Abstract

The rising incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among UK adolescents—particularly those aged 15–24—highlights critical shortcomings in traditional sexual health education. This study explores how digital health communication tools, such as mobile applications, AI-based platforms, and gamified interventions, can enhance sexual health awareness and engagement among UK teenagers. Through a qualitative systematic literature review, the research synthesizes findings from peer-reviewed studies conducted between 2013 and 2024 that focus on UK-based digital sexual health interventions targeting teenagers aged 13–19.

Key databases including PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO were searched using a carefully constructed Boolean strategy. Studies were selected based on rigorous inclusion criteria and assessed using the CASP qualitative checklist to ensure methodological validity. Thematic synthesis revealed recurring themes such as usability, privacy concerns, inclusivity, stigma, and digital accessibility, all of which significantly influence how teenagers perceive and engage with digital platforms for sexual health.

Findings suggest that when thoughtfully designed, digital interventions not only improve knowledge retention and address gaps in inclusivity but also offer a more private and engaging alternative to traditional sex education. However, barriers such as outdated content, limited digital literacy, and stigma continue to hinder access and impact.

This research provides valuable insights to inform public health policy and the development of youth-friendly digital tools, with the goal of improving sexual health outcomes and equity in adolescent care across the UK.

Biography

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Service-learning (SL) programs in medical schools illustrate one of the number of adult learning principles and practices now used in today’s accredited curriculum that better prepares medical students for working with a variety of patients. AIM: The research aim was to assess medical students’ learning experiences while participating with nonprofit organizations during an SL curricula-designed program. METHOD: Analysis of 60 reflective essays over a three-year period from 192 medical students placed in teams of 2-4. A case study research design was employed. This iterative approach allowed the identification of themes and interpret meaning. RESULTS: Four major themes and one overarching theme emerged that illuminated adult learning theories including: (1) transferring learning of one’s skills and knowledge to community and practice; (2) articulating a variety of ways to communicate with multiple, diverse community audiences; (3) employing creative process for quality improvement strategies; (4) creating positive, trusting, and rewarding relationships; and an overarching theme: collaboration emerging almost without forethought. Medical educators may find that replicating this SL program into the curriculum infrastructure provides agency and student buy-in. A multi-prong process bringing reward to students and to the community. Reflection provides for meaningfulness from SL programs and helps student identify how experiential learning affects their professional development. CONCLUSION: Implementing an SL program into any medical school curriculum strengthens the adult learning theoretical delivery approach. Disseminating projects and lessons learned to and from the community also showcases experiential learning opportunities for medical students and other professionals. Many aspects of awareness from the medical students during the SL program emerged. They learned about specific aspects of community engagement. They found it a privilege to give and take many lessons from the experiences and opportunities.

Biography

Dr. Peter Averkiou is a pediatrician and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University. He is the Co-Director of the four Foundations of Medicine Courses, the Director of the Service Learning Projects, the Director of the Newborn Nursery Clinical Rotation and the Director of the Synthesis and Transition Course at the medical school.

Abstract

Biography

Dr. Reynolds began toying with the idea of fictional writing back in early 2008, after having spent years writing scientific and nonfiction pieces during the process of obtaining his doctorate. Then, one Sunday morning in March, he simply sat down and started writing and writing – and the rest is history. He was (and still is) heavily inspired by Santa Clarita’s year-round fire seasons. After witnessing three simultaneous wildfires in the valley in October of 2007, the gears started to turn in his head.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) based on the perspective of data elements is widely used in the healthcare informatics domain. Large amounts of clinical data from electronic medical records (EMRs), electronic health records (EHRs), and electroencephalography records (EEGs) have been generated and collected at an unprecedented speed and scale. For instance, the new generation of wearable technologies enables easy-collecting peoples’ daily health data such as blood pressure, blood glucose, and physiological data, as well as the application of EHRs documenting large amounts of patient data. The cost of acquiring and processing health big data is expected to reduce dramatically with the help of AI technologies and open-source big data platforms such as Hadoop and Spark. The application of AI technologies in health big data presents new opportunities to discover the relationship among living habits, sports, inheritances, diseases, symptoms, and drugs. Meanwhile, with the development of fast-growing AI technologies, many promising methodologies are proposed in the healthcare field recently. In this webinar, we'll review and discuss the application of machine learning (ML) methods in health big data in two major aspects: 

(1) Special features of health big data including multimodal, incomplete, time validation, redundancy, and privacy. 

(2) ML methodologies in the healthcare field including classification, regression, clustering, and association. 

Furthermore, we'll review the recent progress and breakthroughs of automatic diagnosis in health big data and summarize the challenges, gaps, and opportunities to improve and advance automatic diagnosis in the health big data field.

Biography

Aysha Abdulkadir Haruna holds a Master’s degree in Health Economics from Bayero University in Kano, Nigeria. As well as working as an Assistant Editor and Writer with Yuvoice; U.S.A, she is a board member of New York-headquartered nonprofit, WOCPSCN; on a mission to present active approaches to networking among professional women and their communities, and to promote socio-economic sustainability. In addition, she acts as a student ambassador with Educatly, Ireland; a student recruitment platform opening up global learning worldwide. These roles are all conducted remotely. Aysha enjoys attending webinars alongside other international public health professionals to sharpen her skills and expertise.

