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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
Inquiries into Malaysia's socio-technical disasters: recommendations and lessons learnt

Said AM, Ahmadun FR, Abdul Kadir R, Daud M

Disasters, 2009 Apr;33(2):308-28.
PMID: 18771531 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7717.2008.01076.x

Most democratic countries hold inquiries into disasters. One of their key functions is to establish the cause of an event and to learn lessons in order to prevent a recurrence. In addition, they offer an opportunity for communal catharsis, permitting the public to vent anger, distress and frustration and to exert pressure for policy changes. Malaysia has experienced six landmark socio-technical disasters since 1968, which resulted in the proposal or amendment of various safety/emergency acts and regulations. The authors used a grounded theory approach utilising a constant comparative method to analyse the recommendations made by the inquiries into these events. Data indicate that social and technical recommendations comprise 85 and 15 per cent, respectively, of the total recommendations made by the inquiry committees. This paper offers suggestions for improving the management of inquiry tribunals, as they will remain a valuable source of information for society and corporations to learn from past incidents.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Fulltext Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Developing Countries: Lessons from Selected Countries of the Global South

Chowdhury AZ, Jomo KS

Development (Rome), 2020 Nov 10.
PMID: 33192031 DOI: 10.1057/s41301-020-00256-y

Reviewing selected policy responses in Asia and South America, this paper draws pragmatic lessons for developing countries to better address the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that not acting quickly and adequately incurs much higher costs. So-called 'best practices', while useful, may be inappropriate, especially if not complemented by effective and suitable socio-economic measures. Public understanding, support and cooperation, not harsh and selective enforcement of draconian measures, are critical for successful implementation of containment strategies. This requires inclusive and transparent policy-making, and well-coordinated and accountable government actions that build and maintain trust between citizens and government. In short, addressing the pandemic crisis needs 'all of government' and 'whole of society' approaches under credible leadership.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Fulltext A review of hypertension in Nigeria and the 'Rule of halves'

Ahmed Dahiru Balami, Musa Mohammed Baba

Journal of Advanced Review on Scientific Research, 2017;34(1):1-10.
MyJurnal

Hypertension is a condition associated with adverse vascular complications. Its
prevalence is on the increase globally and same is true for Nigeria. Very few studies
have assessed the prevalence, awareness, treatment and blood pressure control
among hypertensive patients in Nigeria. The few available studies generally show
figures less than 50% for all the three indicators of success with regards to
hypertension. These studies are however deficient in their coverage, country
representativeness and methodology, and as such, they fail to provide the evidence
for which conclusions can be drawn. There is need to intensify blood pressure
screening at both hospital and community levels. More comprehensive research with
wider coverage and sound methodologies are also needed to determine those
associated factors and to discover better treatment options for hypertension in
Nigeria. These findings would guide health promotion activities and policy making.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Fulltext Problems in the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) and its effects on Malaysia's national defense policy

Mohamad Faisol Keling, Mohamad Hanapi Mohamad

Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2016;1(3):66-82.
MyJurnal

Logistics development of Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) involving the Malaysian Army (TDM),
Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) have been developed since
1957. Since the 1990s, ATM has been through the process of modernization which is can seen through
the rapid and strong capabilities in logistics aspect. Defense policy development has involved the
development of the logistical aspects of ATM. Purchasing of defense equipments such as the most
modern warship in Armed Force in 1990, Scorpene submarines, fighter aircraft which is used by the
developed countries such as the MiG-29, FA/18 Hornet and Sukhoi 30MKM, battle tanks from Poland
and so on with the transfer package technology is essential to ensure that the principle of self-reliance
defense ATM can be achieved. This process has force the government to allocate a large amount of
money in providing modern logistics equipments so it can be used to the maximum by the defense forces. In fact, the development of the defense and Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) also growing
along with the development of technology, defense policy, doctrine of current world logistics. However
the logistics development has raised questions because of the capabilty of logistic and Malaysian
Armed Forces (ATM) itself which are caused various accidents and issues affecting ATM.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
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
Understanding the systemic nature of cities to improve health and climate change mitigation

