improve results’ robustness and external validity by using high quality sampling techniques and larger sample sizes, and including native populations as comparison groups; and to put more attention to the experience of undocumented immigrants, as they are the immigrant population with the most critical and precarious healthcare status.

Output 1.4.1 Solutions scaled up for sustainable management of natural resources, including sustainable commodities and green and inclusive value chains Output 2.4.1 Gender-responsive legal and regulatory frameworks, policies and institutions strengthened, and solutions adopted, to address conservation, sustainable use and equitable benefit sharing of natural resources, in line with international conventions and national legislation

Output 4.1 Natural resources protected and managed to enhance sustainable productivity and livelihoods

Output 2.1.1 Low emission and climate resilient objectives addressed in national, sub-national and sectoral development plans and policies to promote economic diversification and green growth Output 2.1.2 Capacities developed for progressive expansion of inclusive social protection systems Output 2.2.1 Use of digital technologies and big data enabled for improved public services and other government functions Output 2.2.2 Constitution-making, electoral and parliamentary processes and institutions strengthened to promote inclusion, transparency and accountability Output 2.2.3 Capacities, functions and financing of rule of law and national human rights institutions and systems strengthened to expand access to justice and combat discrimination, with a focus on women and other marginalised groups Output 2.3.1 Data and risk-informed development policies, plans, systems and financing incorporate integrated and gender-responsive solutions to reduce disaster risks, enable climate change adaptation and mitigation, and prevent risk of conflict Output 2.4.1 Gender-responsive legal and regulatory frameworks, policies and institutions strengthened, and solutions adopted, to address conservation, sustainable use and equitable benefit sharing of natural resources, in line with international conventions and national legislation Output 2.5.1 Solutions developed, financed and applied at scale for energy efficiency and transformation to clean energy and zero-carbon development, for poverty eradication and structural transformation Output 2.6.1 Capacities strengthened to raise awareness on and undertake legal, policy and institutional reforms to fight structural barriers to women’s empowerment Output 1.1 The 2030 Agenda, Paris Agreement and other intergovernmentally-agreed frameworks integrated in national and local development plans, measures to accelerate progress put in place, and budgets and progress assessed using data-driven solutions Output 1.2 Social protection services and systems strengthened across sectors with increased investment Output 1.3 Access to basic services and financial and non-financial assets and services improved to support productive capacities for sustainable livelihoods and jobs to achieve prosperity Output 2.1 Open, agile, accountable and future-ready governance systems in place to co-create and deliver solutions to accelerate SDG achievement Output 2.2 Civic space and access to justice expanded, racism and discrimination addressed, and rule of law, human rights and equity strengthened Output 2.4 Democratic institutions and processes strengthened for an inclusive and open public sphere with expanded public engagement Output 3.4 Integrated development solutions implemented to address the drivers of irregular and forced migration, enhance the resilience of migrants, forcibly displaced and host communities, and expand the benefits of human mobility Output 4.1 Natural resources protected and managed to enhance sustainable productivity and livelihoods Output 4.2 Public and private investment mechanisms mobilized for biodiversity, water, oceans, and?climate solutions Output 5.1 Energy gap closed Output 5.2 Transition to renewable energy accelerated capitalizing on technological gains, clean energy innovations and new financing mechanisms to support green recovery Output 6.1 Country-led measures implemented to achieve inclusive economies and to advance economic empowerment of women in all their diversity, including in crisis contexts Output 6.2 Women’s leadership and participation advanced through implementing affirmative measures, strengthening institutions and civil society, and addressing structural barriers, in order to advance gender equality, including in crisis contexts Output 6.3 National capacities to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) and address harmful gender social norms strengthened, including in crisis contexts Output E.1 People and institutions equipped with strengthened digital capabilities and opportunities to contribute to and benefit from inclusive digital societies Output E.2 Innovation capabilities built, and approaches adopted to expand policy options at global, regional, national and sub-national levels Output E.3 Public and private financing for the achievement of the SDGs expanded at global, regional, and national levels

