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In 2009, Burkina Faso embarked on a process leading to the development of a national social protection policy (politique nationale de protection sociale–PNPS) in 2012. The objective of this study was to analyze the circumstances under which explicit knowledge was used to inform the process of emergence and formulation PNPS. The term explicit knowledge excludes tacit and experiential knowledge, taking into account research data, grey literature, and monitoring data. Court and Young’s conceptual framework was adapted by integrating concepts from political science, such as Kingdon’s Multiple Streams framework. Discursive and documentary data were collected from 30 respondents from national and international institutions. Thematic analysis guided the data processing. Results showed that use of peer-reviewed academic research was not explicitly mentioned by respondents, in contrast to other types of knowledge, such as national statistical data, reports on government program evaluations, and reports on studies by international institutions and NGOs, also called technical and financial partners (TFPs). The emergence phase was more informed by grey literature and monitoring data. In this phase, national actors deepened and increased their knowledge (conceptual use) on the importance and challenges of social protection. The role of explicit knowledge in the formulation phase was nuanced. The actors’ thinking was little guided by the question of whether the solutions had the capacity to solve the problem in the Burkina Faso context. Choices were based very little on analysis of strategies (effectiveness, equity, unintended effects) and their applicability (cost, acceptability, feasibility). This way of working was due in part to actors’ limited knowledge on social protection and the lack of government guidance on strategic choices. Strategic use was clearly identified. It involved citing knowledge (reports on studies conducted by TFPs) to justify the utility and feasibility of a PNPS. Instrumental use consisted of drawing from workshop presentations and study reports when writing sections of the PNPS. The consideration of a recommendation based on explicit knowledge was influenced by perceived political gains, i.e., potential social and political consequences.

Background Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease that is associated with four serotypes of the dengue virus. Children are vulnerable to infection with the dengue virus, particularly those who have been previously infected with a different dengue serotype. Sufficient knowledge, positive attitudes, and proper practices (KAP) are essential for dengue prevention and control. This study aims to estimate the dengue seropositivity for study participants and to examine the association between households' dengue-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP), and children's risk of dengue seropositivity, while accounting for socioeconomic and demographic differences in Brazil. Methodology/Principal findings This analysis was based on a cross-sectional study from Fortaleza, Brazil between November 2019, and February 2020. There were 392 households and 483 participant children who provided a sample of sufficient quality for serological analysis. The main exposure was a household's dengue-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices, assessed through a questionnaire to construct a composite KAP score categorized into three levels: low, moderate, and high. The main outcome is dengue immunoglobulin G(IgG) antibodies, collected using dried blood spots and assessed with Panbio Dengue IgG indirect ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays) test commercial kits. The estimated crude dengue seroprevalence among participating children (n = 483) was 25%. Five percent of households (n = 20) achieved a score over 75% for KAP, sixty-nine percent of households (n = 271) scored between 50% and 75%, and twenty-six percent of households (n = 101) scored lower than 50%. Each KAP domain was significantly and positively associated with the others. The mean percentage scores for the three domains are 74%, 63%, and 39% respectively. We found high household KAP scores were associated with an increased adjusted relative risk (aRR) of seropositivity (aRR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.11-4.01, p = 0.023). Household adult respondents' education level of elementary school or higher was negatively associated with children's risk of being seropositive (aRR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.48-0.87, p = 0.005). The risk of seropositivity in older children (6-12 years old) was over 6 times that of younger children (2-5 years old) (aRR: 6.08, 95% CI: 3.47-10.64, p<0.001). Children living in households with sealed water tanks or no water storage had a lower risk of being seropositive (aRR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.54-0.98, p = 0.035). Conclusions/Significance Our results provide insight into the prevalence of dengue seropositivity in Fortaleza, Brazil in children, and certain demographic and socioeconomic characteristics associated with children's risk of being seropositive. They also suggest that KAP may not identify those more at-risk for dengue, although understanding and enhancing households' KAP is crucial for effective community dengue control and prevention initiatives.

