Human Noroviruses (HuNoVs) are the leading etiologic agents responsible for viral gastroenteritis. Drinking water (DW) serves as a significant vehicle for the transmission of HuNoVs. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of HuNoVs in drinking water sources (DWS) and DW. A systematic search spanning Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was executed up to July 15, 2024. Following rigorous screening, 76 eligible studies underwent meta-analysis with heterogeneity assessment via Stata 14.0 using a random-effects model. The results indicated that the pooled occurrence of HuNoVs was 11 % (95 % CI: 8-14), with occurrence of 15 % (95 % CI: 10-21) in DWS and 6 % (95 % CI: 3-9) in DW. Subgroup meta-analysis demonstrated that genogroup II (GII) of HuNoVs exhibited the highest contamination occurrence of 7 % (95 % CI: 4-10), with GII.4 and GII.17 being the predominant genotypes. The two continents with the highest number of studies were Asia (n = 27) and Europe (n = 19), with HuNoVs occurrence of 14 % (95 % CI: 8-22) and 15 % (95 % CI: 7-26), respectively. Furthermore, the occurrence showed no significant differences across the four seasons: in spring, the occurrence was 11 % (95 % CI: 3-23); in summer, 15 % (95 % CI: 7-25); in autumn, 11 % (95 % CI: 2-24); and in winter, 18 % (95 % CI: 10-27). These findings provided valuable epidemiological insight into the global occurrence, seasonal variation, and genotypic distribution of HuNoVs in DWS and DW, aiding policy development and public health strategies.

There is growing concern about the concept that exposure to environmental chemicals may be contributing to the obesity epidemic. However, there is no consensus on the obesogenic effects of emerging contaminants from a toxicological and environmental perspective. The potential human exposure and experimental evidence for obesogenic effects of emerging contaminants need to be systematically discussed. The main objective of this review is to provide recommendations for further subsequent policy development following a critical analysis of the literature for humans and experimental animals exposed to emerging contaminants. This article reviews human exposure to emerging contaminants (with a focus on antimicrobials, preservatives, water and oil repellents, flame retardants, antibiotics and bisphenols) and the impact of emerging contaminants on obesity. These emerging contaminants have been widely detected in human biological samples. Epidemiological studies provide evidence linking exposure to emerging contaminants to the risks of obesity in humans. Studies based on animal models and adipose cells show the obesogenic effects of emerging contaminants and identify modes of action by which contaminants may induce changes in body fat accumulation and lipid metabolic homeostasis. Some knowledge gaps in this area and future directions for further investigation are discussed.

Oxfam is committed to working with communities before, during and after crises. In Somaliland, we have been piloting approaches that aim to achieve greater synergy between our humanitarian, development and peacebuilding programming and influencing. This innovative ‘triple nexus’ work recognises that communities' needs and ambitions are not met along the false silos created by aid agencies. It asks the international development and humanitarian sector to walk the talk on locally led programming to better meet the holistic needs and aspirations of communities. This case study clearly shows the impact of programming which simultaneously meets immediate needs and development gaps while also addressing the drivers of crisis (such as conflict and climate change) to achieve durable solutions in protracted crises.

