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Charting a course to men's health and wellbeing: applying a lens of power and politics to improve men's health outcomes

Hawkes SJ, Katikireddi SV, Buse K, Theobald S, Catto JWF, Smith JA, et al.

Lancet, 2026 Oct 31;408(10566):1899-1911.
PMID: 42956775 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)01488-1

Despite long-standing evidence of poor health and life expectancy outcomes among men, particularly among men who are socially or structurally marginalised, men's health has generally received little and uneven attention in health policy and practice. Its gendered and intersectional aspects have been especially overlooked. This third paper in the Lancet Men's Health Series examines why men's health has received so little policy attention and proposes strategies to raise men's health on national and global agendas. We applied a gender lens to the 3-i theory-based framework and analysed how ideas, interests, and institutions shape the prioritisation of men's health within national and global policy agendas. We review the modest development of men's health policies and assess how power and politics, including the roles of a range of stakeholders from global and national health spaces, commercial actors, and civil society organisations, have shaped the construction of the problem as well as policy attention and framing, resource allocation, and interventions. The scarcity of attention paid to men's health on global and national agendas reflects how power operates through ideas and institutions which contribute to the conflation of gender with women, institutional inertia, and contested constructions of individual versus structural drivers of ill health. We highlight how this has created a space in which commercial actors, including the manosphere, can shape narratives and influence men's health in ways that align with commercial or ideological interests. We conclude by proposing politically informed strategies that recognise how power, institutional arrangements, and competing interests shape men's health policy within prevailing gender and structural orders. We identify entry points for advancing men's health equity and wellbeing that draw on empirical evidence and technical guidance, are grounded in political realities, and are consistent with a commitment to gender justice for all people.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Policy*
Revisiting the environmental Kuznets curve: assessing the impact of climate policy uncertainty in the Belt and Road Initiative

Huang Y, Rahman SU, Meo MS, Ali MSE, Khan S

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2024 Feb;31(7):10579-10593.
PMID: 38198084 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31471-y

Climate change repercussions such as temperature shifts and more severe weather occurrences are felt globally. It contributes to larger-scale challenges, such as climate change and biodiversity loss in food production. As a result, the purpose of this research is to develop strategies to grow the economy without harming the environment. Therefore, we revisit the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, considering the impact of climate policy uncertainty along with other control variables. We investigated yearly panel data from 47 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) nations from 1998 to 2021. Pooled regression, fixed effect, and the generalized method of moment (GMM) findings all confirmed the presence of inverted U-shaped EKC in BRI counties. Findings from this paper provide policymakers with actionable ideas, outlining a framework for bringing trade and climate agendas into harmony in BRI countries. The best way to promote economic growth and reduce carbon dioxide emissions is to push for trade and climate policies to be coordinated. Moreover, improving institutional quality is essential for strong environmental governance, as it facilitates the adoption of environmentally friendly industrialization techniques and the efficient administration of climate policy uncertainties.

Matched MeSH terms: Environmental Policy*
A global strategy for road building

Laurance WF, Clements GR, Sloan S, O'Connell CS, Mueller ND, Goosem M, et al.

Nature, 2014 Sep 11;513(7517):229-32.
PMID: 25162528 DOI: 10.1038/nature13717

The number and extent of roads will expand dramatically this century. Globally, at least 25 million kilometres of new roads are anticipated by 2050; a 60% increase in the total length of roads over that in 2010. Nine-tenths of all road construction is expected to occur in developing nations, including many regions that sustain exceptional biodiversity and vital ecosystem services. Roads penetrating into wilderness or frontier areas are a major proximate driver of habitat loss and fragmentation, wildfires, overhunting and other environmental degradation, often with irreversible impacts on ecosystems. Unfortunately, much road proliferation is chaotic or poorly planned, and the rate of expansion is so great that it often overwhelms the capacity of environmental planners and managers. Here we present a global scheme for prioritizing road building. This large-scale zoning plan seeks to limit the environmental costs of road expansion while maximizing its benefits for human development, by helping to increase agricultural production, which is an urgent priority given that global food demand could double by mid-century. Our analysis identifies areas with high environmental values where future road building should be avoided if possible, areas where strategic road improvements could promote agricultural development with relatively modest environmental costs, and 'conflict areas' where road building could have sizeable benefits for agriculture but with serious environmental damage. Our plan provides a template for proactively zoning and prioritizing roads during the most explosive era of road expansion in human history.

