Mobile Health (mHealth) in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

This article reflects on current trends and proposes new considerations for the future of mobile technologies for health (mHealth). Our focus is predominantly on the value of and concerns with regard to the application of digital health within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is in LMICs and marginalized communities that mHealth (within the wider scope of digital health) could be most useful and valuable. Peer-reviewed literature on mHealth in LMICs provides reassurance of this potential, often reflecting on the ubiquity of mobile phones and ever-increasing connectivity globally, reaching remote or otherwise disengaged populations. Efforts to adapt successful programs for LMIC contexts and populations are only just starting to reap rewards. Private-sector investment in mHealth offers value through enhanced capacity and advances in technology as well as the ability to meet increasing consumer demand for real-time, accessible, convenient, and choice-driven health care options. We examine some of the potential considerations associated with a private-sector investment, questioning whether a core of transparency, local ownership, equity, and safety are likely to be upheld in the current environment of health entrepreneurship. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 43 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Trends in Abortion Policies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Annual Review of Public Health ◽

10.1146/annurev-publhealth-082619-102442 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Pascale Allotey ◽

T.K. Sundari Ravindran ◽

Vithiya Sathivelu

Keyword(s):

Annual Review ◽

Publication Date ◽

Human Rights Law ◽

Middle Income ◽

Sexual Autonomy ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Local Contexts ◽

Vested Interests ◽

Cultural Mores ◽

Low And Middle Income

The decision to terminate a pregnancy is not one that is taken lightly. The need for an abortion reflects limited sexual autonomy, ineffective or lack of access to contraceptive options, or a health indication. Abortion is protected under human rights law. That notwithstanding, access to abortions continues to be contested in many parts of the world, with vested interests from politically and religiously conservative states, patriarchal societies, and cultural mores, not just within local contexts but also within a broader geopolitical context. Criminalization of a women's choice not to carry a pregnancy is a significant driver of unsafe procedures, and even where abortions are provided legally, the policies remain constrained by the practice or by a lack of coherence. This review outlines the trends in abortion policy in low- and middle-income countries and highlights priority areas to ensure that women are safe and able to exercise their reproductive rights. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 42 is April 1, 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Consumer Protection for Financial Inclusion in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Bridging Regulator and Academic Perspectives

Annual Review of Financial Economics ◽

10.1146/annurev-financial-071020-012008 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Seth Garz ◽

Xavier Giné ◽

Dean Karlan ◽

Rafe Mazer ◽

Caitlin Sanford ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Financial Services ◽

Imperfect Information ◽

Future Research ◽

Annual Review ◽

Publication Date ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Potential Problems ◽

Growth And Change ◽

Low And Middle Income

Markets for consumer financial services are growing rapidly in low- and middle-income countries and are being transformed by digital technologies and platforms. With growth and change come concerns about protecting consumers from firm exploitation due to imperfect information and contracting as well as from their own decision-making limitations. We seek to bridge regulator and academic perspectives on these underlying sources of harm and five potential problems that can result: high and hidden prices, overindebtedness, postcontract exploitation, fraud, and discrimination. These potential problems span product markets old and new and could impact micro- and macroeconomies alike. Yet there is little consensus on how to define, diagnose, or treat such problems. Evidence-based consumer financial protection will require substantial advances in theory and especially empirics, and we outline key areas for future research. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Financial Economics, Volume 13 is November 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Forest Restoration in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Annual Review of Environment and Resources ◽

10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-020159 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jeffrey R. Vincent ◽

Sara R. Curran ◽

Mark S. Ashton

Keyword(s):

Forest Restoration ◽

Social Science Research ◽

Science Research ◽

Forest Recovery ◽

Annual Review ◽

Publication Date ◽

Forest Transition ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Low And Middle Income

