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Amid rising packaged food consumption in India and its associated health risks - including obesity and non-communicable diseases - this scoping review synthesised India-specific evidence on consumer awareness, comprehension, and behavioural responses to food labels on pre-packaged products. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist and Arksey and O'Malley framework, five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL) and Google Scholar were searched for peer-reviewed primary studies conducted in India between 2014 and 2024. Studies were included if they assessed food label literacy, interpretation, or use in purchase behaviour in Indian settings. Thirty-two studies were included, covering diverse populations and geographic settings. Bibliometric synthesis showed a predominance of cross-sectional knowledge, attitudes, and practices studies, with limited experimental or multidisciplinary research. Findings were organised into three analytical themes: a) determinants of food label literacy, including socio-demographic and cognitive factors; b) consumer perceptions of label components, their placement on packaging, visual appeal, and cognitive utility; and c) behavioural implications of label engagement and its perceived influence on purchase intentions. Evidence from this review highlights persistent gaps between label awareness, engagement, and purchase intentions. To inform policy and practice - and to advance Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Target 3.4 - reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases) & Goal 12 (Target 12.8 - promoting awareness and information access) - future research should prioritise experimental and implementation-focused designs tailored to India's demographic, cultural, and market heterogeneity.

Background: Mothers caring for children with intellectual disabilities often experience high levels of stress and mental health challenges, underscoring the need for targeted health-promoting interventions.

Objective: This qualitative study explores the feasibility of brief yoga and compassion meditation training for stress management among mothers of children with intellectual disabilities in Nepal, focusing on their experiences and insights.

Methods: Twenty-four mothers participated in three separate focus group discussions (FGDs) each with a different group of participants and held in different locations, after completing a yoga and compassion meditation program (YCMP). Thematic analysis was used to explore the intervention's feasibility, based on participants' perception of its acceptability, practicality, appropriateness, adaptability, and implementation demands, along with challenges to address before broader application in health-promotion efforts.

Results: Participants reported that the YCMP improved their emotional and physical wellbeing, was easily integrated into daily routines, was culturally and contextually appropriate, and met their desire for non-invasive interventions. The FGDs also revealed demands for such interventions. However, some participants noted challenges, notably time constraints, which limit their ability to engage in regular yoga and meditation practice.

Conclusions: The YCMP was valued as a culturally and contextually appropriate approach to managing caregiver stress. Adaptability, low cost, and non-invasive nature supports further research and potential implementation. In addition, insights from the FGDs provide guidance for the ongoing customization and expansion of the intervention.

Background: Regulating unhealthy food marketing is critical as it is a recognized driver of childhood obesity. Two voluntary self-regulatory policies governing food advertising in the media were introduced in Malaysia in 2008 and 2013.

Objectives: To assess food advertising on Malaysian children's popular television channels across a decade using the standardized INFORMAS protocol.

Methods: The main dataset was collected cross-sectionally from 2020 to 2022 evaluating three television channels. Additionally, a retrospective comparison between the 2022 and 2012 datasets was limited to two channels commonly available for both years. Advertised foods were classified as permitted (healthy) or not-permitted (unhealthy) using a nutrient profile model of the World Health Organization. We compared advertising rates and use of persuasive marketing techniques during children's peak viewing time (PVT) versus non-PVT.

Results: Unhealthy food advertising rates remained significantly higher than healthy food for all years of measurement (all p < 0.001). For the main dataset years (2020, 2021, 2022), unhealthy food advertising rates were 84%, 65%, and 72% higher during PVT compared to non-PVT (all p < 0.001). For all 3 years, the use of persuasive marketing techniques engaged in unhealthy food advertising during PVT was greater compared to non-PVT (all p < 0.05), whereas this pattern was not observed for the 2012 dataset (all p > 0.05). In 2022, fast foods emerged as the most frequently advertised unhealthy food (1.33 ± 2.23 ads/h/channel), a six-fold increase compared to 2012 (0.21 ± 0.47 ads/h/channel).

Conclusions: Unhealthy food advertising dominates Malaysian children's popular television channels, especially during PVT despite the presence of voluntary self-regulatory policies. These findings underscore the need for government-led mandatory regulations to control unhealthy food marketing targeting children.