Chapman R, Howden-Chapman P, Capon A

Environ Int, 2016 Sep;94:380-387.
PMID: 27126780 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.04.014

Understanding cities comprehensively as systems is a costly challenge and is typically not feasible for policy makers. Nevertheless, focusing on some key systemic characteristics of cities can give useful insights for policy to advance health and well-being outcomes. Moreover, if we take a coevolutionary systems view of cities, some conventional assumptions about the nature of urban development (e.g. the growth in private vehicle use with income) may not stand up. We illustrate this by examining the coevolution of urban transport and land use systems, and institutional change, giving examples of policy implications. At a high level, our concern derives from the need to better understand the dynamics of urban change, and its implications for health and well-being. At a practical level, we see opportunities to use stylised findings about urban systems to underpin policy experiments. While it is now not uncommon to view cities as systems, policy makers appear to have made little use so far of a systems approach to inform choice of policies with consequences for health and well-being. System insights can be applied to intelligently anticipate change - for example, as cities are subjected to increasing natural system reactions to climate change, they must find ways to mitigate and adapt to it. Secondly, systems insights around policy cobenefits are vital for better informing horizontal policy integration. Lastly, an implication of system complexity is that rather than seeking detailed, 'full' knowledge about urban issues and policies, cities would be well advised to engage in policy experimentation to address increasingly urgent health and climate change issues.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
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*
Condom use still unacceptable to many in Singapore regions

AIDS Wkly Plus, 1996 Oct 21.
PMID: 12320477
Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making*
Ahead with Cairo. Monitoring country activities

Danguilan M, Wainer J, Widyantoro N, Capoor I, Huq N, Ashino Y, et al.

Arrows Change, 1995 Apr;1(1):6-7.
PMID: 12346439
Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making*
Fulltext Empirically derived guidance for social scientists to influence environmental policy

Marshall N, Adger N, Attwood S, Brown K, Crissman C, Cvitanovic C, et al.

PLoS One, 2017;12(3):e0171950.
PMID: 28278238 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171950

Failure to stem trends of ecological disruption and associated loss of ecosystem services worldwide is partly due to the inadequate integration of the human dimension into environmental decision-making. Decision-makers need knowledge of the human dimension of resource systems and of the social consequences of decision-making if environmental management is to be effective and adaptive. Social scientists have a central role to play, but little guidance exists to help them influence decision-making processes. We distil 348 years of cumulative experience shared by 31 environmental experts across three continents into advice for social scientists seeking to increase their influence in the environmental policy arena. Results focus on the importance of process, engagement, empathy and acumen and reveal the importance of understanding and actively participating in policy processes through co-producing knowledge and building trust. The insights gained during this research might empower a science-driven cultural change in science-policy relations for the routine integration of the human dimension in environmental decision making; ultimately for an improved outlook for earth's ecosystems and the billions of people that depend on them.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making*
Multidimensional model to assess the readiness of Kuwait to implement evidence-based child maltreatment prevention programs at a national level

Alkhawari M, Ali K, Al-Abdul Razzaq F, Saleheen HN, Almuneef M, Al-Eissa MA

Public Health, 2020 Apr;181:182-188.
PMID: 32088599 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2020.01.005

OBJECTIVE: To assess the readiness to implement child maltreatment (CM) prevention programs at a national level.
STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study.
METHODS: This study was completed alongside similar studies undertaken by the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and led by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study will allow further understanding of possible obstacles that may be encountered while implementing a nationwide prevention program. The 10-dimensional model of readiness had been developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with five countries (Brazil, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa) through a five-stage process. Stakeholders and decision makers were invited to participate. Scores for each dimension were compared with those for the rest of the GCC countries.
RESULTS: The overall score of Kuwait was 39.17 out of 100. This was below the mean average score for the GCC countries (47.83). Out of the 10 dimensions, key informants scored the highest on legislation, mandates and policies (6.61). The lowest score was reported on attitudes towards CM prevention (1.94). Informal social resources (5.72) ranked the highest as compared to the rest of the GCC countries.
CONCLUSIONS: The readiness of Kuwait is weak on several dimensions and needs to be strengthened. Despite that, the country is moderately ready to implement large-scale evidence-based CM prevention programs because it is strong in the infrastructure of knowledge, legislation, mandates, and policies and informal social resources.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making*
Predictors of physical inactivity among elderly malaysians: recommendations for policy planning

