Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 Economic Burden of Non-medicinal Poisoning From Healthcare Provider Perspective in 2020: A Prevalence-Based Cost-of-Illness Study in Thailand 1 10 4828 10.34172/ijhpm.8928 EN Mu Htay Kywel Master of Science Program in Social, Economic and Administrative Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand Orathai Khiaocharoen Thai CaseMix Centre, Division of Healthcare Information Standards Service, Health Systems Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand 0000-0002-9273-679X Chatchon Prasertworakul Thai CaseMix Centre, Division of Healthcare Information Standards Service, Health Systems Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand Tanwa Khattiyod Thai CaseMix Centre, Division of Healthcare Information Standards Service, Health Systems Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand Sitaporn Youngkong Division of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand 0000-0002-2448-3954 Arthorn Riewpaiboon Division of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand 0000-0003-2959-3244 Journal Article 2024 12 01 Background Between 2010 and 2019 in Thailand, hospital admissions due to toxic effects of non-medicinal substances (International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision [ICD-10] codes: T51-T65) ranged from 59.78 to 87.47 per 100 000 population. The objective of this study was to estimate the costs of non-medicinal poisoning from healthcare provider perspective, and identify factors associated with the costs in Thailand for the year 2020. Methods This was a prevalence-based cost-of-illness study conducted from healthcare provider perspective, analysing data from five hospitals (four regional and one provincial) across the Central, North, and Northeast regions of Thailand. We included all patients diagnosed with non-medicinal poisoning (ICD-10 codes: T51-T65) during the fiscal year 2020. Direct medical costs were calculated from hospital databases, estimating the cost per outpatient/emergency visit and the cost per hospital admission. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the factors affecting these costs. All total costs were converted to international dollar (Int$) for 2020. Results A total of 3260 patients were included (2472 outpatient visits and 788 admissions). The mean age was 39 years, with 51% being male. The mean cost per outpatient visit was Int$ 47, and the mean cost per admission was Int$ 896. Key factors significantly associated with higher costs included patient type (outpatient vs admission), length of stay (LOS), age, insurance scheme, diagnosis group, and the presence of comorbidities. Conclusion This study provided critical, updated data that can inform health policy by emphasizing the economic burden of non-medicinal poisoning. These findings underscore the need for strengthening poisoning prevention and early intervention services and offer essential data for conducting future economic evaluation studies of relevant interventions in Thailand.

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4828_a449cbf73bce2c53be2471469c312c7e.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 Religion, Politics, and Vaccines: Elaborating the Integrative Public Policy Acceptance (IPAC) Framework Through HPV Vaccine Program Acceptance Among Religious Leaders in Bangladesh 1 13 4829 10.34172/ijhpm.9179 EN Md Towhidur Rahman Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Public Administration, Dhaka, Bangladesh VaxPolLab, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia 0000-0001-8423-9374 Sultan Mahmood ShuHaRi Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh Katie Attwell VaxPolLab, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia Journal Article 2025 04 24 Background In October 2023, Bangladesh introduced a free, single-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for girls aged 9–14 through its national vaccination program to prevent cervical cancer, the second most common cancer among Bangladeshi females, caused by the HPV. Although vaccine hesitancy was not a significant issue before the COVID-19 pandemic, experiences from that pandemic and global literature suggest that the population’s uptake of this vaccine may face barriers due to concerns related to reproductive health, fertility, and cultural and religious beliefs. This is particularly relevant in a country where Islam is the state religion, 91% of the population is Muslim, and religious leaders hold significant influence over public opinion. Methods Building upon the recently developed Integrative Public Policy Acceptance (IPAC) framework, this qualitative study explores the factors shaping religious leaders’ support for the HPV vaccine informing their potential role in promoting it. Semi-structured interviews with leaders from Bangladesh’s five main Islamic traditions were thematically analysed using NVivo 14 with inductive and deductive coding. Results Islamic religious leaders’ varying support for HPV vaccinations in Bangladesh was influenced by their limited awareness of cervical cancer, as well as their religious and social concerns about ingredients, side effects and a fear of promoting promiscuity. Political ideologies also played a significant role, as leaders were less supportive of the program when they perceived the government as ideologically opposed to the beliefs or practices of their specific religious tradition. Conclusion The study’s contribution to the IPAC framework highlights the importance of political consensus in policy acceptance, explaining how partisanship and ideological differences impact public policy compliance. The findings underscore the need for health systems in Muslim majority countries to engage with religious authorities, build political inclusivity and consensus, and align health policies with religious and cultural values.