Background: Increasing adoption of sensor-based digital health technologies (sDHTs) in recent years has cast light on the many challenges in implementing these tools into clinical trials and patient care at scale across diverse patient populations; however, the methodological approaches taken toward sDHT usability evaluation have varied markedly. Objective: This review aims to explore the current landscape of studies reporting data related to sDHT human factors, human-centered design, and usability, to inform our concurrent work on developing an evaluation framework for sDHT usability. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of studies published between 2013 and 2023 and indexed in PubMed, in which data related to sDHT human factors, human-centered design, and usability were reported. Following a systematic screening process, we extracted the study design, participant sample, the sDHT or sDHTs used, the methods of data capture, and the types of usability-related data captured. Results: Our literature search returned 442 papers, of which 85 papers were found to be eligible and 83 papers were available for data extraction and not under embargo. In total, 164 sDHTs were evaluated; 141 (86%) sDHTs were wearable tools while the remaining 23 (14%) sDHTs were ambient tools. The majority of studies (55/83, 66%) reported summative evaluations of final-design sDHTs. Almost all studies (82/83, 99%) captured data from targeted end users, but only 18 (22%) out of 83 studies captured data from additional users such as care partners or clinicians. User satisfaction and ease of use were evaluated for 83% (136/164) and 91% (150/164) of sDHTs, respectively; however, learnability, efficiency, and memorability were reported for only 11 (7%), 4 (2%), and 2 (1%) out of 164 sDHTs, respectively. A total of 14 (9%) out of 164 sDHTs were evaluated according to the extent to which users were able to understand the clinical data or other information presented to them (understandability) or the actions or tasks they should complete in response (actionability). Notable gaps in reporting included the absence of a sample size rationale (reported for 21/83, 25% of all studies and 17/55, 31% of summative studies) and incomplete sociodemographic descriptive data (complete age, sex/gender, and race/ethnicity reported for 14/83, 17% of studies). Conclusions: Based on our findings, we suggest four actionable recommendations for future studies that will help to advance the implementation of sDHTs: (1) consider an in-depth assessment of technology usability beyond user satisfaction and ease of use, (2) expand recruitment to include important user groups such as clinicians and care partners, (3) report the rationale for key study design considerations including the sample size, and (4) provide rich descriptive statistics regarding the study sample to allow a complete understanding of generalizability to other patient populations and contexts of use.

People in northern Kenya have suffered numerous severe economic and non-economic losses and damages due to repeated climate-related droughts and flooding. This briefing note provides an overview and lessons learned from a locally-led project funded by the Scottish government and recently implemented by Oxfam, Strategies for Northern Development and Merti Integrated Development Programme in northern Kenya. It provides support to local communities to address the losses and damages they have suffered. With the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage becoming operational and climate finance leading the agenda at COP29, this briefing shows the importance of ensuring access to funding and decision-making for communities and local organizations, that can design responses to loss and damage that are effective and suited to their needs.

Digital technologies have the potential to either ameliorate or worsen the dynamics underlying poverty and inequality, depending on how those technologies are designed, developed, deployed, and used, as well as on the degree to which the businesses, and business models behind them, respect the rights of users and workers. This paper recommends changes in corporate and government policies and practices to ensure that the information and communication technology (ICT) industry respects human rights and does not exacerbate poverty and economic inequality across five pillars: access and equity, digital civic space, data use and privacy, automation and the future of work, and governance.

This report aims to highlight the humanitarian consequences of the dysfunction at the UN Security Council and humanitarian finance mechanisms. A few powerful states are obstructing peace processes and undermining international laws which should be equally binding for all people. There are 23 protracted crises examined in this report, with case studies on the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria and Ukraine. The growth of humanitarian needs, gaps in humanitarian funding, and the impacts of veto and penholding power are explored. Ahead of the Summit of the Future in 2024, Oxfam urges the UN member states to use this opportunity to take decisive and bold action to rebuild a more equal, inclusive, efficient, and responsive system. This will ensure that they fulfil their roles in reducing and resolving crises to avoid the spiralling humanitarian consequences of protracted conflict.

Background: Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a prevalent chronic non-communicable disease that affects millions of young children globally, with profound implications for their well-being and oral health. This paper explores the associations between ECC and the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8). Methods: The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. In July 2023, a search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using tailored search terms related to economic growth, decent work sustained economic growth, higher levels of productivity and technological innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, and efforts to eradicate forced labor, slavery, and human trafficking and ECC all of which are the targets of the SDG8. Only English language publications, and publications that were analytical in design were included. Studies that solely examined ECC prevalence without reference to SDG8 goals were excluded. Results: The initial search yielded 761 articles. After removing duplicates and ineligible manuscripts, 84 were screened. However, none of the identified studies provided data on the association between decent work, economic growth-related factors, and ECC. Conclusions: This scoping review found no English publication on the associations between SDG8 and ECC despite the plausibility for this link. This data gap can hinder policymaking and resource allocation for oral health programs. Further research should explore the complex relationship between economic growth, decent work and ECC to provide additional evidence for better policy formulation and ECC control globally.

