Psychosocial determinants of adherence to public health and social measures (PHSMs) in 18 African Union Member States during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: results of a cross-sectional survey
Trust in authorities, a sense of control over one’s environment and behavior, and access to resources influenced adherence to public health and social measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Writing in BMJ Open, experts at Resolve to Save Lives analyzed psychosocial and sociodemographic factors influencing COVID-19 public health and social measure (PHSM) adherence through a cross-sectional […]
Protecting the world from infectious disease threats: now or never
There is an urgent need for global cooperation, leadership, and sustainable financing to address critical gaps in health preparedness as revealed by the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Joint External Evaluation (JEE). Writing in BMJ Global Health, experts at Resolve to Save Lives highlight the results of WHO’s JEE process, in which 100 countries assessed their […]
WHO global report on sodium intake reduction
WHO report assessing global progress in implementing sodium reduction policies, providing insights by country, region, and income group to guide future actions for reducing sodium intake and improving cardiovascular health.
Preparing for pandemics and other health threats: societal approaches to protect and improve health
There is an urgent need for sustained funding and coordinated global efforts to strengthen health security capacities and prevent future pandemics. Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, experts from Resolve to Save Lives analyze critical lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting gaps in preparedness that led to millions of deaths, economic losses, […]
Nigeria’s joint external evaluation and national action plan for health security
Nigeria’s adoption of the World Health Organization’s Joint External Evaluation (JEE) and National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) will strengthen its national health security efforts. Writing in Health Security, experts at Resolve to Save Lives document the process of completing a JEE with partners in Nigeria in 2017 and subsequently creating a NAPHS to […]
Multisectoral resilience for the next global health emergency
Pandemics are more than public health emergencies; they are multisectoral crises that touch every aspect of public and private life. Therefore, multisectoral coordination—especially by enabling stakeholders to share and coordinate information, resources and personnel—enables appropriate policy responses during crises. Writing in BMJ Global Health, experts at Resolve to Save Lives and our partners identify six […]
Modelling the economic burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health care workers in four countries
SARS-CoV-2 infections among health care workers caused up to 8.38% of total health expenditures in five low- and middle-income countries, underscoring a need for stronger protection measures for frontline workers, who faced increased risk of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Writing in Nature Communications, experts at Resolve to Save Lives used a a cost-of-illness (COI) […]
Food taxes for healthy eating
A preliminary report by the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Innovation advocating for a broader approach to food taxes by applying nutrient profile models to define tax bases, rates, or tiers, aligning taxation with the nutritional quality and health impact of foods.
Investing in global health security: Estimating cost requirements for country-level capacity building
A targeted investment of $124 billion over five years will enable 196 countries to strengthen their core capacities across the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Joint External Evaluation (JEE) indicators. Writing in PLOS Global Public Health, experts at Resolve to Save Lives estimated the costs required to strengthen country-level health security and identified associated cost drivers. […]
Protecting children from the harmful impact of food marketing: policy brief
A policy brief providing guidance for policymakers, program managers, and advocates on implementing comprehensive strategies to protect children from the harmful impact of food marketing by reducing both their exposure to and the influence of such marketing practices.
Implementation of the 7-1-7 target for detection, notification, and response to public health threats in five countries: a retrospective, observational study
The 7-1-7 target supports timely detection, notification, and response to outbreaks. Writing in the Lancet Global Health, experts from Resolve to Save Lives assessed 41 public health events in Brazil, Ethiopia, Liberia, Nigeria, and Uganda between 2018 and 2022 to understand the frequency at which targets for detection (7 days), notification (1 day) and respones […]
Impact of a Newly Established Revolving Outbreak Investigation Fund on Timeliness of Response to Public Health Emergencies in Nigeria
Revolving outbreak investigation funds (ROIF) can accelerate outbreak response times when coupled with streamlined approval processes. Writing in Health Security, experts from Resolve to Save Lives analyze the impact of ROIF in Nigeria, which were established by our partners at Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in 2019. Comparing outbreak responses before and […]
Identifying and Interrupting Superspreading Events—Implications for Control of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
Strict adherence to infection prevention and control measures, and timely implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions, can help prevent and control COVID-19. Writing in Emerging Infectious Diseases, experts at Resolve to Save Lives examine the role of superspreading events (SSEs) in the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2, highlighting their potential to accelerate outbreaks and prolong transmission. We emphasize […]
From lionizing to protecting health care workers during and after COVID‐19—systems solutions for human tragedies
Frontline health care workers need full protections in the form of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs, and expanded training opportunities. Writing in the International Journal of Health Planning and Management, experts at Resolve to Save Lives review health care worker infections and deaths during previous epidemics, illustrating the […]
Feasibility, enablers and challenges of using timeliness metrics for household contact tracing and TB preventive therapy in Pakistan
Experts from Resolve to Save Lives expamined the feasibility of adapting the 7-1-7 target to control tuberculosis in Karachi, Pakistan through timely provision of TB preventive therapy (TPT). From January to June 2023, we successfully line-listed 92% of 450 index patients’ household contacts within seven days of initiating anti-TB treatment. Additionally, we determined screening outcomes […]
Digital Point Solutions for Extending Contact Tracing Capacity