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4829_91c3e7a1401348ee56a4612f088980bd.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 United Nations Partnerships With the Alcohol Industry 1 12 4831 10.34172/ijhpm.8947 EN June Yue Yan Leung SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand Sally Casswell SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand Journal Article 2024 12 11 Background The alcohol industry builds engagement with United Nations (UN) organisations to enhance its corporate image and influence policy, supported by the UN’s endorsement of public-private partnerships (PPPs). However, the extent of the alcohol industry’s relationships with the UN remains unclear due to limited reporting. Methods We searched the websites of 57 UN-affiliated entities and 18 transnational alcohol corporations (TNACs) for evidence of partnerships or relationships between the UN and the alcohol industry. We summarised the UN entities and TNACs involved in formal partnerships, membership of alliances or stakeholder networks, financial contributions, sponsorship of programmes or projects, sponsorship of events, event participation, and personal relationships with conflicts of interest. Results We identified examples of all the above relationships between various UN entities and the world’s largest TNACs, including an alcohol industry donation towards the World Health Organization (WHO) Foundation, which was created to maximise private sector donations to WHO. The focus of these engagements aligned closely with the alcohol industry’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, including drink-driving prevention, education, sustainability, and philanthropy. These activities frequently involved support for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and women, which are emerging markets for the TNACs. Sponsorship and participation in intergovernmental events allowed the TNACs privileged access to policy-makers. Limited disclosure by UN entities meant that our findings provided an incomplete picture of relationships with the alcohol industry. Conclusion The UN’s wide-ranging relationships with the TNACs highlight the power of these large corporations in building political influence and the UN’s failure to acknowledge the alcohol industry’s conflicting interests with health. These relationships undermine WHO’s mandate to promote health, placing the integrity and impartiality of the UN system at risk. On top of adequate resources from member states and enhanced transparency measures, the UN requires effective safeguards against alcohol industry influence, in line with those for the tobacco industry.

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4831_1b8b8841d1d627018281f4a4536ac9de.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 What Value Do Dutch Citizens Place on Health Interventions That Provide Greater Health Gains to Lower-Income Groups? A Discrete Choice Experiment 1 14 4837 10.34172/ijhpm.9095 EN Iris Meulman Center for Public Health, Healthcare and Society, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands Adrienne Rotteveel Center for Public Health, Healthcare and Society, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands Ellen Uiters Netherlands School of Public & Occupational Health, Utrecht, The Netherlands Mariëlle Cloin Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands Johan Polder Center for Public Health, Healthcare and Society, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands Niek Stadhouders Scientific Center for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Department of Health Economics, School of Business and Economics & Talma Institute, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Journal Article 2025 03 18 Background Reimbursement decisions for new health interventions focus on maximizing health gains, with limited attention to who benefits from these gains or the impact on income related health inequalities. This study aimed to examine the preferences of Dutch citizens regarding the distribution of health gains of new interventions across income groups. Methods A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was completed by 614 Dutch adults. Respondents were presented with 12 choice tasks. In each choice task, they were asked to choose between two health interventions that differed on the following attributes: total healthy life years gained, distribution of healthy life years gained across income groups, additional costs in terms of health insurance premium increases and whether the intervention was curative or preventive. Preferences were estimated using multinomial logit (MNL) models, relative attribute importance, willingness-to-pay, and willingness-to-trade total health gains. Preference heterogeneity was examined using latent class (LC) analyses. Results Respondents found the distribution of health gains by income the most important attribute in their decision between health interventions (relative importance [RI] = 40.5%, 95% CI: 38.3%–42.7%). Overall, respondents preferred an equal distribution of healthy life years gained across income groups (βhigher income groups = -1.427, 95% CI: -1.547–-1.307; βlower-income groups = -0.315, 95% CI: -0.395–-0.235). A health intervention should yield 14 283 (95% CI: 10 463–18, 102) additional healthy life years or reduce the yearly health insurance premium by €39.96 (95% CI: €29.03–€50.89) if it mainly favors lower-income groups. Preventive interventions were generally preferred over equally effective or more effective curative interventions (βprevention = 0.270, 95% CI: 0.204–0.336). While preferences displayed a similar direction across LCs, the classes differed in the RI assigned to the attributes. Conclusion Our findings suggest societal support for interventions that prioritize preventive programs over equally effective or more effective curative interventions and prioritize interventions that provide equal benefits across different income groups.

