In 2022, journals across the Journal of Global Health (JoGH) group published a broad range of papers that addressed pressing questions at the intersection of health, economics, and public policy. A substantial portion of this work reflected the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health systems, populations, and economies. Studies documented ongoing disruptions to essential services and the mental health of healthcare providers across sub-Saharan Africa, while others explored national policy responses, social contact patterns, and the economic implications of pandemic control strategies. Additional contributions examined global vaccine inequality, research priority-setting for pandemic responses in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and national strategies to improve road safety, highlighting the importance of coordinated, evidence-based policymaking in times of crisis.

Beyond the pandemic, several papers focused on the economic burden of diseases and the efficiency of health system interventions. These included analyses of the costs of schizophrenia in Mexico and myopia in China, evaluations of national drug price negotiations for anticancer medicines, and systematic reviews of the cost-effectiveness of breast cancer screening in LMICs. Other studies examined workforce challenges, health care utilisation, and the application of advanced analytical techniques such as deep learning for patient risk assessment. Methodological contributions also underscored the value of natural experiments as a tool for strengthening causal inference in global health research.

A number of contributions addressed the social and structural determinants of health. Research explored the links between financial dependence and intimate partner violence among Syrian refugee women, as well as access to financial support among older adults during the pandemic. Other studies examined environmental and household factors associated with neglected tropical diseases, the effects of short birth intervals on child mortality, and qualitative perspectives on cervical cancer policy priorities in Uganda. Work on female-friendly school sanitation in Burkina Faso further illustrated the connections between infrastructure, gender equity, and health outcomes. Together, these papers demonstrate the wide scope of global health economics and policy research and its relevance to both acute crises and long-standing system challenges.

Below, we present our selection of these contributions, listed alphabetically by the surname of the first author:

  • Anumolu N, Lechleitner K, Patel N, et al. “By the time they run into the hospital, their life is already at stake”: a qualitative study of healthcare professional perceptions on priorities for cervical cancer policy in Uganda. Journal of Global Health Reports. 2022;6:e2022030.

  • Assefa N, Abdullahi YY, Hemler EC, Lankoande B, Wang D, Madzorera I, et al. Continued disruptions in health care services and mental health among health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in five sub-Saharan African countries. J Glob Health. 2022;12:05046.

  • Buitrago-García T, Sawadogo NH, Souares A, Koulidiati JL, Sié A, Bärnighausen T, et al. Female-friendly toilets in schools in Burkina Faso: A mixed-methods study using photo-elicitation. J Glob Health. 2022;12:04057.

  • Cabello-Rangel H, Arredondo A, Díaz-Castro L, Reyes-Morales H, Medina-Mora ME. An estimate of the economic burden of schizophrenia in Mexico: a retrospective study in the psychiatric hospital setting. Journal of Global Health Neurology and Psychiatry. Published online February 1, 2022:e2022002.

  • Cai L, Tao T, Li H, Zhang Z, Zhang L, Li X. Impact of the national drug price negotiation policy on the utilization, cost, and accessibility of anticancer medicines in China: A controlled interrupted time series study. J Glob Health. 2022;12:11016.

  • Feng J, Li L, Wang C, Ke P, Jiang H, Yin X, et al. The prevalence of turnover intention and influencing factors among emergency physicians: A national observation. J Glob Health. 2022;12:04005.

  • Forman R, Ciancaglini L, Garces PSJ, Neli M, Mossialos E. Another crisis in the sorrowland: COVID-19 in northeast Syria. J Glob Health. 2022;12:03033.

  • Frimpong SO, Arthur-Holmes F, Gyimah AA, Peprah P, Agyemang-Duah W. Access to financial support services among older adults during COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. Journal of Global Health Reports. 2022;6:e2022010.

  • Huang X, Shan S, Khan YA, Salem S, Mohamed A, Attia EA. Risk assessment of ICU patients through deep learning technique: A big data approach. J Glob Health. 2022;12:04044.

  • Icanervilia AV, van der Schans J, Cao Q, de Carvalho AC, Cordova-Pozo K, At Thobari J, et al. Economic evaluations of mammography to screen for breast cancer in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. J Glob Health. 2022;12:04048.

  • Irfan FB, Minetti R, Telford B, Ahmed FS, Syed AY, Hollon N, et al. Coronavirus pandemic in the Nordic countries: Health policy and economy trade-off. J Glob Health. 2022;12:05017.

  • Islam MZ, Billah A, Islam MM, Rahman M, Khan N. Negative effects of short birth interval on child mortality in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Glob Health. 2022;12:04070.

  • Ma Y, Wen Y, Zhong H, Lin S, Liang L, Yang Y, et al. Healthcare utilization and economic burden of myopia in urban China: A nationwide cost-of-illness study. J Glob Health. 2022;12:11003.

  • Mölenberg FJ, Lopes FV. Natural experiments: A Nobel Prize awarded research design for strengthening causal inference on global health challenges. J Glob Health. 2022;12:03005.

  • Montiel Ishino FA, Rowan C, Talham C, Villalobos K, Poudel D, Rajbhandari-Thapa J, et al. Household profiles of neglected tropical disease symptoms among children: A latent class analysis of built-environment features of Tanzanian households using the Demographic and Health Survey. J Glob Health. 2022;12:04067.

  • Polašek O, Wazny K, Adeloye D, Song P, Chan KY, Bojude DA, et al. Research priorities to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries. J Glob Health. 2022;12:09003.

  • Sadeghi-Bazargani H, Razzaghi A, Atabak A, Bazargani-Hejazi S, Basirat SB, Doshmangir L, et al. Setting research priorities to achieve long-term national road safety goals in Iran. J Glob Health. 2022;12:09002.

  • Singh A, El-Bassel N, Kaushal N, et al. Financial dependence and intimate partner violence (IPV) among married Syrian refugee women living in non-camp settings in Jordan. Journal of Global Health Reports. 2022;6:e2022011. doi:10.29392/001c.33049

  • Tatar M, Shoorekchali JM, Faraji MR, Seyyedkolaee MA, Pagán JA, Wilson FA. COVID-19 vaccine inequality: A global perspective. J Glob Health. 2022;12:03072.

  • Tsuzuki S, Asai Y, Ibuka Y, Nakaya T, Ohmagari N, Hens N, et al. Social contact patterns in Japan in the COVID-19 pandemic during and after the Tokyo Olympic Games. J Glob Health. 2022;12:05047.

  • Yang K, Qi H. How to co-exist with COVID-19? A health economics explanation based on the Chinese experience. J Glob Health. 2022;12:03044.

We hope that readers of JoGH Economics and Policy will find these studies useful for informing research, policy, and practice across diverse global settings.