Aims: The World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergency Programme funded three systematic reviews to inform development of guidance for emergency preparedness in health emergencies. The current review investigated the type of learning interventions that have been developed and used during health emergencies, and how they were developed. Methods: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Communication and Mass Media Complete (EBSCO), and Web of Science. Study quality was appraised by WHO-recommended method-specific checklists. Findings were extracted using a narrative summary approach. Results: 187 studies were included. Studies were split between online, in-person, and hybrid modalities, conducted mostly by hospitals and universities, and most frequently training nurses and doctors. Studies emphasized experiential learning to develop and reinforce skills; online learning for knowledge dissemination; multi-sectoral partnerships, institutional support and carefully constructed planning task forces, rapid training development and dissemination, and use of training models. Conclusion: It Most studies evaluated only knowledge or self-confidence of trainees. Relatively few assessed skills; evaluations of long-term outcomes were rare. Little evidence is available about comparative effectiveness of different approaches, or optimum frequency and length of training programming. Based on principles induced, six recommendations for future JIT training are presented.

点击上方蓝字 关注 兰大循证 为进一步促进循证社会科学发展，学校社会科学处、循证社会科学交叉创新实验室、循证社会科学研究中心和循证医学中心将于4月12日-4月26日举办第十四期《循证社会科学研究方法培训班》。培训班由教学研究经验丰富的老师授课，不收任何费用。欢迎对循征社会科学研究方法感兴趣的师生参加学习，请有意参加培训者填写下方《循证社会科学研究方法培训班》报名表，发送到docdavidliu@163.com；或者扫描下方的二维码进行报名。报名时间截止到4月7日18:00。 联系人：刘晓纬 电 话：13609320094 邮 箱：docdavidliu@163.com 附件：第14期《循证社会科学研究方法培训班》报名表.doc END 责 编 | 郭丽萍、吴亚楠 初 审 | 魏志鹏 终 审 | 杨克虎

Background: Knowledge translation (KT) interventions encompass a variety of activities, platforms, tools, approaches, and strategies designed to leverage research evidence to enhance health policy and practice. This study aims to review and synthesize existing evidence regarding the sources of evidence for KT, platforms and tools, and their opportunities and challenges in strengthening health policy and practice. Methods: A qualitative synthesis of the literature was conducted, adhering to scoping review guidelines. Relevant articles were identified through searches in seven databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) utilizing keywords combined with Boolean operators. Additional articles were searched in Google Scholar. The search included articles published globally up to July 30, 2023, and was restricted to English-language publications. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist was followed. Thematic analysis was performed, organizing emerging themes into four overarching categories: the source of evidence for KT, platforms and tools, opportunities, and challenges. Results: The final review included 64 articles. Several themes emerged in each category of analysis. For instance, the source of evidence for KT interventions was primarily derived from review-informed findings and tacit knowledge. KT interventions were facilitated through various platforms and tools, such as advisory committees, review and monitoring meetings, policy dialogues, frameworks, and digital tools including social media. Identified opportunities for KT included health system leadership, knowledge co-production, partnerships, organizational readiness, and evidence contextualization. Conversely, challenges included inadequate institutionalization of integrated approaches, organizational hierarchies, and fragmentation of KT efforts. Conclusions: This study synthesizes insights into the sources of knowledge, KT platforms, and institutional arrangements, as well as the opportunities and challenges associated with KT interventions. The synthesized knowledge, drawn from reviews and experiential learning, can serve as a valuable resource for KT, disseminated through diverse platforms. Collaborative partnerships among evidence producers, users, and knowledge brokers, supported by appropriate frameworks, are essential for enhancing KT and improving health policy and practice.