A series of international initiatives have set ambitious goals for restoring global forests. This review synthesizes natural and social science research on forest restoration (FR), with a focus on restoration on cleared land in low- and middle-income countries. We define restoration more broadly than reestablishing native forests, given that landholders might prefer other forest types. We organize the review loosely around ideas in the forest transition literature. We begin by examining recent trends in FR and forest transition indicators. We then investigate two primary parts of the forest transition explanation for forest recovery: wood scarcity, including its connection to restoration for climate change mitigation, and the dynamic relationships between migration and land use. Next, we review ecological and silvicultural aspects of restoration on cleared land. We conclude by discussing selected interventions to promote restoration and the challenge of scaling up restoration to achieve international goals. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Volume 46 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Advancements in and Integration of Water, Sanitation, and Solid Waste for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Annual Review of Environment and Resources ◽

10.1146/annurev-environ-030620-042304 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Abishek Sankara Narayan ◽

Sara J. Marks ◽

Regula Meierhofer ◽

Linda Strande ◽

Elizabeth Tilley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solid Waste ◽

Solid Waste Management ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Positive Interactions ◽

Annual Review ◽

Publication Date ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

The Right ◽

Low And Middle Income

The water, sanitation, and solid waste sectors are closely related and have many interactions between their respective service chains in low-and middle-income countries. Currently, these interactions mostly lead to cross-contamination, and opportunities for co-benefits are seldom realized. This review presents the key advancements within each of these three development sectors in the past two decades. We identify numerous similarities such as decentralization, resource recovery, community involved planning, and digitalization. Despite the potential for synergies and the opportunities to maximize positive interactions, there have been few attempts to break the existing sectoral silos in order to integrate these three service chains. We argue that, with the right enabling environment, an integrated approach to holistically planning and implementing water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management can create positive interactions resulting in co-benefits among complementary development goals. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Volume 46 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Private sector, for-profit health providers in low and middle income countries: can they reach the poor at scale?

Globalization and Health ◽

10.1186/1744-8603-10-52 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 52 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Elizabeth Tung ◽

Sara Bennett

Keyword(s):

Private Sector ◽

Health Providers ◽

Middle Income ◽

For Profit ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

The Poor ◽

Low And Middle Income

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Outcomes of HIV treatment from the private sector in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031844 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. e031844

Author(s):

Gitau Mburu ◽

Ewemade Igbinedion ◽

Sin How Lim ◽

Aung Zayar Paing ◽

Siyan Yi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Private Sector ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Low Income ◽

Hiv Treatment ◽

Future Research ◽

Publication Date ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Secondary Outcomes

IntroductionPrivate sector provision of HIV treatment is increasing in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC). However, there is limited documentation of its outcomes. This protocol reports a proposed systematic review that will synthesise clinical outcomes of private sector HIV treatment in LMIC.Methods and analysisThis review will be conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses protocols. Primary outcomes will include: (1) proportion of eligible patients initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART); (2) proportion of those on ART with <1000 copies/mL; (3) rate of all-cause mortality among ART recipients. Secondary outcomes will include: (1) proportion receivingPneumocystis jirovecipneumonia prophylaxis; (2) proportion with >90% ART adherence (based on any measure reported); (3) proportion screened for non-communicable diseases (specifically cervical cancer, diabetes, hypertension and mental ill health); (iv) proportion screened for tuberculosis. A search of five electronic bibliographical databases (Embase, Medline, PsychINFO, Web of Science and CINAHL) and reference lists of included articles will be conducted to identify relevant articles reporting HIV clinical outcomes. Searches will be limited to LMIC. No age, publication date, study-design or language limits will be applied. Authors of relevant studies will be contacted for clarification. Two reviewers will independently screen citations and abstracts, identify full text articles for inclusion, extract data and appraise the quality and bias of included studies. Outcome data will be pooled to generate aggregative proportions of primary and secondary outcomes. Descriptive statistics and a narrative synthesis will be presented. Heterogeneity and sensitivity assessments will be conducted to aid interpretation of results.Ethics and disseminationThe results of this review will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed scientific manuscript and at international scientific conferences. Results will inform quality improvement strategies, replication of identified good practices, potential policy changes, and future research.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42016040053.

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