Vaccine coverage and disease surveillance data are valuable for monitoring protection against vaccine-preventable diseases; however, they do not directly measure population immunity. High-quality, representative serological studies can provide key insights into immunity gaps, outbreak susceptibility, and inform targeted vaccination strategies, even in high-performing immunization programs. This study aims to estimate location-specific and age-specific immunity profiles for measles and rubella while evaluating the predictive value of indirect immunity estimates derived from vaccination and surveillance data against direct serological measurements. Additionally, it seeks to model the risk of measles outbreaks and assess the impact of mitigation strategies. A multi-stage, stratified cluster sampling design will be implemented across six districts in The Gambia's North Bank and Upper River Regions. Survey clusters (i.e. 5 km × 5 km areas) encompassing all settlements within their boundaries will be selected, proportionally to district population sizes. Cluster selection ensures representativeness of both the population and vaccine coverage within each district. Based on detecting a 10% difference in protective immunity across vaccine coverage levels, power analysis assumes an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.01. In each cluster, 70 children aged 9 months to 14 years will be recruited, yielding a total sample size of 1,750 children across 25 selected clusters. Dried blood samples will be collected and tested for anti-measles and anti-rubella IgG using enzyme immunoassays (EIA). District-specific measles seroprevalence will be estimated using a hierarchical spatial model. This study will generate key evidence needed to refine immunization strategies and reduce the risk of measles and rubella outbreaks.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat, disproportionately affecting Africa South of the Sahara, where young people have been identified as key stakeholders in AMR prevention and awareness; however, effective engagement beyond symbolic participation remains challenging, limiting the impact of youth-led initiatives in addressing AMR in the region.

Objectives: To examine how youth-led actors in Africa South of the Sahara engage in AMR awareness, education and advocacy; the challenges they encounter; and the institutional conditions needed to move beyond symbolic participation.

Methods: A qualitative study design was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with young professionals engaged in AMR efforts across Africa South of the Sahara. Participants were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Online interviews were conducted between March and September 2023. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Seventeen participants (age range 22-34) from 15 countries shared insights on AMR awareness, community engagement, and barriers in their work. Major findings included the perception of AMR as an invisible threat, generational and structural challenges in community outreach, and the need for financial and institutional support. Despite these obstacles, participants demonstrated innovative approaches, including adapting AMR outreach methods to specific social groups and a strong commitment to AMR education and policy advocacy.

Conclusions: Findings underscore the essential role of youth in AMR efforts in Africa South of the Sahara and the need for greater institutional support and capacity-building. Enhancing youth involvement beyond symbolic roles is crucial to advancing AMR initiatives, particularly through tailored communication strategies and collaborative policymaking.

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa and other low-income contexts, informal medicine markets are widespread. Understanding the drivers of consumer demand is important, especially given the concerns and risks associated with medicines in the informal sector.

Objectives: This study aims to 1) describe the informal medicine sector in four anglophone African countries, and 2) understand why people patronize informal medicine sellers.

Methods: Participant observation was conducted in eight markets (37 market stalls) across Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, supplemented by data collected during focus group discussions (with n = 611 participants) and key informant interviews (with n = 111), in which we discussed where participants got medicines in their communities and underlying reasons.

Results: We identified four distinct groups of actors in the informal medicine sector: sellers at weekly markets, itinerant peddlers, roadside sellers, and operators of general provision shops. There were multiple rationales for patronage of informal sellers that varied depending on the context, including flexibility in payment options, convenience and accessibility, and social/cultural drivers. Importantly, there were tradeoffs and tensions between these drivers that participants had to negotiate within the contexts of their current circumstances.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that the informal medicine market is segmented and complex, and that patronage is driven by multiple logics that are rooted in gaps in formal healthcare provision. Regulatory measures therefore need to go hand-in-hand with efforts to address these gaps and expand effective access to quality-assured medicines through [inter alia] offering more flexible modes of payment, reducing public-sector medicine stock-outs, and improving patient-physician trust and communication.

