BMC Proceedings最新文献

On August 9, 2024, the CTIP symposium brought together various stakeholders in pediatric medical device (PMD) innovation to discuss the current state of pediatric medical devices (PMDs) and action steps that can collectively be taken to further drive PMD innovation. Meeting topics included 1) the Future of Pediatric Innovation, 2) Engaging Patients and Their Families in PMD Development, 3) Partnership Opportunities to Support PMD Research and Development (R&D), 4) Leveraging Real-World Evidence to Enhance PMDs, and 5) Fundraising and Investing in Pediatrics. This paper provides a comprehensive summary of the symposium proceedings, highlighting the critical needs, challenges, and opportunities in the PMD sector, and outlines potential areas for collaboration among stakeholders to drive progress in PMD development.

The development of essential health care package (EHCP) has been recognized as a critical tool for guiding country level actions towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Although countries' packages vary in scope, many utilize the package to guide resource allocation, equity, advocacy, prioritization of services, political commitment, and accountability. The concept of health packages has evolved from basic packages (focusing on limited high-burden conditions), to benefit- (cost-effective interventions) and essential packages (what people need, with benefits as sub-packages). The purpose of this proceeding was to document processes from Botswana and Sierra Leone workshops, which aimed to support country conceptualization of an EHCP, including content and scope. More specifically, the workshop aimed to gain consensus on identification of conditions to be addressed in each age cohort, rationalizing the EHCP interventions across public health functions, levels of care and age cohorts. Technical working groups were constructed for each age cohort and tasked to lead the appraisal of interventions for technical comprehensiveness, contextualization to country needs, and mapping of interventions to the appropriate levels of care. As a result, the countries' draft EHCPs were developed, encompassing interventions for 80 + conditions. The EHCP is expected to set precedence in defining 'essential' interventions for the population, structurally promoting integration of health services, and providing succinct guidance to partners, and stakeholders on the country's priorities, in terms of health interventions to be delivered at various levels. Many countries are striving to re-pivot their health systems, in order to meet the evolving contextual needs of the population and ensure their systems remain fit for purpose. EHCPs can be utilized to guide health sector inputs, for robust system functionality and attainment of UHC.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the development of AI-driven tools to improve public health surveillance and outbreak management. While AI programs have shown promise in disease surveillance, they also present issues such as data privacy, prejudice, and human-AI interactions. This sixth session of the of the WHO Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence Innovation Forum examines the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public health by collecting the experience of key global health organizations, such the Boston Children's Hospital, the Global South AI for Pandemic & Epidemic Preparedness & Response (AI4PEP) network, Medicines Sans Frontières (MSF), and the University of Sydney. AI's utility in clinical care, particularly in diagnostics, medication discovery, and data processing, has resulted in improvements that may also benefit public health surveillance. However, the use of AI in global health necessitates careful consideration of ethical issues, particularly those involving data use and algorithmic bias. As AI advances, particularly with large language models, public health officials must develop governance frameworks that stress openness, accountability, and fairness. These systems should address worldwide differences in data access and ensure that AI technologies are tailored to specific local needs. Ultimately, AI's ability to improve healthcare efficiency and equity is dependent on multidisciplinary collaboration, community involvement, and inclusive AI designs in ensuring equitable healthcare outcomes to fit the unique demands of global communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of journalism, especially data journalism, in conveying accurate and understandable scientific information. Journalists helped to convert difficult scientific findings into understandable narratives, improving public understanding and trust. During the fifth session of the WHO Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence Innovation Forum, data journalists Rukmini S. (India), Christian Endt (Germany), and Aghnia Adzkia (Indonesia) discussed their pandemic reporting experiences. The collaboration among media, public health agencies, and academia was critical in guaranteeing fast and accurate data transmission. During the session, they also discussed the obstacles journalists confront, such as overcoming data gaps and resolving public mistrust caused by misinformation or imprecise government messaging. In response, journalists' aim is to bridge the communication gap between scientists and the general people, ensuring that even complex and unclear scientific findings could be understood. Moving forward, the emphasis is on the ongoing collaboration between data journalists, scientists, decision-makers and the public to improve knowledge and science communication. Data journalism will continue to be important in future public health emergencies because it promotes transparency, makes data available, and encourages public engagement. Collaborative efforts, technical briefings, and training opportunities will improve data journalists' ability to effectively report scientific breakthroughs, making public health communication more responsive and impactful.