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4837_a3171a79ca3375bbf0acf021affc223e.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 Multiple Chronic Conditions, Delayed Medical Care and Hospitalization: A Comparison Between the United States and Taiwan 1 10 4840 10.34172/ijhpm.9164 EN Chen-Yang Wang Institute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Ching-Ching Claire Lin Institute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Population Health Research Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Master of Public Health Degree Program, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 0000-0002-4882-2826 Raymond N. Kuo Institute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Population Health Research Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Joshua M. Liao Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA Journal Article 2025 04 17 Background Delays in medical care can be especially critical for individuals with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). The United States and Taiwan, with vastly different healthcare systems, offer contrasting contexts for access to care. This study aims to examine the relationship between MCCs, delayed medical care and hospitalization in the US and Taiwan. Methods This analysis used data from the US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2021 (n = 29 482) and the Taiwan Social Change Survey (TSCS) 2021 health module (n = 1604). We estimated multivariable logit regression models and calculated differential effects of MCCs status (no chronic conditions, one chronic condition, MCCs) on outcomes. Precision measures were estimated with delta method. All analyses for the US population incorporated applicable complex survey design and weighting, and for the Taiwan population incorporated weighting when appropriate. Results Compared to those with no chronic conditions, individuals in the US with one chronic condition (2.0 percentagepoints, P < .001) or MCCs (3.6 percentage-points, P < .001) had a higher likelihood of delayed care due to costs. In Taiwan, delayed care was less likely among individuals with one chronic condition (5.6 percentage-points, P = .08) or MCCs (9.5 percentage-points, P = .02), compared to individuals with no chronic conditions. Furthermore, individuals with MCCs or one chronic condition are associated with higher hospitalization in both the US (6.1 percentage-point, P < .001; 1.6 percentage-point, P = .001, respectively) and Taiwan (15.7 percentage-point, P < .001, 3.8 percentage-point, P = .08, respectively), although the differential effect of one chronic condition in Taiwan did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion Analyzing data from two national health systems, this analysis shows differing relationships between MCC status and delayed care, suggesting a possible bidirectional effect. As both regions undergo reforms—US efforts to improve coordination and Taiwan’s rising risk of fragmented care—these findings offer insights relevant to policymakers and health system leaders beyond each country’s context.

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4840_0428a9069e23dd4143fd5a4aa266dc32.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 Applying Abstract Text Mining as a Complement to PRISMA in Reviewing the Scope of Healthcare’s Circular Economy; Comment on “A Review of the Applicability of Current Green Practices in Healthcare Facilities” 1 7 4833 10.34172/ijhpm.9410 EN Amin Esmaeili Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, Kennesaw State University, Marietta, GA, USA Journal Article 2025 08 17 Efforts to reduce the healthcare sector’s carbon footprint and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have brought increased attention to the adoption of the circular economy (CE) in recent years. These efforts aim to lower carbon-intensive products while improving efficiency, waste reduction, and healthcare resilience. Soares et al conducted a scoping review examining CE applicability in healthcare and identified strategies to enhance its implementation. In this commentary paper, a novel abstract text mining (ATM) approach is introduced as a complement to the standard Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. Using this approach, the search terms employed by Soares et al were expanded, article abstracts were extracted, and scope areas were mapped with the assistance of a well-established machine learning technique—latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling. Comparison of the ATM results with those reported by Soares et al revealed three additional scope areas: alternative treatment pathways, pharmaceutical footprint reduction, and the utilization of emerging technologies.

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4833_6a05a2442e48a1aa8ada7bfd7abc2ec8.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 Advancing Public Health Through Internationally Coordinated Medical Device Registries; Comment on “Quality and Utility of European Cardiovascular and Orthopaedic Registries for the Regulatory Evaluation of Medical Device Safety and Performance Across the Implant Lifecycle: A Systematic Review” 1 4 4834 10.34172/ijhpm.9383 EN Herbert Mauch Cochlear AG, Basel, Switzerland Journal Article 2025 08 05 This commentary draws on findings from Hoogervorst et al1 to underscore the urgent need for internationally coordinated medical device registries, addressing the fragmentation and inconsistency currently limiting their utility in Europe. It advocates for registries governed by academic specialty societies to ensure scientific integrity, transparency, and clinical relevance. Such registries can significantly enhance post-market surveillance, support regulatory compliance and accelerate real-world evidence (RWE) generation. The importance of standardized data collection, regular outcome reporting, and contributor recognition to foster engagement and improve data quality is highlighted. By complementing randomized controlled trials (RCTs), registries can detect rare adverse events, inform clinical guidelines and drive innovation. Actionable recommendations for governance, data harmonization and interoperability are given, emphasizing that now is the time for academic societies to lead this transformation for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems globally.