Background and aims: Current and future healthcare professionals, such as medical students, are at risk of contracting Hepatitis B virus infection. Vaccination against Hepatitis B is an effective means of prevention. However, studies have reported variable vaccination rates among medical students from different regions of South Asia. Understanding vaccination rates and barriers can guide effective interventions to protect future doctors. Therefore, we aimed to find out the vaccination rate among medical students in South Asia. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and other sources) beginning from inception to July 15, 2024. Observational studies reporting vaccination rates among Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) students in South Asia were included. Two reviewers independently screened and performed the quality assessment. Pooled vaccination rates were calculated and visualized using a random-effects model in R Studio (Version 2023.12.0). Subgroup analysis was performed based on country and year of publication of the studies. Results: Fifty studies from the South Asian region, including 12,231 participants, were included in the quantitative analysis. The overall pooled Hepatitis B vaccination rate using the random-effects model was 56% (CI: 49-63%), with significant heterogeneity among the included studies (I2 = 98%; P = 0). Subgroup analysis based on country revealed a significant regional variation in vaccination rate (59% in Pakistan, 57% in India, 55% in Nepal, and 41% in Bangladesh; P < 0.01). Lack of awareness, perceived low risk or necessity, concerns about side effects, logistical challenges, and lack of motivation have been reported as barriers to vaccination. Conclusion: The overall vaccination rate was relatively low in South Asia, with significant regional variation. Based on the reported barriers, we recommend that relevant authorities focus on vaccination awareness, motivation, cost-effectiveness, logistics management, policy formulation, and monitoring.

目的 综合评估中国人群丙肝知识知晓率现状，为开展丙肝防治工作提供参考依据。方法 检索中国知网、万方、维普、PubMed等数据库，收集2010-2024年公开发表的丙肝知识知晓率的调查研究文献，用STRORE声明对文献质量进行了评估，使用Stata17.0软件对丙肝知识知晓率进行Meta分析，采用随机效应模型合并各样本知晓率，并按地区、人群为分组开展知晓率的亚组分析。结果 共纳入34项文献，含中国人群57 902人。Meta分析结果显示，中国人群丙肝知识知晓率为56.61%(95%CI:47.42%～68.51%)。亚组分析结果显示，不同地区丙肝知识知晓率异质性无统计学意义（P>0.05），不同人群的丙肝知识知晓率异质性差异有统计学意义（P<0.05），医务人员丙肝知识知晓率（80.29%）明显高于普通人群（45.28%）(P<0.01)。结论 中国人群丙肝知识知晓率偏低，通过多种途径加强人群丙肝知识的健康科普在目前显得尤为迫切。

A critical component of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 reform agenda is its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, which is dedicated to the promotion of health and well-being for all. This narrative review offers a mid-term assessment of Saudi Arabia's progress in attaining these objectives, with a particular emphasis on the public health initiatives and comprehensive healthcare reforms that have been implemented as part of this vision. The Kingdom has accomplished substantial reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality rates, with skilled birth attendance reaching nearly universal levels. Saudi Arabia is a regional leader in the field of infectious diseases, having achieved the 95-95-95 HIV targets and significantly reduced the incidences of tuberculosis and malaria. Additionally, the rates of premature mortality from conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases have decreased as a result of efforts to combat non-communicable diseases. Mental health services have been substantially expanded, which has resulted in one of the lowest suicide rates reported worldwide. Substantial investments have collectively improved the universality and quality of healthcare services in health infrastructure, such as the expansion of primary healthcare centers and the integration of digital health solutions, which have supported these health achievements. Saudi Arabia continues to confront persistent obstacles, including the management of the increase in non-communicable diseases, the mitigation of environmental health risks, and the reconciliation of healthcare access disparities, despite these accomplishments. The review recommends that the social determinants of health be addressed through a sustained commitment to cross-sectoral collaboration, enhanced data collection and utilization for health policy-making, and further integration of technology in healthcare delivery. This review not only emphasizes the Kingdom's successes but also the intricate challenges it has encountered, providing valuable insights into the strategic planning required to maintain health gains and achieve SDG 3 by 2030. Saudi Arabia's innovative approach and robust policy implementation serve as a model for the integration of health priorities into national development frameworks, thereby improving health outcomes and contributing to sustainable development.

Proliferated constellations in low earth orbit (LEO) have demonstrated significant battlefield utility in the Russia-Ukraine war and are likely to continue serving as an important component of space power in wartime. How Chinese leaders view these continued developments will have important implications for managing military escalation in space. The authors draw on open-source literature across the Chinese defense enterprise to assess People's Liberation Army (PLA) perspectives of LEO as a warfighting domain and the systems being deployed in LEO. The authors highlight Starlink as an influential development shaping Chinese views of LEO to contextualize their findings.