Matched MeSH terms: Environmental Policy*
Fulltext Transmission of tuberculosis (tb) in malaysia: practice of prevention and mechanism control in educational institutions

Mohd Faiz bin Mohd Yaakob, Jamal@Nordin bin Yunus

Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia, 2017;15(1):131-134.
MyJurnal

Tuberculosis or TB is a major issue in Malaysia as the dramatic emerge of infection. In Mac 2016 (Until 15 April 2016)
3049 cases were reported and total cases were reported 7717 cases which increasing 902 (13.0%) cases at same month
2015 (6815 cases). Meanwhile, prevention and diagnosis should be started from children. Educational planning with
the collaboration from Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Health (MOH) should be intensive to ensure the
prevention and mechanism control of this disease can be cure at the beginning. The focus of the study was given on the
(1) transmission of tuberculosis (TB) in Malaysia (2) practice of prevention of TB (3) mechanism control in educational
institutions and (4) promotion health programmes in schools. The conclusion of this study is drawn on the premise of
providing plausible suggestion that will promote good governance for the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of
Health (MOH) to strengthening the current policy for a better future implementation.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy
Fulltext Crowdsourcing for ideas: A review of motivational factors and challenges in open innovation communities

Ahmad, R., Virgiyanti, W., Mahmod, M., Habbal, A., Chit, S.C.

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2017;25(110):69-78.
MyJurnal

Crowdsourcing introduces new perspectives in innovation, allowing for new products and services to shift away from the traditional manufacture-centric model to a more user-centric one. In order for businesses to reap the benefits of open innovation, it is necessary to understand the factors that motivate ideators to contribute valuable ideas. Equally, there is an urgency to identify the challenges faced by ideators in crowdsourcing for open innovation to retain the participants of crowdsourcing communities. This paper presents a structured review to address the aforementioned issues. Our findings reveal that the intrinsic factors that drive participation in open innovation are related to the learning experience that results from sharing ideas. Extrinsic factors like social motivation are frequently mentioned in different studies. This study also highlights the need for organisations to develop strategies for interacting with their contributors in order to sustain their participation and idea contribution. In conclusion, this paper can serve as a guideline for practitioners to improve crowdsourcing platforms with the inclusion of important motivational features. It can also serve as reference for organisations for formulating policies to regulate idea contribution.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy
Fulltext Malaysian government initiative of information communication technology to disabled people

Nur Ajrun Khalid, Rohana Yusof

Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2017;2(3):9-15.
MyJurnal

Information Communication Technology (ICT) is important to measure the development of the nation
and the people. Malaysia as a democratic nation has to deliver equal services to the people without any
boundaries and discrimination. Nowadays, knowledge of Information Communication Technology is
crucial and become one of the measurement tools to maximize work and task. Failure to catch up ICT
movement will cause digital divide, which is the phenomenon of gap exists between people who have
access to ICT and who did not have access. This paper aims to determine the government initiative in
terms of policy, law and regulations, infrastructure, support organization and training, whether it is
appropriate or inappropriate with the needs of disabled people.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy
The Malaysian tobacco industry, globalisation and public health: New opportunities for tobacco control

Barraclough S

Public policy, culture and the impact of globalisation in Malaysia, 2004.

Barraclough S. The Malaysian tobacco industry, globalisation and public health: New opportunities for tobacco control. Public policy, culture and the impact of globalisation in Malaysia. Selangor, Malaysia: Malaysian Social Science Association; 2004. p. 112-27

Matched MeSH terms: Health Policy
Emerging and re-emerging diseases: The migrant factor. [Abstract]

Khairul Anuar A

JUMMEC, 2002;7:14-14.