Kaur J, Kaur G, Ho BK, Yao WK, Salleh M, Lim KH

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Apr;27(3):314-22.
PMID: 24425796 DOI: 10.1177/1010539513517257

Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. Regular moderate-intensity physical activity has significant benefits for health. To determine the socioeconomic predictors of physical inactivity among elderly Malaysian population. A nationwide community-based survey was conducted among 4831 respondents aged ≥60 years with a face-to-face questionnaire. The prevalence of physical inactivity among the elderly was 88.0%, highest in respondents aged older than 80 years (95.4%), females (90.1%), other Bumiputra (92.2%), earning household income less than RM1000 (87.9%), and residing in urban locality (88.4%). In the multivariate model, the predictors of physical inactivity were only sex, ethnicity, locality, and age group (adjusted odds ratio = 1.3-3.6). The predictors of physical inactivity can identify the risk factors to develop policies that will reduce the public health burden of noncommunicable diseases.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Fulltext Prostate cancer in Asia: design of a patient registry to inform real-world treatments, outcomes, and quality of life

Liu Y, Uemura H, Ye D, Lee JY, Chiong E, Pu YS, et al.

Prostate Int, 2019 Sep;7(3):108-113.
PMID: 31485435 DOI: 10.1016/j.prnil.2018.12.001

Background: The incidence of prostate cancer (PC) in Asian countries is increasing for reasons that are not clear. Data describing how PC is diagnosed and treated are fragmented across Asia, with marked intercountry and intracountry differences in outcome and knowledge gaps in clinical diagnostic and treatment practices. To address these knowledge gaps, we have established a PC disease registry with the aim of providing a comprehensive picture of PC diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and outcome, population characteristics, and comorbidities in real-world clinical practice in Asia.
Methods: This is a multinational, multicenter, longitudinal, and observational registry of PC patients presenting to participating tertiary-care hospitals in eight Asian countries (www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02546908. Registry Identifier: NOPRODPCR4001). Approximately 3500-4000 eligible patients with existing or newly diagnosed high-risk localized PC (cohort 1), nonmetastatic biochemically recurrent PC (cohort 2), or metastatic PC (cohort 3) will be consecutively enrolled and followed-up for 5 years. An enrollment cap of 600 patients each will be applied to cohorts 1 and 2. Disease status is collected at enrollment, and outcome variables captured at 3-monthly intervals include diagnostic/staging, treatments including reason for change, laboratory results, comorbidities, and concomitant medications. Treatments and survival outcomes will be captured real time until study end. Patient-reported quality-of-life will be measured every 6 months, and medical resource utilization summarized at study end. Data analysis will include exploratory analyses of potential associations between multiple risk factors and socioeconomic variables with disease progression and evaluation of various treatments for PC including novel therapies on clinical outcome and health-related quality-of-life outcomes.
Results: 3636 men with PC were enrolled until July 2018; 416 in cohort 1, 399 in cohort 2 and 2821 in cohort 3.
Discussion: A total of 3636 patients were enrolled until July 2018. The prospective disease registry will provide comprehensive and wide-ranging real-world information on how PC is diagnosed and treated in Asia. Such information can be used to inform policy development for best practice and direct clinical study design evaluating new treatments.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Fulltext Combating insolvency and business recovery problems in the oil industry: proposal for improvement in Nigeria's insolvency and bankruptcy legal framework

Olujobi OJ

Heliyon, 2021 Feb;7(2):e06123.
PMID: 33659729 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06123