This qualitative study investigated the effectiveness of blended learning using MOOCs (massive open online courses) for capacity-building in knowledge translation (KT). The evaluation followed Kirkpatrick’s updated model. A total of 23 semi-directed interviews were conducted with participants working at a research centre in Côte d’Ivoire, with a first wave of interviews immediately post-training and a second wave after five months. Results showed that the training met learners’ needs, with both the content and teaching format being deemed appropriate. Learners reacted positively to face-to-face activities and affirmed the importance of coaching for putting learning into practice. Specific KT skills and principles appeared to have been acquired, such as a procedure for structuring the KT process and improved skills for communicating and presenting scientific knowledge. Five months after the training, encouraging changes were reported, but the sustainability of the new KT practices remained uncertain. KT capacity-building initiatives in low- and middle-income countries struggle to meet demand. Little is known about effective KT training in that context, and even less in non-anglophone countries. The study presented here contributes to the understanding of success factors from the learners’ standpoint.

Correspondence to Dr Dheepa Rajan; rajand@who.int Summary box Not all countries make their Covid-19 task force membership list public—the available information varies by country. Introduction As SARS-COV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) ravages the globe, heads of state are making swift decisions to put large swathes of the world’s population under mass isolation in the race to heed off Covid-19’s lethality, particularly in certain population subgroups. [...]a physician with a current public health role would be classified as a public health specialist and not a clinician, the assumption being that their current role is most relevant for the task force. Most other task force members, including public health institute staff, were categorised according to their expertise since the rationale for their task force membership is their specific skill set (mathematical modeller, virologist, etc) rather than their institutional affiliation. Table 1 Covid-19 task forces set up to advise national governments Country Name of task force convened or activated for Covid-19 response Composition of task force by member expertise Gender distribution Argentina28 Expert Committee (El comité de expertos) 5 Government officials 2 Ministry of Health officials 6 Infectious disease specialists 1 Epidemiologist 1 Public health specialist 12 M; 3 F Belgium29 30 Scientific Committee Coronavirus (Comité scientifique Coronavirus) 3 Infectious disease specialists 1 Epidemiologist 1 Laboratory specialist 2 M; 3 F Burkina Faso31 Name unknown 1 Ministry of Health official 4 Infectious disease specialists 2 Epidemiologists 3 Public health specialists 2 Other medical specialists 1 Communication specialist 1 Private sector 4 Unknown 14 M; 5 F Chad32 Scientific Committee for Covid-19 (Comité Scientifique Covid-19) 1 Ministry of Health official 7 Infectious disease specialists 1 Epidemiologist 1 Laboratory specialist 8 Public health specialists 2 Intensive Care specialists 12 Other medical specialists 1 Pharmacist 1 Nutrition specialist 1 Lawyer 1 Socioanthropologist 1 Historian 33 M; 4 F Chile33 Advisory Board of Ministry of Health for Covid-19 (Consejo Asesor del MINSAL por Covid-19) 2 Ministry of Health officials 1 Infectious disease specialist 3 Public health specialists 1 Other medical specialist 3 M; 4 F China34 35 Central Leading Group on Responding to the Novel Coronavirus Disease Outbreak 9 Government officials 8 M; 1 F France36–39 Scientific council Covid-19 (Conseil scientifique Covid-19) 4 Infectious disease specialists 1 Epidemiologist 1 Mathematical modelling specialist 1 Intensive Care specialist 1 Other medical specialist 1 Anthropologist 1 Sociologist 8 M; 2 F Analysis, research and expertise committee (Comité analyse, recherche et expertise (CARE)) 6 Infectious disease specialists 1 Mathematical modelling specialist 2 Laboratory specialists 2 Other medical specialists 1 Anthropologist 7 M; 5 F Germany40–42 Interministerial crisis unit (Krisenstab) Government officials from