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  1. Impact of a new aggressive nutrition policy incorporating early introduction of parenteral nutrition and mother's own milk on growth of preterm infants
    Low CS, Ho JJ, Nallusamy R
    World J Pediatr, 2016 Nov;12(4):450-454.
    PMID: 27286688 DOI: 10.1007/s12519-016-0037-7
    BACKGROUND: Most of the evidence on early feeding of preterm infants was derived from high income settings, it is equally important to evaluate whether it can be successfully implemented into less resourced settings. This study aimed to compare growth and feeding of preterm infants before and after the introduction of a new aggressive feeding policy in Penang Hospital, a tertiary referral hospital in a middle income country.

    METHODS: The new aggressive feeding policy was developed mainly from Cochrane review evidence, using early parenteral and enteral nutrition with standardized breastfeeding counselling aimed at empowering mothers to provide early expressed milk. A total of 80 preterm babies (34 weeks and below) discharged from NICU were included (40 pre- and 40 post-intervention). Pre and post-intervention data were compared. The primary outcome was growth at day 7, 14, 21 and at discharge and secondary outcomes were time to full oral feeding, breastfeeding rates, and adverse events.

    RESULTS: Complete data were available for all babies to discharge. One baby was discharged prior to day 14 and 10 babies before day 21, so growth data for these babies were unavailable. Baseline data were similar in the two groups. There was no significant weight difference at 7, 14, 21 days and at discharge. More post-intervention babies were breastfed at discharge than pre-intervention babies (21 vs. 8, P=0.005). Nosocomial infection (11 vs. 4, P=0.045), and blood transfusion were significantly lower in the postintervention babies than in the pre-intervention babies (31 vs. 13, P=0.01). The post-intervention babies were more likely to achieve shorter median days (interquartile range) to full oral feeding [11 (6) days vs. 13 (11) days, P=0.058] and with lower number affecting necrotising enterocolitis (0 vs. 5, P=0.055).