This document is an update of the 2014 Guidance and was developed by the UNEG Working Group on Gender Equality, Disability Inclusion and Human Rights. The original Guidance (2014) was produced as an in-depth guidance handbook to serve as a field guide to improve human rights and gender equality responsive evaluation throughout the UN system. It aimed at increasing knowledge on the application of these two approaches in evaluation processes but also at raising awareness on their specific relevance and significance for UN work. It complemented UNEG's Handbook "Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality in Evaluation: Towards UNEG Guidance," which outlined practical steps on how to prepare, conduct and use HR & GE responsive evaluations. This updated version (2024) is intended to guide evaluations and evaluation managers to undertake evaluations that are responsive to the needs of all individuals and communities by embracing the principle of "Leave No One Behind". It also considers now approaches in the incorporation of human rights principles, gender equality and the inclusion of other groups in vulnerable situtations in evaluations. Consequently, this updated Guidance document reflects evolving practice, needs and leassons.

This guide has been written to provide practical guidance and tools to evaluators and evaluation managers, to integrate humanitarian principles (HPs) into standard evaluations of humanitarian action, and thus to strengthen the attention paid to HPs in evaluations of international humanitarian action, particularly in situations of armed conflict. The UNEG Humanitarian Evaluation Working Group is piloting this guidance. They group is very eager to hear from evaluation managers and practitioners who are using it in their work. If you are using it and are able to provide some feedback on your experience, please email the coordinators of the UNEG Humanitarian Evaluation Working Group, Laura Olsen (laura.olsen@un.org) and Sara Holst (sara.holst@fao.org).

BACKGROUND: Clinical decision support (CDS) alerts and reminders aim to influence clinical decisions, yet they are often designed without considering human decision-making behaviour. While this behaviour is comprehensively described by behavioural economics (BE), the sheer volume of BE literature poses a challenge to designers when identifying behavioural effects with utility to alert and reminder designs. This study tackles this challenge by focusing on the MINDSPACE framework for behaviour change, which collates nine behavioural effects that profoundly influence human decision-making behaviour: Messenger, Incentives, Norms, Defaults, Salience, Priming, Affect, Commitment, and Ego. METHOD: A systematic review searching MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL Plus to explore (i) the usage of MINDSPACE effects in alert and reminder designs and (ii) the efficacy of those alerts and reminders in influencing clinical decisions. The search queries comprised ten Boolean searches, with nine focusing on the MINDSPACE effects and one focusing on the term mindspace. RESULTS: 50 studies were selected from 1791 peer-reviewed journal articles in English from 1970 to 2022. Except for ego, eight of nine MINDSPACE effects were utilised to design alerts and reminders, with defaults and norms utilised the most in alerts and reminders, respectively. Overall, alerts and reminders informed by MINDSPACE effects showed an average 71% success rate in influencing clinical decisions (alerts 73%, reminders 69%). Most studies utilised a single effect in their design, with higher efficacy for alerts (64%) than reminders (41%). Others utilised multiple effects, showing higher efficacy for reminders (28%) than alerts (9%). CONCLUSION: This review presents sufficient evidence demonstrating the MINDSPACE framework's merits for designing CDS alerts and reminders with human decision-making considerations. The framework can adequately address challenges in identifying behavioural effects pertinent to the effective design of CDS alerts and reminders. The review also identified opportunities for future research into other relevant effects (e.g., framing).

The global rise in deaths caused by pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) has placed increased pressure on overburdened healthcare systems to provide TB diagnostic services. Artificial intelligence-based computer-aided diagnosis (AI-based CAD) promises to be a powerful tool in responding to this health challenge by providing actionable outputs which support the diagnostic accuracy and efficiency of clinicians. However, these technologies must first be extensively evaluated to understand their impact and risks before pursuing wide-scale deployment. Yet, health technology assessments for them in real world settings have been limited. Comprehensive evaluation demands consideration of technical safety, human factors, and health impacts to generate robust evidence and understand what is needed for long-term sustainable benefit realisation. This work-in progress study presents a three-stage methodological approach that will be used to guide the data collection and analysis process for evaluating the impact of implementing a commercial AI-based CAD system for TB diagnosis in a real-world radiological setting.