Many nation states, including Malaysia are undergoing development and modernization while modernization brings tremendous achievements related to social and economic wellbeing, on the other hand, it also brings along with it the various untoward effects on the nation. One of the main factors which have an impact on modernization seems to be the rapid changes in the demographic pattern. In the initial stage of modernization, mass migration of rural populations to the urban areas, has been on going in Malaysia since the seventies. In the early nineties, the robust economic development in Malaysia necessitated the import of foreign labour from the neighbouring countries in order to provide cheap labour in the labour intensive industries. This demographic changes, internal and foreign migration, parallels the economic progress of the host countries. According to the latest report from the Immigration Department, there are more than 1.2 million registered foreign workers (up to January 1998) in Malaysia. This figure may exceed 2 million if we take into consideration the illegal immigrants and this is a big proportion (about 10%) of foreign workers in which has Malaysia's population of approxiamtely 20 million. The presence of such a big number of foreign workers during less than a decade is not merely an immigration issue, but it is a major concern for the nation especially with respect to health care, housing and education. As the immigrant community is highly dynamic, the emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases are a great concern for Malaysia especially in formulating health policies for Malaysia currently and in the future.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Policy
Healthcare Policies for Stateless Populations in ASEAN Countries: A Scoping Review

Barua P, Bangpan M, Narattharaksa K, Suphanchaimat R, Chaiyakunapruk N

J Immigr Minor Health, 2020 Jun;22(3):597-620.
PMID: 31741181 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-019-00945-y

This study aimed at summarizing the existing health policies for stateless populations living in the 10 ASEAN countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. We followed scoping review method recommended by Arksey and O'Malley. Our inclusion criteria were based on three concepts: populations (stateless and undocumented people), issues (healthcare policies and regulations), and settings (10 ASEAN countries). Our findings suggest that none of the ASEAN countries have explicit healthcare policies for stateless people except Thailand. We also observed that ratification of international human rights treaties relating to the right to health does not necessarily translate into the provision of healthcare policies for stateless population. Although Thailand seems like the only country among 10 ASIAN countries having health policies for stateless populations in the country, the question remains whether having a policy would lead to a proper implementation by ensuring right to health.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Policy
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
Working after cancer: in-depth perspectives from a setting with limited employment protection policies

Kong YC, Rauf N, Subramaniam S, Bustamam RS, Wong LP, Ho GF, et al.

J Cancer Surviv, 2021 10;15(5):706-712.
PMID: 33094415 DOI: 10.1007/s11764-020-00962-z

PURPOSE: A considerable proportion of individuals who are diagnosed with cancer are at a working age. We aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges, and arising needs related to working after cancer in a setting with limited employment protection policies.
METHODS: Focus group discussions were conducted with cancer patients who were diagnosed at least 1 year prior to recruitment, and either had paid work, were self-employed, currently unemployed, or currently retired (N = 66).
RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: (1) loss of income: While some participants were entitled for a 1-year cancer-specific sick leave, many other participants recounted having insufficient paid sick leave, forcing them to take prolonged unpaid leave to complete treatment; (2) dealing with side effects of cancer and its treatment: The need for workplace accommodations was highlighted including flexible working hours, lighter workloads, and dedicated rest areas to enable patients to cope better; (3) Discrimination and stigma at workplace: Some participants mentioned being passed over on a promotion, getting demoted, or being forced to resign once their cancer diagnosis was disclosed, highlighting an urgent need to destigmatize cancer in the workplace.
CONCLUSION: In settings with limited employment protection policies, a cancer diagnosis severely impacts the working experiences of patients, leading to financial loss. Urgent interventions and legislative reforms are needed in these settings to address the unmet employment needs of cancer survivors.
IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: This study may facilitate planning of local solutions to fulfill the unmet employment needs following cancer, such as return-to-work navigation services.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy
Telemedicine in Middle Eastern countries: Progress, barriers, and policy recommendations

Al-Samarraie H, Ghazal S, Alzahrani AI, Moody L

Int J Med Inform, 2020 09;141:104232.
PMID: 32707430 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2020.104232