The evolving landscape of public health surveillance demands a proficient and diverse workforce adept in data science and analysis. This report summarises discussions from the third session of the WHO Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence Innovation Forum, focusing on workforce readiness and technological advancements in epidemic intelligence. The forum emphasizes the necessity of multidisciplinary surveillance teams equipped with advanced data skills. Digital tools play a transformative role in data collection and analysis, enabling real-time tracking, integration, and interpretation of diverse data sources. However, effective surveillance relies on inclusive representation and skill development. Collaborative surveillance and interdisciplinary training programs were emphasized as critical pathways to enhance workforce capacity, decision-making, and equity in public health. Case studies from Nigeria, Korea, the UK, and Colombia showcase the role of digital tools and contextual expertise in addressing surveillance gaps. Sustained institutional support, cross-sector partnerships, and investments in data literacy and workforce development are pivotal for creating resilient and inclusive public health systems.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of 20 conditions that affect impoverished communities and disproportionately impact women and children in tropical areas. The symposium aimed to raise awareness of NTDs and explore the One Health approach as well as actions needed to successfully combat NTDs. It featured four presentations and two panel discussions. The presentations covered topics such as the "Burden of NTDs in Low-and middle-income countries", "Challenges in the prevention and control of NTDs: Schistosomiasis", "One health action needed to address NTDs: the case of Neurocysticercosis", and "The success of one health intervention in the fight against Trachoma in Kenya". All presenters emphasized the crucial role of the One Health integrated approach in effectively and sustainably preventing NTDs.

As part of a participatory project to advance navigational service delivery systems for children with neurodevelopmental disability (NDD) and their families, this paper addresses proceedings from a capacity-building conference in Vancouver, Canada. A total of 29 invited key stakeholders attended the meeting with the following aims: knowledge sharing amongst provincial/territorial regions advancing NDD navigation capacity; sustainable action-oriented knowledge exchange; and operationalizing next steps to build navigation resources across Canadian regions. Regional representation included multiple and inter-sectoral partners (e.g., not-for-profit organizations, government, education, health, researchers, etc.) strategically invited to address mutually-agreed upon regional challenges, where ideas for envisioning, planning and success could be developed for ultimate operationalization in three Canadian provinces and one territory based on need for building navigational service delivery systems in NDD.Advancements in navigational service delivery were shared by site leads in the four represented regions of the initiative: Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, and Yukon. Each regional lead conveyed targeted accomplishments, priorities and issues in moving navigation forward. Identified successes comprised the development of trusting partnerships across agencies and sectors, innovation and connection among service/navigation organizations and leaders, and training advances. Struggles included insufficient regional clarity on guiding principles for navigation services, a lack of resources relative to family need for services, and insufficient infrastructural supports in regions. Based on key learnings within and across regional groups, plans for regional development were strategized and shared.

When describing leadership effectiveness as influencing and impacting the feelings, thoughts and behaviors of others, it can be seen as a critical skill in the overall effectiveness of leaders in general, including those in higher education. Understanding what leadership skills contribute to differentiating between average leaders and more effective leaders, provides insights into where transitions from individual academic roles to leadership ones can be accelerated. In this article we share thoughts and an approach to identifying the importance of conflict management as a key leadership skill to increasing overall leadership effectiveness. We describe a workshop facilitated as a component of the Accomplishing Career Transitions (ACT) Program of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB). The workshop, A Leadership Primer uses the Thomas-Kilmann Instrument (TKI), individual reflection, peer coaching and goal setting to provide insight into the origin and impact of individual conflict management styles. While there is evidence indicating that the use of a Collaborative style provides more opportunities for effective leadership, the participants in the ACT were like other academic leader samples that showed more use of a Compromising style. The workshop and follow up sessions provided coaching support to identify origins of conflict styles and options for increasing flexibility to apply a range of conflict styles.