The complications and symptoms of hypoparathyroidism remain incompletely defined. Measuring serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium levels early after total thyroidectomy may predict the development of chronic hypoparathyroidism. The study aimed (i) to identify symptoms and complications associated with chronic hypoparathyroidism and determine the prevalence of those symptoms and complications (Part I), and (ii) to examine the utility of early postoperative measurements of PTH and calcium in predicting chronic hypoparathyroidism (Part II). We searched Medline, Medline In-Process, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL to identify complications and symptoms associated with chronic hypoparathyroidism. We used two predefined criteria (at least three studies reported the complication and symptom and had statistically significantly greater pooled relative estimates). To estimate prevalence, we used the median and interquartile range (IQR) of the studies reporting complications and symptoms. For testing the predictive values of early postoperative measurements of PTH and calcium, we used a bivariate model to perform diagnostic test meta-analysis. In Part I, the 93 eligible studies enrolled a total of 18,973 patients and reported on 170 complications and symptoms. We identified nine most common complications or symptoms probably associated with chronic hypoparathyroidism. The complications or symptoms and the prevalence are as follows: nephrocalcinosis/nephrolithiasis (median prevalence among all studies 15%), renal insufficiency (12%), cataract (17%), seizures (11%), arrhythmia (7%), ischemic heart disease (7%), depression (9%), infection (11%), and all-cause mortality (6%). In Part II, 18 studies with 4325 patients proved eligible. For PTH measurement, regarding the posttest probability, PTH values above 10 pg/mL 12-24 hours postsurgery virtually exclude chronic hypoparathyroidism irrespective of pretest probability (100%). When PTH values are below 10 pg/mL, posttest probabilities range from 3% to 64%. Nine complications and symptoms are probably associated with chronic hypoparathyroidism. A PTH value above a threshold of 10 pg/mL 12-24 hours after total thyroidectomy is a strong predictor that the patients will not develop chronic hypoparathyroidism. Patients with PTH values below the threshold need careful monitoring as some will develop chronic hypoparathyroidism. (c) 2022 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

BACKGROUND: Digital mental health interventions have a great potential to alleviate mental illness and increase access to care. However, these technologies face significant challenges, especially in terms of user engagement and adoption. It has been suggested that this issue stems from a lack of user perspective in the development process; accordingly, several human-centered design approaches have been developed over the years to consider this important aspect. Yet, few human-centered design approaches to digital solutions exist in the field of mental health, and rarely are end users involved in their development. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this literature review is to understand how human-centered design is considered in e-mental health intervention research. METHODS: An exploratory mapping review was conducted of mental health journals with the explicit scope of covering e-mental health technology. The human-centered design approaches reported and the core elements of design activity (ie, object, context, design process, and actors involved) were examined among the eligible studies. RESULTS: A total of 30 studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 22 mentioned using human-centered design approaches or specific design methods in the development of an e-mental health solution. Reported approaches were classified as participatory design (11/27, 41%), codesign (6/27, 22%), user-centered design (5/27, 19%), or a specific design method (5/27, 19%). Just over half (15/27, 56%) of the approaches mentioned were supported by references. End users were involved in each study to some extent but not necessarily in designing. About 27% (8/30) of all the included studies explicitly mentioned the presence of designers on their team. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that some attempts have indeed been made to integrate human-centered design approaches into digital mental health technology development. However, these attempts rely very little on designers and design research. Researchers from other domains and technology developers would be wise to learn the underpinnings of human-centered design methods before selecting one over another. Inviting designers for assistance when implementing a particular approach would also be beneficial. To further motivate interest in and use of human-centered design principles in the world of e-mental health, we make nine suggestions for better reporting of human-centered design approaches in future research.