Insolvency and business recovery laws in Nigeria have not evolved to incorporate reorganisation, reforming insolvent oil firms' operations to boost commercial oil firms' steadiness and economic suitability like other moderately developed countries. In Nigeria, liquidation is understood by many as the panacea to indebtedness. The research evaluates the Nigerian insolvency and business recovery legal regime to sustain indebted oil firms from economic shocks due to the global decline in the oil price to avert imminent business failures due to insufficient cash flows. The aim is to fill the gaps in Nigeria's insolvency and business recovery laws by recommending a model for the sustenance of oil firms and to suggest the reform of the gaps identified in the existing laws and the extant literature on the subject. The paper opted for conceptual legal review, comparative legal and policies analyses of solvency and business recovery legislations in Nigeria, Malaysia, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. These nations were designated for this study because their insolvency and business recovery legal regime are business rescued driven, not winding up centred. The study is library research-based to address some of the flaws in Nigeria's insolvency and business recovery laws. The study finds that Nigerian legislation on insolvency is flawed in oil firms' salvage, improvement and rearrangement. It ends that, statutory bodies in the designated case study nations are efficient than those in Nigeria due to the strong political will of their governments in supporting insolvent oil firms for successful financial recovery, to safeguard jobs, to protect creditors and to enhance the wealth of their nations through sound business recovery policies and laws. The study, advocates, remodel of Nigeria's insolvency and business recovery legislations and policies in compliance with the international standards on insolvent oil firms salvaged and creditors focused policies for a robust economy. The study concludes with the recommendation for further study to consider quantitative analysis research methodology to project further scholarship on the subject.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Abbreviated report of the WHO Western Pacific Region Workshop on National Plans of Action for Nutrition: key elements for success, constraints and future plans

Tee ES

Biomed Environ Sci, 2001 Jun;14(1-2):87-91.
PMID: 11594485

A workshop on National Plans of Action for Nutrition: Constraints, Key Elements for Success, and Future Plans was convened and organized by the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in collaboration with the Institute for Medical Research Malaysia and co-sponsored with FAO and UNICEF from 25-29 October 1999. It was attended by representatives of 25 countries in the region and resource persons, representatives from WHO and other international agencies. The objectives of the workshop were to review the progress of countries in developing, implementing and monitoring national plans of action for nutrition (NPANs) in the Western Pacific Region and to identify constraints and key elements of success in these efforts. Most of the countries have NPANs, either approved and implemented or awaiting official endorsement. The Plan formulation is usually multisectotal, involving several government ministries, non-governmental organizations, and international agencies. Often official adoption or endorsement of the Plan comes from the head of state and cabinet or the minister of health, one to six years from the start of its formulation. The NPAN has stimulated support for the development and implementation of nutrition projects and activities, with comparatively greater involvement of and more support from government ministries, UN agencies and non-governmental agencies compared to local communities, bilateral and private sectors and research and academic institutions. Monitoring and evaluation are important components of NPANs. They are, however, not given high priority and often not built into the plan. The role of an intersectoral coordinating body is considered crucial to a country's nutrition program. Most countries have an intersectoral structure or coordinating body to ensure the proper implementation, monitoring and evaluation of their NPANs. The workshop identified the constraints and key elements of success in each of the four stages of the NPAN process: development, operationalization, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. Constraints to the NPAN process relate to the political and socioeconomic environment, resource scarcity, control and management processes, and factors related to sustainability. The group's review of NPAN identified successful NPANs as those based on recent, adequate and good quality information on the nutritional situation of the country, and on the selection of strategies, priorities and interventions that are relevant to the country and backed up by adequate resources. Continued high level political commitment, a multisectoral approach, and adequate participation of local communities are other key elements for success. The participants agreed on future actions and support needed from various sources for the further development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of their NPANs. The recommendations for future actions were categorized into actions pertaining to countries with working NPAN, actions for countries without working NPAN and actions relevant to all countries. There was also a set of suggested actions at the regional level, such as holding of regular regional NPAN evaluation meetings, inclusion of NPAN on the agenda of regional fora by the regional organizations, and strengthening of regional nutrition networks.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Fulltext Nurses’ perceptions and attitudes towards family presence during resuscitation in adult critical care units