six different ministries Unknown Guinea43 44 Scientific council on pandemic response to coronavirus disease (Covid-19) (Conseil scientifique de riposte contre la pandémie de la maladie à coronavirus (Covid-19)) 2 Infectious disease specialists 1 Epidemiologist 1 Laboratory specialist 3 Public health specialists 3 Pharmacists 3 Other medical specialists 1 Psychologist 1 Economist 2 Socioanthropologist 14 M; 3 F Haiti45 Scientific committee to combat coronavirus (Cellule scientifique pour lutter contre le coronavirus) 1 Ministry of Health official 2 Infectious disease specialists 1 Epidemiologist 1 Laboratory specialist 2 Public health specialists 1 Intensive Care specialist 3 Other medical specialists 1 Mental health specialist 1 Sociologist 1 Civil society 12 M; 2 F Hungary46 Coronaviral Defence Operational Staff (Koronavírus-járvány Elleni Védekezésért Felelős Operatív Törzs) 11 Government officials 3 Ministry of Health officials 1 Infectious disease specialist 14 M; 1 F Italy47–49 Operational Committee on Coronavirus for Civil Protection (Comitato operativo sul Coronavirus alla Protezione Civile) 6 Government officials 1 Ministry of Health official 7 M; 0 F Scientific Technical Committee (Comitato Tecnico Scientifico) 4 Ministry of Health officials 2 Infectious disease specialists 1 Public health specialist 7 M; 0 F Task force tech anti Covid-19 2 Government officials 2 Ministry of Health officials 2 Infectious disease specialists 5 Epidemiologists 1 Mathematician 4 Public health specialists 1 Social scientist 12 Data management specialists 4 Statisticians 1 Physicist 1 Civil engineering expert 1 Digital health expert 1 Chemist 1 Information systems expert 13 Economists 3 Computer science experts 1 Communication technology expert 3 Digital transformation experts 2 Emergency management experts 11 Lawyers 1 Unknown 56 M; 18 F Kenya50 51 National Emergency Response Committee 17 Government officials 4 Ministry of Health officials 15 M; 6 F Mali52 53 Crisis Committee (Le Comité de crise) 2 Governmental officials 2 Ministry of Health officials 1 Infectious disease specialist 2 Laboratory specialists 4 Public health specialists 1 Other medical specialist 12 M; 0 F Scientific and Technical Committee of the National Public Health Institute (Comité Scientifique et Technique de l’Institut National de Santé Publique -INSP) 5 Infectious disease specialists 1 Public health specialist 1 Other medical specialist 1 Agronomist 1 Ecologist 1 Nutritionist 9 M; 1 F Philippines54 Inter-Agency task force 2 Government officials 2 Ministry of Health officials 4 M; 0 F National task force Covid-1919 (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council - NDRRMC) 4 Government officials 4 M; 0 F Portugal55 56 Task force Covid-19 13 Infectious disease specialists 10 Epidemiologists 12 Public health specialists 1 Intensive Care specialist 5 Other medical specialists 1 Chemist 2 Communication specialists 25 Unknown 26 M; 42 F National Public Health Council (Conselho Nacional de Saúde Pública) 2 Government officials 2 Ministry of Health Officials 5 Infectious disease specialists 1 Epidemiologist 2 Public health specialists 1 Other medical specialist 1 Pharmacist 2 Lawyers 1 Private sector 2 CSO 14 M; 6 F Singapore57 Multi-Ministry Taskforce on Wuhan Coronavirus 10 Government officials 1 Ministry of Health official 10 M; 1 F South Korea58 59 Central Disease Control Headquarters (KCDC) Led by Jung Eun-Kyeong (Director) Other members unknown 1 F, unknown Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Led by the Prime Minister (Chung Sye-kyun) Other members unknown 1 M, unknown Central Incidence Management System for Novel Coronavirus Infection Led by Minister of Health and Welfare (Park Neung-hoo) Other members unknown 1 M, unknown Central Disaster Management Headquarters Led by Ministry of Health and Welfare (Park Neung-hoo) Other members unknown 1 M, unknown Government-wide Support Centre Led by Minister of Public Administration and Security Other members unknown 1 M, unknown Local Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (local municipal governments nationwide) Led by the head of the local government Other members unknown Unknown Local quarantine task force (local municipal governments nationwide) Led by the head of the local government Other members unknown Unknown Spain60