    CONCLUSION: Early aggressive parenteral nutrition and early provision of mother's milk did not result in improved growth as evidenced by weight gain at discharge. However we found more breastfeeding babies, lower nosocomial infection and transfusion rates. Our findings suggest that implementing a more aggressive feeding policy supported by high level scientific evidence is able to improve important outcomes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  2. Fulltext Monitoring medicines use to support national medicines policy development and implementation in the Asia Pacific region
    Roughead EE, Lhazeen K, Socialine E, Bahri S, Park BJ, Holloway K
    WHO South East Asia J Public Health, 2013 Apr-Jun;2(2):113-117.
    PMID: 28612769 DOI: 10.4103/2224-3151.122946
    Critical to the successful implementation of a national medicines strategy is evaluation of the policy and ongoing monitoring of medicine use. Methods for monitoring medicines use within countries vary depending on the country and its stage of medicines policy development and implementation. In this paper, we provide four case studies on monitoring medicines use to support national medicines policy development and implementation. Cases come from Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Republic of Korea.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  3. Is It Time for Joint Health Technology Assessment in Asia? Opportunities and Challenges
    Ngorsuraches S, Chaiyakunapruk N, Jianfei Guo J, Yang BM
    Value Health Reg Issues, 2017 05;12:99-100.
    PMID: 28648323 DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2017.04.002
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making*
  4. Fulltext Health-care data collecting, sharing, and using in Thailand, China mainland, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia
    Aljunid SM, Srithamrongsawat S, Chen W, Bae SJ, Pwu RF, Ikeda S, et al.
    Value Health, 2012 2 1;15(1 Suppl):S132-8.
    PMID: 22265060 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2011.11.004
    This article sought to describe the health-care data situation in six selected economies in the Asia-Pacific region. Authors from Thailand, China mainland, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia present their analyses in three parts. The first part of the article describes the data-collection process and the sources of data. The second part of the article presents issues around policies of data sharing with the stakeholders. The third and final part of the article focuses on the extent of health-care data use for policy reform in these different economies. Even though these economies differ in their economic structure and population size, they share some similarities on issues related to health-care data. There are two main institutions that collect and manage the health-care data in these economies. In Thailand, China mainland, Taiwan, and Malaysia, the Ministry of Health is responsible through its various agencies for collecting and managing the health-care data. On the other hand, health insurance is the main institution that collects and stores health-care data in South Korea and Japan. In all economies, sharing of and access to data is an issue. The reasons for limited access to some data are privacy protection, fragmented health-care system, poor quality of routinely collected data, unclear policies and procedures to access the data, and control on the freedom on publication. The primary objective of collecting health-care data in these economies is to aid the policymakers and researchers in policy decision making as well as create an awareness on health-care issues for the general public. The usage of data in monitoring the performance of the heath system is still in the process of development. In conclusion, for the region under discussion, health-care data collection is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and health insurance agencies. Data are collected from health-care providers mainly from the public sector. Routinely collected data are supplemented by national surveys. Accessibility to the data is a major issue in most of the economies under discussion. Accurate health-care data are required mainly to support policy making and evidence-based decisions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  5. Assessing the comparative advantage of broiler production in Peninsular Malaysia using policy analysis matrix
    Benalywa ZA, Ismail MM, Shamsudin MN, Yusop Z
    Trop Anim Health Prod, 2019 Feb;51(2):321-327.
    PMID: 30112733 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-018-1690-8
    Broiler meat is the largest and cheapest protein source in Malaysia. Using the policy analysis matrix (PAM), this study examines the comparative advantage of broiler production in Peninsular Malaysia. Three hundred and ten farms in Peninsular Malaysia were involved in a field survey. The results of the domestic resource cost (DRC) show that Malaysia has a comparative advantage in all scales of broiler production. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the changes in input prices have a significant effect on comparative advantage. Nonetheless, the industry should reduce its dependence on corn-based feed, which is expensive and has an unstable price, to increase competitiveness in further securing its comparative advantage.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making*
  6. Fulltext The use of e-cigarettes among university students in Malaysia
    Wan Puteh SE, Manap RA, Hassan TM, Ahmad IS, Idris IB, Sham FM, et al.
    Tob Induc Dis, 2018;16:57.
    PMID: 31516454 DOI: 10.18332/tid/99539
    INTRODUCTION: E-cigarette use is an emerging phenomenon with increasing recognition and acceptance globally. This study aims to create a profile of e-cigarette users among university students in Malaysia.

    METHODS: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional research involving six universities in Malaysia. A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to 1302 randomly selected students, who either smoked cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes. The 2011 version of Global Adult Tobacco Surveys (GATS) tool was used to record the respondents' sociodemographic data.

    RESULTS: The study revealed that 74.9% of the respondents smoked e-cigarettes; 40.3% used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes (dual users), and 34.5% were exclusive e-cigarette users. The exclusive use of e-cigarettes was related to gender (OR=0.18, 95% CI: 0.09-0.39). Also, male respondents were the majority users (95%). Of the respondents, 75.2 % were Malays, 98.0% single and most believed they have no health problems (92.1%). Further findings revealed the occurrence of adverse effects, dizziness 14.4%, cough 14.1%, and headaches 12.4%. Overall, 57.8% of the respondents used e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool, while others consider e-cigarettes a self-image enhancing tool or as part of social activities.

    CONCLUSIONS: Further research on the use of e-cigarettes should be conducted on a large number of respondents in other settings to augment the findings of this study, and also guide policy making on and prevention practice of e-cigarette use, among the general student population in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  7. Fulltext SEATCA Tobacco Industry Interference Index: a tool for measuring implementation of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Article 5.3
    Assunta M, Dorotheo EU
    Tob Control, 2016 May;25(3):313-8.
    PMID: 25908597 DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2014-051934
    OBJECTIVE: To measure the implementation of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 5.3 at country level using a new Tobacco Industry Interference Index and to report initial results using this index in seven Southeast Asian countries.

    METHODS: Score sheet based on WHO FCTC Article 5.3 Guidelines sent to correspondents in seven Southeast Asian countries, using a scoring system designed with the help of tobacco control experts and validated through focused group discussions.