The socio-economic burden of HIV infection remains a critical global health concern. This study was conducted to perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the socio-economic burden of HIV infection, highlighting research trends, collaboration networks, and the evolving focus on social determinants of health over the past 32 years. A systematic search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection databases, covering publications from 1992 to 2024. The analysis was performed using RStudio and Biblioshiny, focusing on 1,054 studies from 422 publications. This study revealed a steady annual growth rate of 16.72% in publications on the socio-economic burden of HIV from 1992 to 2024, with the USA and Canada leading in contributions. The University of Toronto emerged as the top institution, while 'social determinants of health' and 'HIV infections' were identified as pivotal research themes. Collaboration networks were predominantly among high-income countries, with limited engagement from high-burden regions like sub-Saharan Africa. Key journals, such as AIDS and Behavior, were identified as central to advancing the field. Thematic analysis highlighted a shift from biomedical to socio-economic factors, emphasizing the need for equitable global collaboration and research addressing disparities in HIV management. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of HIV socio-economic burden research, emphasizing the need for increased collaboration with high-burden regions and a continued focus on addressing social determinants of health in HIV management.

Background: A support group care model including self-financing is a promising strategy to improve care for patients with diabetes or hypertension in resource-constrained settings.

Objectives: We investigated the uptake, feasibility, and impact of a self-financing patient support group care model on cardiometabolic parameters among adult patients with uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya.

Methods: A two-group prospective quasi-experimental study was conducted. The outcomes were changes in mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index, and waist-hip ratio in control versus intervention communities, assessed 6 months after intervention implementation.

Results: At baseline, 118 patients with diabetes (intervention, 60; control, 58) and 176 with hypertension (intervention, 87; control, 89) were enrolled. At endline, 81 patients with diabetes and 137 with hypertension were surveyed. In the intervention arm, HbA1c decreased from 10.8% to 9.0% (mean difference [95% CI]: -1.7 [-2.4, -0.9] p < 0.001) and in the control arm from 10.6% to 9.9% (-0.9 [-1.5, -0.3] p = 0.005). Difference-in-difference analysis showed a notably greater reduction in HbA1c in the intervention arm (-0.942 [0.463] p < 0.05). In the intervention arm, SBP decreased from 155.0 mmHg to 148.7 mmHg (-6.3 [-11.7, -0.9] p = 0.022) and in the control arm, from 160.1 mmHg to 152.5 mmHg (-7.6 [-12.9, -2.3] p = 0.005). DBP in the intervention arm changed from 99.1 mmHg to 97.9 mmHg (-1.1 [4.2, 1.9] p = 0.462) and in the control arm from 99.7 mmHg to 94.8 mmHg (-4.9 [7.8, -2.0] p = 0.001).

Conclusions: A self-financing patient support group care model is feasible, improves cardiometabolic parameters and can be a strategy to manage diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases in low-resource settings.

Background: Tobacco use has resulted in a staggering number of illnesses and premature deaths worldwide. India has the world's second-highest level of tobacco consumption. The study aimed to explore the reasons of initiation among adolescents and understand community stakeholders' perceptions about the current tobacco control policies and challenges faced in implementing it for youth along with future recommendations.

Methods: Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with adolescents in grades 7th-9th, teachers, parents, and police officers, along with in-depth interviews (IDI) with tobacco vendors. These were digitally audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results: Twenty-two focus groups were conducted with adolescents, 10 with parents, 10 with teachers (n = 83), 5 with police (n = 42) and 10 tobacco vendors completed one-to-one interviews. Stakeholders identified gaps in tobacco control policy implementation and recommended stricter enforcement. Solutions such as modifying on-screen health warnings, developing novel ways like live demonstration of patients suffering from tobacco use which creates awareness about tobacco harms, countering tobacco industry marketing strategies, restricting tobacco product sales, lowering affordability, and prominently displaying tobacco-free film rules were recommended.

Conclusion: The study provides a thorough understanding of factors that lead to tobacco initiation and stakeholder's opinion on youth-related tobacco legislation that provides direction for strengthening existing tobacco control efforts. There is a need for novel ways to educate the child's microenvironment, specifically in school and family environment. The findings also emphasize the importance of multi-sector involvement and better enforcement of tobacco control laws.

This commentary is included in the Special Series: Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents: Examining National Priorities, Processes and Investments. Studies in the Series provide timely, grounded insights into how the GFF model delivers impact through country ownership, flexible funding, and integrated planning. The Series' findings align with the recent independent evaluation of the GFF, emphasizing the importance of political leadership, implementation support, learning systems, and civil society engagement. The commentary reflects on the lessons emerging from the papers in the Special Series and examines what they mean for strengthening accountability, systems, and equity in the GFF's next strategy.