Community engagement (CE) has been increasingly acknowledged as a pivotal element in the efficacy of mass drug administration (MDA) programs designed to control and eradicate diseases such as malaria, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis. The objective of this scoping review was to evaluate the contribution of community engagement (CE) to participatory interventions for mass drug administration (MDA). A systematic search of six databases yielded 32 articles, spanning 24 MDA interventions across 20 countries, primarily in low- and middle-income settings. The review indicates that most CE initiatives are constrained to passive information dissemination, with a paucity of initiatives that prioritize active community involvement or decision-making. The review identified several key challenges, including a lack of clear definitions for CE, inconsistent objectives, and difficulties in evaluating its effectiveness. Despite evidence that CE can enhance MDA coverage and compliance, the lack of standardized frameworks hinders comprehensive evaluation and comparison across studies. Furthermore, only a minority of interventions involved communities in the design or evaluation stages of MDA programs. The findings emphasize the importance of context-specific approaches, especially in addressing local sociocultural dynamics and including marginalized populations. Future interventions should prioritize sustainable capacity-building and adopt participatory frameworks that promote shared decision-making. Addressing these challenges could enhance the effectiveness of MDA campaigns and improve health outcomes in affected communities.

Background In 1982, the Annals of Virology published a paper showing how Liberia has a highly endemic potential of Ebola warning health authorities of the risk for potential outbreaks; this journal is only available by subscription. Limiting the accessibility of such knowledge may have reduced information propagation toward public health actors who were indeed surprised by and unprepared for the 2014 epidemic. Open access (OA) publication can allow for increased access to global health research (GHR). Our study aims to assess the use, cost and impact of OA diffusion in the context of GHR. Method A total of 3366 research articles indexed under the Medical Heading Subject Heading “Global Health” published between 2010 and 2014 were retrieved using PubMed to (1) quantify the uptake of various types of OA, (2) estimate the article processing charges (APCs) of OA, and (3) analyse the relationship between different types of OA, their scholarly impact and gross national income per capita of citing countries. Results Most GHR publications are not available directly on the journal’s website (69%). Further, 60.8% of researchers do not self-archive their work even when it is free and in keeping with journal policy. The total amount paid for APCs was estimated at US$1.7 million for 627 papers, with authors paying on average US$2732 per publication; 94% of APCs were paid to journals owned by the ten most prominent publication houses from high-income countries. Researchers from low- and middle-income countries are generally citing less expensive types of OA, while researchers in high-income countries are citing the most expensive OA. Conclusions Although OA may help in building global research capacity in GHR, the majority of publications remain subscription only. It is logical and cost-efficient for institutions and researchers to promote OA by self-archiving publications of restricted access, as it not only allows research to be cited by a broader audience, it also augments citation rates. Although OA does not ensure full knowledge transfer from research to practice, limiting public access can negatively impact implementation and outcomes of health policy and reduce public understanding of health issues.

Background In Senegalese high-burden regions, the existing package of interventions is insufficient to reach the malaria elimination goal. Asymptomatic carriers of Plasmodium contribute significantly to malaria persistence and are not targeted by current interventions. The systematic treatment of all individuals in a community (mass drug administration, MDA) is a relevant intervention to tackle asymptomatic infections. The intervention can only be effective with a high participation of the population and, therefore, depends largely on its acceptability. This study aims to investigate the prospective acceptability of MDA in the Kedougou region to inform its potential use in a future strategy. Methods Following a 7-construct theoretical framework, prospective acceptability of MDA implemented in the rainy season was studied. In four villages, a sequential mixed design, from qualitative to quantitative, was used. In November 2021, interviews with healthcare professionals and focus groups with villagers were conducted. Findings from thematic analysis informed the development of a questionnaire administered to individuals aged ≥ 15 years in March 2022. Based on the questionnaire, an acceptability score was constructed and associations with socio-demographic factors were investigated using a linear mixed model. Results The 7 interviews, the 12 focus groups, and the questionnaire administered to 289 individuals demonstrated a good acceptability of MDA. Two potential barriers were identified: the contradiction of taking a medication without feeling sick and the occurrence of side effects; and four facilitators: the perception of malaria as a burden, a good understanding of MDA, a good perceived effectiveness, and the resulting economic benefits. The average acceptability score was 3.5 (range from -7 to + 7). Young adults aged 15 to 21 had a lower acceptability score compared to the other age groups, indicating an additional barrier to acceptability (β = -0.78 [-1.67;0.1]). Conclusion MDA is a priori acceptable to communities of Kedougou region in Senegal. Sensitization campaigns co-constructed with the communities, especially targeting young adults, are essential to ensure good acceptability.