BACKGROUND: Despite attempts to reform the healthcare delivery system in the Middle East, expectations for its progress have been-and for some still are-somewhat slow.
OBJECTIVE: This study reviewed progress in the use and adoption of telemedicine in Middle Eastern countries. The key dimensions affecting the progress of telemedicine in these countries were identified.
METHOD: A systematic review of the literature was conducted on 43 peer reviewed articles from 2010 to 2020. The review followed the scientific process of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines of identification, selection, assessment, synthesis, and interpretation of findings.
RESULTS: The results showed that progress made in the utilization of telemedicine was insufficient and varies across Middle Eastern countries. Certain cultural, financial, organizational, individual, technological, legal, and regulatory challenges were found to prevent telemedicine from being fully used to the point where the full range of medical services can be provided. For example, doctor and patient resistance, poor infrastructure, lack of funding, poor system quality, and lack of information technology training were associated with the low adoption of telemedicine in the region.
CONCLUSION: This review provides a number of recommendations that will help policymakers to move toward the integration of innovative technologies in order to facilitate access to health information, health services, and training. It also recommends that health initiatives should focus on health education and health promotion in order to increase public awareness of the benefits of telemedicine services in the region.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy
Non-linear relationship between tourism, economic growth, urbanization, and environmental degradation: evidence from smooth transition models

Raza SA, Qureshi MA, Ahmed M, Qaiser S, Ali R, Ahmed F

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2021 Jan;28(2):1426-1442.
PMID: 32840747 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10179-3

The study aims to analyze two objectives: first is to explore the non-linear relationship between tourism development, economic growth, urbanization, and environmental degradation, and also to analyze the threshold level of the contribution of tourism development on environmental degradation in top tourist arrival destinations. We applied the newly proposed econometric method panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) framework with two regimes on yearly panel data from 1995 to 2017. Findings suggest that the relationship between tourism development and environmental degradation is non-linear and regime dependent. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the relationship above the threshold level is negative and significant, while below the threshold, tourism development is positive and significant effect on environmental degradation. Tourism development and environmental degradation also exhibit the inverted U-shape relationship meaning that at a particular point, increase in tourism development increases in environmental degradation but after a particular point, increase in tourism development decreases the environmental degradation. The economic growth and urbanization also portray a non-linear and regime-dependent relationship with environmental degradation. The study assists policies and empirical information.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy
Fulltext Global health and human rights for a postpandemic world

Khosla R, Allotey P, Gruskin S

BMJ Glob Health, 2020 08;5(8).
PMID: 32819918 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003548
Matched MeSH terms: Health Policy
Determinants of economic growth and environmental sustainability in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation: evidence from panel ARDL

Khan SAR, Yu Z, Sharif A, Golpîra H

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2020 Dec;27(36):45675-45687.
PMID: 32803598 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10410-1

Considering the importance of green economic growth and environmental sustainability in the discussion, it is crucial to understand its critical contributing factors and to draw results implications for the green policy. This research used the data of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries for a period from 2005 to 2017. It adopted the panel autoregressive distributed lag technique to examine the hypotheses. The findings revealed that environmental sustainability is strongly and positively associated with national scale-level green practices, including renewable energy, regulatory pressure, and eco-friendly policies, and sustainable use of natural resources. Conversely, in our model, the "regulatory pressure" has an insignificant effect on economic growth. A necessary contribution of the present study is that a positive effect of green practices on national scale economic and environmental variables, particularly in the scenario of SAARC member states, can be noticed. At the end of the present study, we have provided policy implications for regulatory authorities and discussed potential areas for future research.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy
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*; Environmental Policy*
Fulltext Making the third science policy work

Omar, A.R.

ASM Science Journal, 2011;5(1):71-72.
MyJurnal

The government’s science and technology (S&T) apparatus is now in active consultation to formulate the third national S&T policy (NSTP3) and I have been involved in some of these meetings and have benefitted from them. In an earlier article (New Straits Times, 9 July 2011, p. 18) I had briefly described the two previous policies and given some thought on what the essentials of the NSTP3 should be. I am now offering some further thoughts on the subject. (Copied from article).