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4834_8ddd5d5c8ff3191d925989a912ad79c3.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 Rethinking Human Resources for Health Planning in Labour Markets Disrupted by Conflict-Affected and Fragile Settings; Comment on “Human Resources for Health in Conflict Affected Settings: A Scoping Review of Primary Peer Reviewed Publications 2016–2022” 1 4 4835 10.34172/ijhpm.9534 EN Roomi Aziz Centre for Global Health and Intersectional Equity Research, University of Essex, Colchester, UK Journal Article 2025 10 11 In a world still grappling with exploring the underlying dynamics of challenges confronting human resources for health (HRH), how must the HRH research and planning ensue in conflict-affected settings (CAS)? Onvlee and colleagues undertake a scoping review to respond to this important question, using the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Health Labour Market (HLM) framework, to leverage upon available evidence. This commentary appraises the conceptual and methodological contributions of the review, while questioning the suitability of HLM to analyse HRH challenges in disrupted health systems. It argues that CAS-specific HRH planning exacts frameworks and approaches more attuned to political economy, contextual fragility, and structural inequalities, which shape healthcare workers’ vulnerabilities and responses in CAS. The commentary identifies five gap questions for future scholarship, calling for intersectionality-driven, politically informed and context-specific research approaches for HRH evidence, transcending supply and demand framing of HRH, to inform HRH policies in conflict-affected and fragile settings.

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4835_8480848c5d6822500f9f909b695d2b6b.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 Paying Attention – and Respect – to the Agency of Conflict-Affected Health Workers; Comment on “Human Resources for Health in Conflict Affected Settings: A Scoping Review of Primary Peer Reviewed Publications 2016–2022” 1 4 4839 10.34172/ijhpm.9580 EN Enrico Pavignani Institute for Law, Politics and Development (DIRPOLIS), Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy Journal Article 2025 11 05 The review stands out for its methodological rigour, clear results, and frank recognition of its limitations. However, the picture proposed by it is incomplete. Two aspects of great consequence are discussed in this commentary as a complement to the review. First, the political agency of human resources for health (HRHs) must always be considered. Among them, many take sides in a variety of roles, overt or not, as militants, activists, supporters, and researchers. Second, without including the informal practices adopted by HRH to survive and deliver in hostile environments, the health labour market cannot be understood. Arguably, these two key dimensions were not prominent in the review because the HRH literature prefers to focus on formal technical aspects easier to study and more likely to be published. Some of the reasons behind their neglect are suggested by this commentary, which concludes with a few remarks about how this drawback might be corrected.

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4839_b0c0444f752c342af9cd8723c9b0127c.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 The International Advanced Practice Nurse Integration Model: A Response to Recent Commentaries 1 3 4836 10.34172/ijhpm.9777 EN Joshua Porat-Dahlerbruch Department of Acute & Tertiary Care, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Israel Implementation Science and Policy Engagement Centre, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel Tatyana Miller Herzog Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel Judith Shamian Israel Implementation Science and Policy Engagement Centre, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel International Council of Nurses, Geneva, Switzerland Moriah Ellen Israel Implementation Science and Policy Engagement Centre, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel Department of Health Policy and Management, Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business & Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Journal Article 2026 01 21

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4836_94fdd470421d081425bd8fbedf70fc89.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 America First and Global Health Last: Assessing the Policy’s Ripple Effects on Tropical Disease Control and Health Sovereignty in Sub-Sahara Africa 1 3 4830 10.34172/ijhpm.9631 EN Stephen Olaide Aremu Global Health and Infectious Diseases Control Institute, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria 0000-0002-7473-7254 Journal Article 2025 11 24

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4830_b1ad1795fa72a1a4e93ff2ff04319833.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 Institutional Decoupling in China’s Blood Donation Reform: Bridging the Gap Between Policy Intentions and Implementation Realities 1 4 4832 10.34172/ijhpm.9536 EN Renqi Luo College of Humanities & Social Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China Jingrong Lu College of Humanities & Social Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China Journal Article 2025 10 13

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4832_d29f944b2da92acb76f205c3bd2211f5.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 Ageism and Health System Responsiveness to Older People: An Agenda for Action and Research 1 5 4838 10.34172/ijhpm.9615 EN Thi Vinh Nguyen Nossal Institute for Global Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Sumit Kane Nossal Institute for Global Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Journal Article 2025 11 17

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4838_21fdf5dfdb74743262885b125c4b7db0.pdf

Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 15 1 2026 12 01 Prioritizing Health in War and Conflict: The 2025 War in Iran and the Call for Global Peace 1 4 4841 10.34172/ijhpm.9428 EN Azam Raoofi Center of Excellence for Global Health (CEGH), Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran Elham Ehsani-Chimeh National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran Center of Excellence for Global Health (CEGH), Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran Amirhossein Takian Center of Excellence for Global Health (CEGH), Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran Department of Health Management, Policy, and Economic, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran Health Equity Research Center (HERC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2025 08 25

https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4841_db368b38ef3919c7a55b23b99cd11277.pdf