    RESULTS: The seven countries ranked from the lowest level of interference to the highest are Brunei, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Countries that face high levels of unnecessary interaction with the tobacco industry also face high levels of tobacco industry influence in policy development. Most governments do not allow any tobacco industry representatives on their delegation to sessions of the Conference of the Parties or its subsidiary bodies nor accept their sponsorship for delegates, but most governments still accept or endorse offers of assistance from the tobacco industry in implementing tobacco control policies. Most governments also receive tobacco industry contributions (monetary or in kind) or endorse industry corporate social responsibility activities. Governments do not have a procedure for disclosing interactions with the tobacco industry, but Lao PDR, Philippines and Thailand have instituted measures to prevent or reduce industry interference.

    CONCLUSIONS: This Tobacco Industry Interference Index, based on the WHO FCTC Article 5.3 Guidelines, is a useful advocacy tool for identifying both progress and gaps in national efforts at implementing WHO FCTC Article 5.3.

    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  8. Trends in sustainable logistics in major cities in China
    Lan S, Tseng ML, Yang C, Huisingh D
    Sci Total Environ, 2020 Apr 10;712:136381.
    PMID: 31940512 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136381
    "Smart cities" have become the development direction pursued by city leaders to address challenges related to rapid growth in urban areas. The sustainable development of the logistics sector has important practical significance for the evolution of smart cities. This study assessed the inefficiency rate and total factor productivity (TFP) of logistics in 36 Chinese cities from 2006 to 2015. The directional distance function (DDF) and Luenberger productivity index analytical approaches were used to assess the relevant parameters. The results revealed that the logistics system inefficiency rate of the eastern region was much higher than that of the central and western regions, while that of the western region was slightly higher than that of the central region. This study identified the main constraints of the logistics TFP in different regions in China. This finding is used to promote policy-making and investment planning to improve China's competitive advantage. The results documented that the central region of China needs to accelerate logistics reforms and use its location advantage of its location to form an organic connection with the eastern and western regions. Countries can use such metrics to take actions to improve their logistics performance, as such an improvement has a causal relationship with economic development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  9. Is flooding considered a threat in the degraded tropical peatlands?
    Lupascu M, Varkkey H, Tortajada C
    Sci Total Environ, 2020 Jun 25;723:137988.
    PMID: 32392686 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137988
    Tropical peatland degradation due to oil palm plantation development has reduced peat's ability to naturally regulate floods. In turn, more severe and frequent flooding on peatlands could seriously impair plantation productivity. Understanding the roles of peatland ecosystems in regulating floods has become essential given the continued pressure on land resources, especially in Southeast Asia. However, the limited knowledge on this topic has resulted in the oversimplifications of the relationships between floods, commercial plantations and peatland sustainability, creating major disagreement among policymakers at different levels in governments, companies, NGOs and society. Hence, this study identifies whether flood policies are integrated within peatland management through a qualitative policy analysis of publicly available papers, government reports, and other official documents that discuss flooding, and/or more in general, hydrology in peatlands. Document analysis was then triangulated with data obtained from several semi-structured discussions. The analysis indicates that the industry on peatlands and the peatland's environmental sustainability could be threatened by increased flooding. We show that, in spite of this, flood policies in SE Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have not been well-integrated into peatland management. We also discuss how the countries could move forward to overcome this problem.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  10. Seeking representation in policy-making governmental bodies
    Abu Bakar S
    Malays J Pathol, 1997 Dec;19(2):93-7.
    PMID: 10879247
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making*
  11. Priorities for the global advancement of care for older adults with cancer: an update of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Priorities Initiative
    Extermann M, Brain E, Canin B, Cherian MN, Cheung KL, de Glas N, et al.
    Lancet Oncol, 2021 01;22(1):e29-e36.
    PMID: 33387502 DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30473-3