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Resolve to Save Lives collaborated with U.S. jurisdictions to create four digital solutions that enhance the efficiency of case investigation and contact tracing to reduce the spread of infectious diseases by enabling more precise outreach, timely interventions, and better confidentiality: Epi Viaduct, Epi Contacts, Epi Locator, and Epi […]
Development of a simple and effective online training for health workers: results from a pilot in Nigeria
A modular, self-paced, mobile-friendly online course on foundational infection prevention and control (IPC) was developed for health workers (HWs) in Africa, addressing challenges in accessing training. Evaluated in Nigeria, the course comprised 10 modules utilizing IPC vignettes and short assessment questions. Of the 372 learners who enrolled, 59% completed all modules, demonstrating significant pre-test (29%) […]
Defining collaborative surveillance to improve decision making for public health emergencies and beyond
Public health emergencies such as COVID-19 and other large-scale outbreaks (cholera, measles, and mpox) are occurring with increasing frequency, magnitude, and complexity, compounded by devastating natural disasters, conflicts, and other humanitarian crises. Timely and effective intelligence is vital for decision-makers to assess risks, prepare, and respond appropriately. Experts from Resolve to Save Lives and partners […]
How do local-level authorities engage in epidemic and pandemic preparedness activities and coordinate with higher levels of government? Survey results from 33 cities
Engaging local governments in epidemic preparedness will strengthen global health security by ensuring better coordination between local and national authorities. Writing in PLOS Global Public Health, Resolve to Save Lives and partners explore local-level involvement in epidemic preparedness before the COVID-19 pandemic. The research, based on responses from 33 cities in the Partnership for Healthy […]
Reducing Premature Mortality from Cardiovascular and Other Non-Communicable Diseases by One Third: Achieving Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 3.4.1
A paper authored by Resolve to Save Lives and Vital Strategies highlights how the world is not currently on track to reach its SDG 3.4.1 goal to reduce premature death from NCDs, but that it’s possible. Progress will require improvements to access to quality health care and medications and financial protections for health programs in […]
Building National Health Security Through a Rapid Self-Assessment and Annual Operational Plan in Uganda, May to September 2021
While long-term planning for health security is indispensable, focused short-term operational planning can be a tremendous asset for developing actionable and realistic strategies to improve readiness for public health emergencies. Despite limited funding and an overwhelming list of action items, Uganda successfully enhanced its epidemic readiness by 20% with a focused 1-year operational plan developed […]
Association Between Preparedness and Response Measures and COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality
The COVID-19 pandemic was the most disruptive global health crisis in a century. Analysis of publicly available data by experts from Resolve to Save Lives revealed that alongside preparedness capacities, governance and leadership capacities independently contributed to lower COVID-19 cases and deaths. Both preparedness and governance are essential for effective pandemic control, requiring stronger public […]
COVID-19 Risk Alert Levels
This briefing note explains why alert-level systems for COVID-19 are effective, compares models from several countries, and provides the key principles and potential pitfalls to be aware of when developing these systems. It is intended to provide guidance to local, regional and national governments on best practices for alert-level systems, and on how to clearly […]
Assessing and reducing risk to health care workers in outbreaks
Identiftying critical points of failure within the health system and during emergencies is the first step to mitigating future risk exposure. The West African Ebola epidemic (2014-2016) revealed alarming gaps in infection prevention and control for health care workers, highlighting a major vulnerability in global health security. Experts from Resolve to Save Lives propose a […]
Applying ‘timeliness’ to the screening and prevention of TB in household contacts of pulmonary TB patients
Timeliness is essential in preventing and controlling infectious diseases like meningococcal meningitis and tuberculosis (TB). Experts from resolve to save lives explored adapting the global 7-1-7 target for outbreak control to the management of household contacts of TB patients. Applying the metric in India, Pakistan, and Kenya improved TB preventive therapy (TPT) initiation rates, though […]
Addressing the challenges of implementing evidence-based prioritisation in global health
In a roundtable discussion with health practitioners, funders, academics, and policy-makers, experts from Resolve to Save Lives identified key areas for improving global health practices. We emphasized the importance of evidence-based frameworks that are adaptive and responsive to prioritised health needs. Key recommendations include enhancing information-sharing, increasing social engagement, and promoting diversity in decision-making processes. […]
Action-based costing for national action plans for health security: accelerating progress toward the International Health Regulations (2005)
Implementing the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) can be a cumbersome process, and costs vary widely from country to country. To support facilitating this complex work, experts from Resolve to Save Lives tested several new tools designed to estimate the resources needed for implementing the IHR. Using Nigeria’s National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) […]
7-1-7: an organising principle, target, and accountability metric to make the world safer from pandemics
Clear, universal performance standards for outbreak detection, reporting and control can improve accountability, save lives, and accelerate global readiness for future pandemics. For The Lancet’s Viewpoint, experts from Resolve to Save Lives propose 7-1-7 as a global target for timely response to infectious disease outbreaks: detecting a suspected outbreak within 7 days, reporting and initiating […]
Guideline: sodium intake for adults and children
This guideline offers evidence-based recommendations for reducing sodium intake to prevent NCDs, supporting policymakers and program planners in assessing intake levels, developing interventions, and aligning efforts with global health targets.
PAHO: Protocol for Population Level Sodium Determination in 24‐hour Urine Samples
The WHO/PAHO Protocol for Population Level Sodium Determination in 24-hour Urine Samples guides countries in conducting surveys to estimate dietary salt intake, offering support for planning, staff training, data collection, and result dissemination to advance salt reduction initiatives