目的 评估身体活动对肥胖和超重儿童青少年身体健康、心理健康以及身体活动相关的健康行为的效益。方法 遵循PRISMA指南，系统性检索Web of Science、PubMed、Scopus、PsycINFO、Cochrane Library和中国知网中2016年至2024年间发表在科学引文索引Q4区及以上期刊的系统综述或Meta分析，内容涵盖身体活动或运动干预对6～18岁肥胖或超重儿童和青少年身体或心理健康的影响。采用AMSTAR 2工具对纳入文献进行质量评估，对中高水平质量文献进行系统综述。结果 共纳入8篇系统综述和Meta分析，涉及24 567例儿童和青少年，其中6篇为高质量，2篇为中等质量。在身体健康方面，结合有氧和阻力训练的复合运动干预在降低体质量指数(BMI)和体脂率方面表现最佳。每次60 min以上、每周3次、持续12周或更长时间的中、高强度运动干预可以显著降低肥胖和超重儿童的BMI和体脂率，且能提升心肺耐力和肌肉力量。在心理健康方面，身体活动对缓解儿童青少年抑郁和焦虑、提升自尊心具有积极效果。特别是舞蹈、户外探险活动和团队运动对改善儿童青少年的社交能力和情绪状态具有显著作用...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic presented policymakers with time-sensitive decision problems and a rapidly increasing volume of research, not all of which was robust, or relevant to local contexts. A bespoke evidence review process supporting stakeholder engagement was developed as part of the Wales COVID-19 Evidence Centre (WCEC), which could flexibly react to the needs of decision-makers, to address urgent requests within days or months as required. Aims: To describe and appraise the WCEC review process and methods and identify key learning points. Methods: Three types of rapid review products were used, which could accommodate the breadth of decision problems and topics covered. Stakeholder (including public) engagement was integrated from the onset and supported throughout. The methods used were tailored depending on the needs of the decision-maker, type of research question, timeframe, and volume and type of evidence. We appraised the overall process and compared the methods used with the most recent and relevant best practice guidance. Results: The remote collaboration between research teams, establishing a clear pathway to impact upfront, and the strong stakeholder involvement embedded in the review process were considered particular strengths. Several key learning points were identified, which focused on: enhancing stakeholders' abilities to identify focused policy-relevant research questions; the collection and storage of review protocols at a central location; tightening quality assurance process regarding study selection, data extraction and quality assessment; adequate reporting of methodological shortcuts and understanding by stakeholders; piloting of an algorithm for assigning study design descriptors, and a single quality assessment tool covering multiple study designs; and incorporate, where appropriate an assessment of the confidence in the overall body of evidence using GRADE or similar framework. Conclusions: The review process enabled a high volume of questions that were directly relevant to policy and clinical decision making to be addressed in a timely manner using a transparent and tailored approach.

An increasing investment in health technology assessment (HTA) in low-income and middle-income countries has generated greater interest from policy-makers about the value and return on investment (ROI) of HTA. Few studies have, however, quantified the benefits of HTA in terms of its value to the health system. This evaluation aims to quantify the impact and ROI achieved by the HTA agency in India (HTAIn).A framework developed by the University of Glasgow was used to review three 'hta's commissioned by HTAIn between 2018 and 2020, taking into account the opportunity cost of investing in these processes. Costs included fixed costs for HTAIn and costs for undertaking each 'hta'. Attributable benefits are calculated by subtracting the counterfactual (benefits that might have been realised without an HTA) from realised benefits.HTAIn sits under the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It was set up to facilitate the process of transparent and evidence-informed decision-making in healthcare in India.HTA helps decision-makers to understand the consequences of alternative courses of action and to select the options that produce the best outcomes at the lowest cost. Institutionalisation of HTA is seen as pivotal to supporting universal health coverage as a means of supporting a better allocation of finite resources, cost containment and the maximisation of health.Net health benefits are our measure of value. The ROI of HTAIn is calculated by aggregating attributable benefits and offsetting them against the costs of investment.Our findings show that investing in HTAIn yields a return of 9:1, with potential to increase to 71:1 with full implementation of HTA recommendations. Variability of ROI ranged from 5:1 to 40:1 between the different interventions and diseases.While HTAIn requires financial investment, it is an efficient use of resources. The potential for greater impact and the variability of the ROI between interventions underline the importance of planning for implementation and good topic selection in HTA.