    In 2011, the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) published the SIOG 10 Priorities Initiative, which defined top priorities for the improvement of the care of older adults with cancer worldwide.1 Substantial scientific, clinical, and educational progress has been made in line with these priorities and international health policy developments have occurred, such as the shift of emphasis by WHO from communicable to non-communicable diseases and the adoption by the UN of its Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Therefore, SIOG has updated its priority list. The present document addresses four priority domains: education, clinical practice, research, and strengthening collaborations and partnerships. In this Policy Review, we reflect on how these priorities would apply in different economic settings, namely in high-income countries versus low-income and middle-income countries. SIOG hopes that it will offer guidance for international and national endeavours to provide adequate universal health coverage for older adults with cancer, who represent a major and rapidly growing group in global epidemiology.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  12. Cancer control reform in Nigeria
    Fatokun O
    Lancet Oncol, 2017 01;18(1):19-20.
    PMID: 28049569 DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(16)30650-7
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  13. Defining a global research and policy agenda for betel quid and areca nut
    Mehrtash H, Duncan K, Parascandola M, David A, Gritz ER, Gupta PC, et al.
    Lancet Oncol, 2017 12;18(12):e767-e775.
    PMID: 29208442 DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(17)30460-6
    Betel quid and areca nut are known risk factors for many oral and oesophageal cancers, and their use is highly prevalent in the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, betel quid and areca nut are associated with health effects on the cardiovascular, nervous, gastrointestinal, metabolic, respiratory, and reproductive systems. Unlike tobacco, for which the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control provides evidence-based policies for reducing tobacco use, no global policy exists for the control of betel quid and areca nut use. Multidisciplinary research is needed to address this neglected global public health emergency and to mobilise efforts to control betel quid and areca nut use. In addition, future research is needed to advance our understanding of the basic biology, mechanisms, and epidemiology of betel quid and areca nut use, to advance possible prevention and cessation programmes for betel quid and areca nut users, and to design evidence-based screening and early diagnosis programmes to address the growing burden of cancers that are associated with use.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  14. Fulltext The values and risks of an Intergovernmental Panel for One Health to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response
    Hobeika A, Stauffer MHT, Dub T, van Bortel W, Beniston M, Bukachi S, et al.
    Lancet Glob Health, 2023 Aug;11(8):e1301-e1307.
    PMID: 37474236 DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00246-2
    The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the need for better global governance of pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) and has emphasised the importance of organised knowledge production and uptake. In this Health Policy, we assess the potential values and risks of establishing an Intergovernmental Panel for One Health (IPOH). Similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an IPOH would facilitate knowledge uptake in policy making via a multisectoral approach, and hence support the addressing of infectious disease emergence and re-emergence at the human-animal-environment interface. The potential benefits to pandemic PPR include a clear, unified, and authoritative voice from the scientific community, support to help donors and institutions to prioritise their investments, evidence-based policies for implementation, and guidance on defragmenting the global health system. Potential risks include a scope not encompassing all pandemic origins, unclear efficacy in fostering knowledge uptake by policy makers, potentially inadequate speed in facilitating response efforts, and coordination challenges among an already dense set of stakeholders. We recommend weighing these factors when designing institutional reforms for a more effective global health system.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  15. Fulltext The Development Impacts of COVID-19 at Home and Abroad: Politics and Implications of Government Action
    Henson S, Kambhampati U, Mogues T, Olsen W, Prowse M, Ramos R, et al.
    Eur J Dev Res, 2020 Nov 19.
    PMID: 33230373 DOI: 10.1057/s41287-020-00334-4
    What is COVID-19's impact on development? What lessons can be drawn from development studies regarding the effects of and recovery from COVID-19? The unprecedented scale and scope of government interventions carry implications at all levels: global, national, and local. In this introduction, our team of Editors underline the importance of systematic substantive study to further knowledge acquisition, and rigorous global-, national-, or context-specific evaluation to inform evidence-based policymaking. The 12 articles summarised here capture these values and sense of "high quality". In particular, despite early considerations in the first year of the pandemic, they illuminate the need for diverse responses beyond business-as-usual, attention to the multiplicity of impact of policies formulated, and progressive strategies to counteract the impacts of this disaster around the world. The path of future research is clear: studies need to consider and give voice to marginalised groups to counteract the short- and long-term impacts of the pandemic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  16. Applying data mining in healthcare: an info-structure for delivering 'data-driven' strategic services
    Abidi SS
    Stud Health Technol Inform, 1999;68:453-6.
    PMID: 10724926
