Health literacy, the role of beliefs and barriers in Afghanistan. A quantitative study

The concept of health literacy (HL) is of growing interest worldwide but little is known about the status of HL in crisis-affected countries such as Afghanistan. Afghan health professionals report that HL and the health status are very poor and  cultural and religious belief and various barriers influence the health-related behavior. Following the assumption that improving HL may increase adequate health behavior, to measure HL and perception is of political , scientific and practical relevance. 

A Qualitative Study on Primary Care Integration into an Asian Immigrant-specific Behavioural Health Setting in the United States

 Integrating primary care and behavioural health services improves access to services and health outcomes among individuals with serious mental illness. Integrated care is particularly promising for racial and ethnic minority individuals given higher rates of chronic illnesses and poorer access to and quality of care compared to Whites. However, little is known about integrated care implementation in non-White populations. The aim of this study is to identify facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of primary care-behavioural health integration in a multilingual behavioural healthcare setting.

From Crisis to Coordination: Challenges and Opportunities for Integrated Care posed by the COVID-19 Pandemic

The pandemic caused by Covid 19 affects all types of countries and societies without distinction. However, within the com link, the unit shows brutal inequality in its "attack."The impact of COVID-19 has thrown into sharp relief the problems that fragmented health and care systems face in adapting to crises that require an urgent and collaborative response. The disproportionate impact of the pandemic – for example on ethnic minority and indigenous populations; on older people living in residential aged care facilities; on those living in rural and remote communities; on the poorest; and on people with the most complex health and care needs – says much about our continued inability to coordinate care and support our vulnerable communities, and so expose them to disproportionate risk.

This editorial does not propose 3 action challenges:

Challenge 1: Responses to COVID-19 have largely NOT been integrated, leading to adverse outcome

Challenge 2: Responses continue to ...