Chung Su Chin, Pauline Stitt

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2020;16(105):61-0.
MyJurnal

Introduction: During resuscitation efforts, patients’ families are routinely barred from the resuscitation area. Even there is an increased in demand from the family members requesting to be present during resuscitation of their loved one, health care providers not always offer the option for family presence. The major concerns of health care providers who are opposed to family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) were fear of psychological trauma to family members who witnessed the resuscitation. This study aimed to examine the critical care nurses’ perception and attitudes towards the presence of patients’ family members during resuscitation in adult critical care units. Methods: Study papers included were narrowed to primary study, published within 2003-2014, describing nurses’ perceptions and attitudes on an adult inpatient family witnessed resuscitation in critical care units. Results: Seven studies included, and four main themes emerged mainly samples population, nurses’ experiences of FPDR, nurses’ responses toward FPDR and factor predicting nurses’ attitudes toward FPDR. 20% - 42.2% of nurses had experienced FPDR. Only 4% - 6% of study participants working in hospital with established policy and 95% - 100% had not invited family members to witnessed resuscitation. Nurses would consider the option if family members are accompanied by trained staff. Nurses concern included difficult to concentrate, negatively affecting their per- formance, increased rate of legal action, inadequate staff and limited space. Concerns on family members included too distressing event, negative psychological impact argue and interfere with staff. Concerns on patient would be breach of confidentiality. Conclusion: Adult critical care nurses demonstrated negative perceptions and attitudes towards FPDR. Study participants in this review are not familiar with the concept of FPDR. There is a need for policy development and education on FPDR.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Fulltext Assessing the competitiveness and comparative advantage of broiler production in Johor using policy analysis matrix

Elsedig, E.A.A., Mohd, M.I., Fatimah, M.A

International Food Research Journal, 2015;22(1):116-121.
MyJurnal

Malaysian poultry policy aims to provide remunerative prices for producers and to guarantee a steady supply of poultry products at stable and affordable prices to consumers. Broiler meat is the most important and the cheapest protein source in Malaysia and trade protection could stimulate the local industry and enhance food security. The study attempts to evaluate the competitiveness and comparative advantage of three different scales of broiler production in Johor using policy analysis matrix (PAM). The existing protection and the level of comparative advantage are ascertained through PAM indicators. The results show that Malaysia has strong competitiveness position in every scale of broiler production especially the largest scale. But, the protection through import curtailment resulted in higher domestic prices than the world price. To increase competitiveness, the broiler industry should reduce the dependence on expensive and unstable cost of corn based feed.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Governance and networks for health co-benefits of climate change mitigation: Lessons from two Indian cities

Puppim de Oliveira JA, Doll CN

Environ Int, 2016 12;97:146-154.
PMID: 27665118 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.08.020

Health has been the main driver for many urban environmental interventions, particularly in cases of significant health problems linked to poor urban environmental conditions. This paper examines empirically the links between climate change mitigation and health in urban areas, when health is the main driver for improvements. The paper aims to understand how systems of urban governance can enable or prevent the creation of health outcomes via continuous improvements in the environmental conditions in a city. The research draws on cases from two Indian cities where initiatives were undertaken in different sectors: Surat (waste) and Delhi (transportation). Using the literature on network effectiveness as an analytical framework, the paper compares the cases to identify the possible ways to strengthen the governance and policy making process in the urban system so that each intervention can intentionally realize multiple impacts for both local health and climate change mitigation in the long term as well as factors that may pose a threat to long-term progress and revert back to the previous situation after initial achievements.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Fulltext Identification of effective screening strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention in a developing country: using cardiovascular risk-estimation and risk-reduction tools for policy recommendations

Selvarajah S, Haniff J, Kaur G, Guat Hiong T, Bujang A, Chee Cheong K, et al.

BMC Cardiovasc Disord, 2013;13:10.
PMID: 23442728 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2261-13-10

Recent increases in cardiovascular risk-factor prevalences have led to new national policy recommendations of universal screening for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Malaysia. This study assessed whether the current national policy recommendation of universal screening was optimal, by comparing the effectiveness and impact of various cardiovascular screening strategies.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making*

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