    Presently, there is a growing demand from the healthcare community to leverage upon and transform the vast quantities of healthcare data into value-added, 'decision-quality' knowledge, vis-à-vis, strategic knowledge services oriented towards healthcare management and planning. To meet this end, we present a Strategic Knowledge Services Info-structure that leverages on existing healthcare knowledge/data bases to derive decision-quality knowledge-knowledge that is extracted from healthcare data through services akin to knowledge discovery in databases and data mining.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  17. Bringing new HIV infections to zero - opportunities and challenges offered by antiretroviral-based prevention in Asia, the Pacific and beyond: An overview of this special issue
    Zablotska IB, Whittaker B, de Wit J, Kamarulzaman A, Ananworanich J, Wright E, et al.
    Sex Health, 2014 Jul;11(2):97-100.
    PMID: 25017549 DOI: 10.1071/SH14071
    This editorial to the special issue of Sexual Health on antiretroviral-based prevention of HIV infection is dedicated to showcasing research and practice in this area. It aims to promote debate regarding the potential of new antiretroviral-based prevention approaches and the challenges encountered in moving prevention innovations into the community. This special issue covers the breadth of innovative HIV prevention research, including that undertaken in the fields of epidemiology, clinical research, social and behavioural science, public health and policy analysis, and with special emphasis on Asia and the Pacific region. Most importantly, it provides an indication of how the region is progressing towards embracing new prevention approaches to combat HIV epidemics across the region.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  18. Fulltext Priority-setting to integrate sexual and reproductive health into universal health coverage: the case of Malaysia
    Lim SC, Yap YC, Barmania S, Govender V, Danhoundo G, Remme M
    Sex Reprod Health Matters, 2020 Dec;28(2):1842153.
    PMID: 33236973 DOI: 10.1080/26410397.2020.1842153
    Despite increasing calls to integrate and prioritise sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in universal health coverage (UHC) processes, several SRH services have remained a low priority in countries' UHC plans. This study aims to understand the priority-setting process of SRH interventions in the context of UHC, drawing on the Malaysian experience. A realist evaluation framework was adopted to examine the priority-setting process for three SRH tracer interventions: pregnancy, safe delivery and post-natal care; gender-based violence (GBV) services; and abortion-related services. The study used a qualitative multi-method design, including a literature and document review, and 20 in-depth key informant interviews, to explore the context-mechanism-outcome configurations that influenced and explained the priority-setting process. Four key advocacy strategies were identified for the effective prioritisation of SRH services, namely: (1) generating public demand and social support, (2) linking SRH issues with public agendas or international commitments, (3) engaging champions that are internal and external to the public health sector, and (4) reframing SRH issues as public health issues. While these strategies successfully triggered mechanisms, such as mutual understanding and increased buy-in of policymakers to prioritise SRH services, the level and extent of prioritisation was affected by both inner and outer contextual factors, in particular the socio-cultural and political context. Priority-setting is a political decision-making process that reflects societal values and norms. Efforts to integrate SRH services in UHC processes need both to make technical arguments and to find strategies to overcome barriers related to societal values (including certain socio-cultural and religious norms). This is particularly important for sensitive SRH services, like GBV and safe abortion, and for certain populations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  19. Setting targets with interval data envelopment analysis models via Wang method
    Najmeh Malekmohammadi, Azmi Jaafar, Mansor Monsi
    Sains Malaysiana, 2010;39.
    Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a mathematical programming for evaluating the relative efficiency of decision making units (DMUs). The first DEA model (CCR model) assumed for exact data, later some authors introduced the applications of DEA which the data was imprecise. In imprecise data envelopment analysis (IDEA) the data can be ordinal, interval and fuzzy. Data envelopment analysis also can be used for the future programming of organizations and the response of the different policies, which is related to the target setting and resource allocation. The existing target model that conveys performance based targets in line with the policy making scenarios was defined for exact data. In this paper we improved the model for imprecise data such as fuzzy, ordinal and interval data. To deal with imprecise data we first established an interval DEA model. We used one of the methods to convert fuzzy and ordinal data into the interval data. A numerical experiment is used to illustrate the application to our interval model.
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
  20. Prescribing opportunities for pharmacists in rural areas
    Ahmad A, Khan MU
    Res Social Adm Pharm, 2016 04 23;12(5):811-2.
    PMID: 27157865 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2016.04.003
    Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
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