Background: Understanding the effects of climate change on health outcomes is crucial for effective policy formulation and intervention strategies. However, in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, like Bangladesh, the true extent of these effects remains unexplored due to data scarcity. This study aims to assess available evidence on climate change-related health outcomes in Bangladesh, to compare it with actual national occurrences, and to explore challenges related to climate change and health data. Methods: We first conducted a systematic review to summarize the climate-sensitive diseases examined in existing literature in Bangladesh. The review results were then compared with over 2.8 million samples from the government's data repository, representing reported cases of climate-sensitive diseases during 2017-2022. This comparison aimed to identify discrepancies between the diseases currently occurring in Bangladesh related to climate change and available knowledge through existing research. Additionally, we also explored the limitations of the data recorded in the government data repository. Results: The available literature in Bangladesh reports only a few specific climate-sensitive diseases, including Diarrhea, Dengue, Cholera, Malaria, Pneumonia, Cardiovascular Diseases, Hypertension, Urinary-Tract Infections, and Malnutrition, which were also considered in few studies. This represents a segment of the total 510 reported climate-sensitive diseases in Bangladesh, of which 143 diseases were responsible for 90.66% of the total occurrences. The most common forms of diseases were diarrhea and gastroenteritis of presumed infectious (28.51%), pneumonia (18.88%), anxiety disorders, panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorders (13.2%), and others (13.15%). Additionally, Urinary-Tract infections (7.87%), cholera (3.03%), and typhoid fever (3.27%) were other frequently reported climate-sensitive diseases. We also explored several challenges related to available data in the government repository, which include inadequate collection of patients' comprehensive socio-demographic information and the absence of a unique patient identifier. Conclusion: The findings underscore the urgent need to tackle data challenges in understanding climate-sensitive diseases in Bangladesh. Policies and programs are required to prioritize the digitalization of the healthcare system and implement a unique patient identification number to facilitate accurate tracking and analysis of health data. Climate Change, including rising temperature and extreme weather events like cyclone and floods, poses a significant global health threat [1]. The World Health Organization estimates climate change already causes at least 150,000 deaths annually at the global level, and that number is projected to double by 2030. Beside these other impact of climate change are far-reaching, leading to forced displacement, malnutrition and increased incidence of diseases such as dengue, diarrhea, and pneumonia [2]. Additionally, climate change has established links to mental health issues, like anxiety and depression [3]. The effects are particularly severe in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) due to limited resources and inadequate infrastructure for coping with erratic weather and disasters [4]. We undertook a comprehensive mixed-method study, incorporating a systematic review of existing studies conducted in Bangladesh, along with an analysis of government data repository. A detailed description of each component is presented below.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in the field of medicine and healthcare. However, there are no articles specifically examining ethical and moral dimensions of AI use for evidence synthesis. This article attempts to fills this gap. In doing so, I deploy in written form, what in Bengali philosophy and culture, is the Adda (আড্ডা) approach, a form of oral exchange, which involves deep but conversational style discussion. Adda developed as a form of intellectual resistance against the cultural hegemony of British Imperialism and entails asking provocative question to encourage critical discourse.The raison d'être for using AI is that it would enhance efficiency in the conduct of evidence synthesis, thus leading to greater evidence uptake. I question whether assuming so without any empirical evidence is ethical. I then examine the challenges posed by the lack of moral agency of AI; the issue of bias and discrimination being amplified through AI driven evidence synthesis; ethical and moral dimensions of epistemic (knowledge-related) uncertainty on AI; impact of knowledge systems (training of future scientists, and epistemic conformity), and the need for looking at ethical and moral dimensions beyond technical evaluation of AI models. I then discuss ethical and moral responsibilities of government, multi-laterals, research institutions and funders in regulating and having an oversight role in development, validation, and conduct of evidence synthesis. I argue that industry self-regulation for responsible use of AI is unlikely to address ethical and moral concerns, and that there is a need to develop legal frameworks, ethics codes, and of bringing such work within the ambit of institutional ethics committees to enable appreciation of the complexities around use of AI for evidence synthesis, mitigate against moral hazards, and ensure that evidence synthesis leads to improvement of health of individuals, nations and societies.