This policy brief draws on a qualitative study that uses a gender perspective to investigate the notion of resilience among a cohort of young women and young men who grew up in poverty in 5 rural and urban communities in Ethiopia, and who are part of the broader Young Lives longitudinal study of 3000 children and young people in the country. It asks why some children seem to fare well as they transistion to adulthood, despite the challenges and obstacles they had faced, whilst others do less well. This is one of a set of eight briefs summarising key findings and policy implications from eight working papers based on the research for the Young Lives fifth wave qualitative survey in 2019. The research, and the working paper and this brief were funded by UNICEF Ethiopia. This is an output of the Young Lives at Work programme

This working paper explores the meanings and experiences of resilience, and its gender dimensions, among a cohort of Ethiopian children exposed to poverty and adversity across the early life course. It asks why some girls and some boys seem to fare well as they transition to adulthood, despite the challenges and obstacles they had faced, while others do less well. Qualitative analysis revealed how children’s lives did not follow linear paths, and were easily derailed by unplanned events and shocks, including: climatic shocks, societal influences, school transitions and relations, household changes; and child health and social development. It also identifed significant resilience factors, including: supportive and facilitative relationships (especially elder siblings); enabling and protective systems and environments; government and NGO support; young people’s inner resources and pro-social skills; and second chances. A combination of well-timed, mutually reinforcing factors within holistic support systems, rather than a single factor, appeared to make the most difference This working paper and the accompanying policy brief are part of a set of 8 working papers and 8 policy briefs on gendered transitions into young adulthood in Ethiopia. This is an output of the Young Lives at Work programme

This policy brief summarises key findings from the fifth call in the Young Lives phone survey, conducted between October and December 2021, and is informed by the previous COVID-19 calls, as well as longitudinal data collected since 2001 through regular in-person surveys. The brief builds on previous policy recommendations from our phone survey, highlights how the pandemic, alongside climate change and conflict, is continuing to have an adverse impact on the lives of young people in low- and middle-income countries, and presents emerging policy recommendations in response to this impact.

We examine the situation of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in 4 low- and middle-income countries using data from a large-scale phone survey conducted in 2020. The survey was part of Young Lives, a 20-year longitudinal study of two cohorts of young people born in 1994 and 2001 in Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), Peru and Vietnam. We focus on the Younger (19-year-old) Cohort, describing their experiences along multiple dimensions, and assessing how their lives have changed since an earlier survey in 2016. We also compare these young people with an Older Cohort (surveyed at the same age in 2013), using a cross-cohort comparison in the spirit of a difference-in-differences approach. Compared to 2016, and compared with the Older Cohort, the increase in the probability of a loss of household livelihood (income or employment) is both large and significant in all countries. However, a 2020 downturn in self-reported well-being is significant in Ethiopia, India and Peru, but not in Vietnam, the country which experienced particular success in controlling the pandemic during 2020.

The United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations. The Strategy consists of a system-wide policy and an accountability framework organized in 15 performance indicators. The indicator 10 of the UNDIS accountability framework assesses the extent to which an entity considers disability inclusion in all phases of the evaluation process and in every type of evaluation that it does. As part of the it's work plan in 2021, the UNEG Gender Equality, Disability and Human Rights Working Group commissioned the development of this guidance on the integration of disability inclusion in evaluations and reporting on the UNDIS evaluation indicator. The preparation of this guidance note was informed and enriched by consultations with a number of individuals and organizations, including organizations of persons with disabilities. The main expected users of the guidance are evaluation commissioners and managers, as well as external consultants conducting evaluations. On 10th March 2022, the UNEG Gender, Human Rights and Disability Inclusion Working Group organized an Evaluation Practice Exchange session to launch the UNEG Guidelines for Disability Inclusion in Evaluations and Reporting on the UNDIS. The session featured: An introduction and overview of the guidance; Remarks from the Executive Office of the Secretary General UNDIS Secretariat; and A panel discussion with UN evaluators on utility and application of the guidance in evaluations. The recording of the session can found on the UNEG YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/dG7l5yilo2g.

This policy brief examines the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 in Ethiopia so far, and suggests policy responses required to augment household welfare recovery and sustain poverty reduction.