Matched MeSH terms: Policy
Constraints on the retreat from a welfare-orientated approach to public health care in Malaysia

Barraclough S

Health Policy, 1999 Apr;47(1):53-67.
PMID: 10387810

Both in its articulation of values and through incremental changes, the Malaysian government has signalled a change in attitude towards the welfare approach which had hitherto characterized public health care policy. This change envisions an end to reliance upon the state for the provision and financing of health services and the fostering of a system of family-based welfare. In the future citizens should finance their own health care through savings, insurance or as part of their terms of employment. While the state will still accept a degree of responsibility for those unable to pay for their health care, it wishes to share this burden with the corporate sector and non-government organizations as part of a national policy of the 'Caring Society'. In this article the retreat from a commitment to a welfare model of public health care is documented and some of the serious obstacles to such a policy are discussed. It is concluded that the government's aspirations for reforming the welfare model will need to be tempered by both practical and political considerations. Moreover, the socio-economic consequences of the Asian currency crisis of 1997 are likely to increase the need for government welfare action.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Policy/economics; Health Policy/trends*; Policy Making
Fulltext Evidence-based public policy making for medicines across countries: findings and implications for the future

Godman B, Fadare J, Kwon HY, Dias CZ, Kurdi A, Dias Godói IP, et al.

J Comp Eff Res, 2021 Aug;10(12):1019-1052.
PMID: 34241546 DOI: 10.2217/cer-2020-0273

Aim: Global expenditure on medicines is rising up to 6% per year driven by increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and new premium priced medicines for cancer, orphan diseases and other complex areas. This is difficult to sustain without reforms. Methods: Extensive narrative review of published papers and contextualizing the findings to provide future guidance. Results: New models are being introduced to improve the managed entry of new medicines including managed entry agreements, fair pricing approaches and monitoring prescribing against agreed guidance. Multiple measures have also successfully been introduced to improve the prescribing of established medicines. This includes encouraging greater prescribing of generics and biosimilars versus originators and patented medicines in a class to conserve resources without compromising care. In addition, reducing inappropriate antibiotic utilization. Typically, multiple measures are the most effective. Conclusion: Multiple measures will be needed to attain and retain universal healthcare.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy Making
Fulltext The Impact of the COVID-19 Self-Isolation Policy on the Occupations of Vulnerable Groups

Amirudin A, Urbański M, Saputra J, Johansyah MD, Latip L, Tarmizi A, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 Jun 15;18(12).
PMID: 34203631 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126452

Today, the spread of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact on world public health and bring about considerable human suffering partly due to government policies on reducing the spread. COVID-19 has significantly affected human health and it has impacted on the occupation of vulnerable groups such as tour guides, drivers and shop assistants. Of these, the present study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 self-isolation policy on the occupation of vulnerable groups in Semarang City, Indonesia. To achieve this objective, this study uses a qualitative method with an ethnography approach considering a rational or non-rational thinking model. The binary opposition thinking pattern pioneered by Lévi-Strauss was used in the interview process with 25 informants in Semarang City, Indonesia. The data analyzed the response pattern of informants through the taxonomy analysis. Three levels of vulnerability among groups relating to occupation were identified; jobs lost, income decreased, and delayed salary. The result of the analysis found that the group who obeyed self-isolation was categorized as a rational thinking; these groups stay at home, do not go to work, and have no income. Besides that, the group who ignored self-isolation is categorized as non-rational thinking; they work, as usual, get their salary, and believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is a disaster and they pray for their safety to God. In conclusion, COVID-19 brings a significant impact on occupation in the forms of postponing, declining, and missing income besides the health effects among vulnerable groups in Semarang city, Indonesia. In avoiding COVID-19 infection, the circumstances of vulnerable groups are worse when self-isolation is required. Thus, this study suggests that the government needs to assist vulnerable groups by focusing on strategic policies, such as strategies for survival, providing access to basic needs, including health, and offering livelihood plans by providing access to medical services and other source of income.

Matched MeSH terms: Policy

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