Selected contributions to global health economics and policy from JoGH group journals in 2023

In 2023, the journals within the Journal of Global Health (JoGH) group continued to publish a diverse body of work examining the economic, policy, and systems dimensions of health across a wide range of settings. Several papers focused on the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including disruptions to health services in Latin America and the Caribbean, changing motivation and preparedness among health workers, and the complex relationship between vaccination coverage, human mobility, and disease transmission. Systematic reviews of the economic value of COVID-19 vaccination and analyses of disaster preparedness among nurses also highlighted the importance of resilient and adaptable health systems.

A number of studies addressed financing, efficiency, and value for money in health systems. These included analyses of the relationship between drug prices and clinical benefits in China, cost-effectiveness of vaccination strategies in Indonesia, and systematic reviews of performance-based financing for maternal health services in sub-Saharan Africa. Other papers explored policy entrepreneurship in social health protection programmes, the effectiveness of group-based early childhood interventions, and the economic implications of regulatory approaches to electronic nicotine products. Together, these contributions reflected growing interest in linking health outcomes with economic value, financing mechanisms, and regulatory frameworks.

Social and behavioural determinants of health also featured prominently. Research examined the association between chronic diseases and depressive symptoms among older adults, the effects of physical violence on antenatal care utilisation, and knowledge and practices related to youth mental health in rural communities. Additional contributions addressed issues such as period poverty, childhood vaccination adherence, primary health care system performance, and the role of transdisciplinary research in advancing planetary health. Methodological and conceptual pieces on global health economics, including work on the EQUIST tool and broader reflections on the field, provided further insights into approaches for improving equity and policy impact.

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

• Bao Y, Liu Y, Ma R, Zhang P, Li X. The correlation between the costs and clinical benefits of national price-negotiated anticancer drugs for specific cancers in China. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04140.

• Chopra M, Balaji LN, Campbell H, Rudan I. Global health economics: The Equitable Impact Sensitive Tool (EQUIST) - development, validation, implementation and evaluation of impact (2011 to 2022). J Glob Health. 2023;13:04183.

• Doan LP, Tran BX, Auquier P, Boyer L, Fond G, Van Ngo T, et al. A reverse pattern in work motivation among Vietnamese health care workers during the prolonged COVID-19 outbreak of 2021: Determinants and implications. J Glob Health. 2023;13:06022.

• Goniewicz M, Khorram-Manesh A, Włoszczak-Szubzda A, Lasota D, Al-Wathinani AM, Goniewicz K. Influence of experience, tenure, and organisational preparedness on nurses’ readiness in responding to disasters: An exploration during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Glob Health. 2023;13:06034.

• Herrera CA, Kerr AC, Dayton JM, Kakietek JJ. Healthcare service disruption in 14 Latin American and Caribbean countries during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analysis of household phone surveys, 2020-2021. J Glob Health. 2023;13:06023.

• Huang D, Wang J, Fang H, Fu Y, Lou J. Longitudinal association of chronic diseases with depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults in China: Mediation by functional limitations, social interaction, and life satisfaction. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04119.

• Khan SA, Cresswell K, Sheikh A. The German Development Bank as a policy entrepreneur for social health protection: a case study of the development and implementation of the ‘Sehat Sahulat Programme’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Journal of Global Health Reports. 2023;7:e2023025.

• Lai X, Ma Y, Fang H. Better adherence to childhood Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccination with combination vaccines compared to single-antigen vaccines: Evidence from China. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04080.

• Li C, Yang C, Shao F, Liang X, Chen K, Yang T, et al. Generalisability and potential deaths averted from intensive blood pressure treatment among the elderly population in the US and China: A nationally representative cross-sectional study. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04100.

• Liang LL, Le HM, Wu CY, Sher CY, McGuire A. Human mobility increased with vaccine coverage and attenuated the protection of COVID-19 vaccination: A longitudinal study of 107 countries. J Glob Health. 2023;13:06009.

• Liu L, Liang D, Anwar S, Michael Z, Shrestha SB, Sultana N, et al. Overlooked impact of less severe physical violence on antenatal care visits: Findings from South Asia. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04155.

• Machlaurin A, Luttjeboer J, Setiawan D, Sytse van der Werf T, Postma MJ. Non-restrictive open vial policy combined with the home visit vaccinations for improving BCG coverage in a high-incidence outreach region: A model-based cost-effectiveness analysis for Indonesia. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04049.

• Madrigal de León EA, Becerra-Palars C, Díaz-Castro L, Ramírez-Rodríguez GB, García-De Los Santos HG, Márquez L. Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Primary Care Providers in Youth Mental Health: Toward a Remote Psychiatry Model in Rural Mexican Communities. Journal of Global Health Neurology and Psychiatry. Published online November 20, 2023:2023005.

• Mengistu TS, Khatri R, Erku D, Assefa Y. Successes and challenges of primary health care in Australia: A scoping review and comparative analysis. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04043.

• Michel J, Ginikawa C, Zou M, Kapona O, Agnello D, Tanner M. As global poverty levels increase, let us not forget period poverty. Journal of Global Health Reports. 2023;7:e2023001.

• Nkangu M, Little J, Omonaiye O, Pongou R, Deonandan R, Geneau R, et al. A systematic review of the effect of performance-based financing interventions on out-of-pocket expenses to improve access to, and the utilization of, maternal health services across health sectors in sub-Saharan Africa. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04035.

• Pham LT, Kumar P, Dahana WD, Nguyen DH. Promoting global health transdisciplinary research for planetary health: Towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. J Glob Health. 2023;13:03007.

• Rudan I. Global health economics: A complex field with few unequivocal answers. J Glob Health. 2023;13:01005.

• Utami AM, Rendrayani F, Khoiry QA, Noviyanti D, Suwantika AA, Postma MJ, et al. Economic evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic review. J Glob Health. 2023;13:06001.

• Xu D, Huang Y, Tsuei S, Fu H, Yip W. Factors influencing engagement in online dual practice by public hospital doctors in three large cities: A mixed-methods study in China. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04103.

• Xu M, Zhang H, Liu A, Zhao C, Huang X, Berman S, et al. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a group-based intervention to improve social-emotional development of young children in poverty-stricken areas: A cluster randomized controlled trial. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04017.

• Yan D, Wang Z, Laestadius L, Mosalpuria K, Wilson FA, Yan A, et al. A systematic review for the impacts of global approaches to regulating electronic nicotine products. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04076.

We hope that readers of JoGH Economics and Policy will find these studies informative and relevant for advancing research, policy, and practice in global health.