Background Cancer is a growing public health concern in Africa and Asia, where access to effective healthcare and resources is often limited. There is an urgent need for evidence-based cancer control policies in Africa and Asia, along with systems for prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and palliative care. This emerging issue has garnered growing interest from international institutions but there has been little visible action, and the existing knowledge remains scattered and fragmented. This scoping review aims to explore the breadth and scope of evidence regarding knowledge transfer interventions to enhance cancer care in Africa and Asia. Methods We conducted a systematic search of Embase, Emcare, ERIC, APA PsycInfo, Medline, and Google Scholar, supplemented by expert bibliographies and references. Peer-reviewed empirical studies in English or French from January 1978 to September 2024 were included. Data were organised using the AIMD (Aims, Ingredients, Mechanism & Delivery) framework. Study quality was presented using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results The scoping review examined seven articles providing evidence on five unique interventions. The interventions included target both decision-makers and health professionals and aim to strengthen evidence-based cancer control policies and implementation strategies. The interventions documented have all been initiated by external actors, mainly international institutions or researchers from high-income countries, in collaboration with African and Asian stakeholders. In addition, some researchers have been involved in participatory research projects designed to enable decision-makers to implement evidence-based cancer control policies and programmes. Conclusions This scoping review highlights a critical lack of evidence on knowledge transfer interventions in cancer care across Africa and Asia, partly due to limited funding for non-communicable diseases. It calls for the integration of knowledge transfer components into all cancer research and interventions, supported by robust evaluation strategies, to develop evidence-based, economically feasible, and culturally appropriate policies, guidelines and interventions that can be used in nations with limited healthcare resources to improve cancer outcomes.

Dengue virus (DENV) seroprevalence studies often rely on Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) testing of serum samples, but ELISA testing of dried blood spot (DBS) samples offer several advantages for field-based research in resource-limited settings. However, DBS' limited sample volume can be challenging for test sensitivity, requiring validation studies with standard methods (e.g., analysis of serum through ELISAs or Plaque Reduction Neutralization Tests (PRNTs)). In preparation for a large cluster randomized controlled trial, we conducted a pilot study in 2019 to validate the use of DBS compared to serum samples for DENV IgG testing. We aimed to identify the optimal DBS dilution for IgG detection and to estimate the correlation, magnitude of agreement, and sensitivity and specificity of IgG detection in DBS versus serum samples. We conducted this pilot validation study among 119 healthy participants in Fortaleza, Brazil to evaluate and optimize the detection of DENV IgG from DBS compared to serum. Each participant provided paired DBS and venous blood samples, which were evaluated for DENV IgG using the Panbio Dengue IgG indirect ELISA. DBS elution diluted 1:4 was optimal compared with serum results, with high correlation (r= 0.98) and near-perfect agreement (kappa = 0.95). At this dilution, DBS had a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 92.3%, a 97.9% positive predictive value, and a 100% negative predictive value compared with serum. These results validate using DBS instead of serum for detection of prior dengue infection among similar populations in endemic regions, without sacrificing test sensitivity and specificity. The validity of using DBS for ELISA to detect prior dengue infection could have important implications for field-based research. A limitation to this study was that the potential for misclassification due to cross-reactivity (e.g., with Zika virus, Yellow Fever vaccine) was not assessed.

ObjectiveThis paper presents the results of a realist evaluation of a knowledge translation (KT) intervention implemented in the field of health promotion and disease prevention at the local level in France.DesignRealist evaluation study.SettingThe target population comprised decision-makers and field professionals working in prevention and public health services operating in regions of France (ie, ARS (Agence Régionale de Santé: regional health agency), IREPS (Instance Régionale d'Education et de Promotion de la Santé pour tous: regional organisation for health promotion and education) and their partners).ParticipantsThis evaluation was based on data collected from 2 seminars, 82 interviews, 18 observations and 4 focus groups over 18 months.InterventionThe TC-REG intervention aimed to increase the use of evidence in cancer prevention, health promotion and disease prevention across four geographical regions in France. The intervention combined various activities: Supporting access to and adaptation of usable evidence, strengthening professionals’ skills in analysing, adopting and using policy briefs, and facilitating the use of evidence in organisations and processes.ResultsThe collected data was used to define favourable/unfavourable contexts for the use of scientific data and mechanisms to be activated to encourage the use of scientific knowledge. From these raw results eight final refined middle-range theories were defined. Organised around the mechanisms to be activated, these middle-range theories illustrate how to activate knowledge and under what conditions. These analyses provided a basis for the production of seven operational and contextualised recommendations to develop KT to inform regional policymaking regarding health promotion and disease prevention.ConclusionThe results obtained from the analyses led us to formulate two perspectives of an operational nature for the benefit of those involved in prevention and health promotion.