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Introduction Maternal and Child Health (MCH) conditions continue to be a major public health concern in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which account for 94% of maternal deaths worldwide. Despite documented successes from government interventions at all levels, maternal and child mortality remains high in Nigeria. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of strengthened Ward Development Committees (WDCs) on the use of reproductive and maternal and child health services in a specific local government area (LGA) in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Methods A quasi-experimental study design without a control group was used, with data collected at the baseline, midline and endline using a pre-posttest questionnaire. This was collected to determine the outcome of the impact of strengthened WDC in Bayelsa State's Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA. Existing WDCs were strengthened by providing funding, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCH + N) commodities, outreach, human resource support, and technical assistance. Caregivers of children between the ages of 0 and 59 months were randomly selected to participate in the study. The Cochrane and Friedman test were used to analyse changes over time in key indicators, with statistical significance set at P  < 0.05, while logistic regression was used to examine the influence of socio-demographic factors on maternal health service utilisation. Results Following the intervention, significant improvements were observed in key reproductive, maternal, and child health (RMCH) indicators. Family planning utilisation increased markedly from 0% at baseline to 62% at endline ( P  < 0.001). Similarly, the proportion of health facility deliveries rose from 46 to 72% ( P  < 0.001), while antenatal care (ANC) attendance with four or more visits improved from 78 to 92% ( P  < 0.001). Postnatal care (PNC) attendance also showed a significant increase, from 52% at baseline to 93% at endline ( P  < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis further revealed that women aged 31–40 years were significantly more likely to utilise family planning services compared to those aged 15–20 years (OR = 5.29; 95% CI: 1.61–17.36; P  = 0.0059). Marital status also had a strong influence, with single women demonstrating significantly higher odds of using family planning services compared to married women (OR = 6.39; 95% CI: 2.81–14.50; P  < 0.001). Conclusion The WDC strengthening intervention led to significant improvements in maternal health service utilisation, family planning uptake, and postnatal care attendance. Socio-demographic factors such as age and marital status were important determinants of family planning uptake, with older and single women more likely to use these services. However, declines in caregivers’ knowledge of child health interventions and the acceptability of key health interventions, particularly vaccines, highlight the need for targeted health education and communication strategies. Getting communities more involved and using effective ways to share health information are recommended to maintain and improve health outcomes in similar settings.

This thematic issue advances debates on status in international relations (IR) by integrating novel empirical research with innovative theoretical perspectives. It moves beyond traditional power-centric views, highlighting the social and relational dimensions of status-seeking as a diplomatic and foreign policy practice. The contributions explore, for instance, how states pursue status through cooperation, adherence to international norms, and strategic identity management. By examining diverse cases, including non-traditional status-seekers, this collection of contributions underscores the multifaceted nature of status-seeking, involving both material and ideational factors, and enriches the literature on status in IR, offering new insights into the complex dynamics of international hierarchy and state behaviour. In this editorial, we highlight the main findings and give an outlook on the overarching contribution to IR research.

The European Union strives to create sustainable, low-carbon economies; therefore, energy policies of all member states should move towards renewable energy sources (RES). That concerns also the so-called new EU member states. These countries, on the one hand, are characterized by significant historical similarities in terms of post-communist legacy and adopted development strategies linked with the EU membership, and on the other hand, by significant social, economic and environmental differences resulting from different transformation and development paths and conditions. The question remains how the selected countries should cope with actions in the field of national energy transformations to confront the multiple challenges linked to assuring a significant level of sustainable development. In order to be successful, it is necessary to conduct an effective and rapid changes in the energy industry, which should be preceded by an analysis of the differentiation of countries in terms of their potentials. The results of such analyses should be helpful in selecting the most appropriate strategies for transformation of the described industry. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to assess the new EU member states for RES diversification and identify similar subgroups of countries using cluster analysis, taking into account the percentage share of individual renewable energy sources in total renewable energy production. This was done for the years 2010, 2015 and 2019 which should allow us to demonstrate the differences between them as a group and also reveal changes recorded over time for a single country. Ward’s method was used for the analysis. The presented approach to the analysis of energy production enabled the acquisition of new knowledge in this field and supported the assessment of the current state of RES. The results obtained can be used in countries of comparable specificity to undertake activities of similar nature in relation to internal energy production, technological development or common energy policy.