Abstract

If the mother is anxious, depressed or suffers from a variety of stresses during pregnancy, her child is twice as likely to have a mental health problem, ADHD or lower cognitive function, as they grow up. They are also at increased risk of schizophrenia.  Although both maternal and paternal postnatal depression can add to most of these risks,  with psychosis  it is only associated with the prenatal maternal state.   All this  contributes to significant clinical problems, and it is even greater in low income countries, where there can be additional stress due to high rates of domestic violence, poverty, food insufficiency and the effects of climate change.

We are starting to understand some of the underlying biological mechanisms for these effects. If the mother is stressed her placenta becomes more permeable to cortisol, and increased exposure to cortisol alters the development of the fetal brain. Several imaging studies have shown relevant altered child brain structure even from birth, showing effects independent of postnatal care.  Although genetic vulnerabilities certainly contribute to these outcomes, we have shown effects independent of polygenic risk scores also. 

 Many interventions are known to reduce perinatal depression, anxiety and stress and some of these are being carried out in low income countries. These include antenatal singing and dancing classes in The Gambia, and a clinic with specially trained nurses in Zimbabwe. We now need follow up studies of the children after these interventions.

Biography

Vivette Glover is Visiting Professor of Perinatal Psychobiology at Imperial College London. Her research has shown how the emotional state of the mother during pregnancy can have adverse effects on the developing fetus and longer term on the child, especially on neurodevelopment. Her group has also shown some of the underlying biological mechanisms. She has published over 320 papers in peer reviewed journals. This work has contributed to changes in UK government policy, including more funding for perinatal mental health. She is currently also carrying out collaborative research in Africa and India about how music can help reduce perinatal stress.

Abstract

Hospital Diagnostic-Admission departments in Bulgarian hospital system are the hospital’s triage and entry point. These departments include extent capabilities for dicision making process regarding the required medical activities for treatment and monitoring of the patiens looking for medical assistance – laboratories, X-ray, CT-scan, MRI, ultrasound, consultants from all specialties hospital is specialized in. The COVID-19 pandemic has signifficant impact on the Hospital Diagnosti-Admission departments resulting in sharp and profound changes in the workflow ad applied algorithms.

The objective of this study is to present and analyze some of the most significant challenges Hospital Diagnostic-Admission departments have to solve and the related changes in the daily departments’ workflow.

The means of the descriptive and comparative methods were applied for presenting the and grouping the most common challenges and the measures applied for mitigating their adverse effects. Both pre-hospital and hospital systems were overstreched by the the enoumous number of the patients looking for diagnosing and treatment. The Hospital Diagnostic-Admission departments were overwhelmed and a lot of patients were heading to the Emergency departments, therefore in the study forced changes in both departments are analyzed.

Results and Discussion Setting up of the pre-hospital triage area, selecting medical personnel for triage activities, managing the personal protective equipment and other resourses shortages, modifying patients intrahospital transfer, adjustment of the work shifts, destinguishing areas for infected, suspected and non-infected patients, mitigating the psychological burden are thouroughly examined and their impact is presented.

Biography

Prof. Colonel Rostislav Stefanov Kostadinov is Organizing and leading the educational process for Medical University of Plovdiv and Medical College of Plovdiv students. Delivering lectures, leading seminars and the students examine. Monitoring, organizing, and facilitating the International relations and Project activities of the Public Health Faculty academic staff. Organizing and leading Ph.D. and resident programs on Disaster Medicine and Disaster Medical Support at the Medical University of Plovdiv Planning, organizing, and managing courses for improvement of the population skills for healthy behavior in case of disasters and catastrophes. Leading and managing courses for disaster medical support (for medical professionals) and advance medical training for search and rescue team members.

Abstract

Health Economics of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery: Global Comparisons and Indonesia’s Path Forward Jonathan Alvin Wiryaputra1,2 1National Cardiovascular Center Harapan Kita Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia 2Pondok Indah Hospital - Pondok Indah, Jakarta, Indonesia Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading global cause of mortality and a major driver of demand for cardiothoracic and vascular (CTV) surgery. While high-income countries (HICs) benefit from dense surgical networks and sustainable financing, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Indonesia face severe limitations in workforce, infrastructure, and equitable financing. Methods: Literature and data synthesis were conducted to compare global CTV surgical capacity, workforce distribution, and financing with Indonesia’s national context, highlighting barriers and potential strategies for cost-effective improvement. Results: Globally, access to CTV surgery is strongly correlated with national income, with most HICs exceeding five cardiac surgeons per million population. In contrast, Indonesia—with over 270 million people—has only a few hundred cardiac surgeons, heavily concentrated in Java, creating geographic and socioeconomic inequities. Health spending per capita remains low compared to regional peers, resulting in delayed presentation, long waiting lists, and high out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures. These gaps increase preventable mortality and economic loss. Conclusions: Indonesia’s pathway to equitable CTV access requires integrated, economically viable interventions: (1) developing a national surgical plan with hub-and-spoke regionalization; (2) scaling competency-based in-country training and retention strategies; (3) reforming financing through bundled national insurance reimbursements to reduce OOP burden; and (4) strengthening prevention and primary care to reduce surgical demand. Data-driven monitoring and targeted international partnerships can accelerate capacity while maintaining sustainability. Implementing these measures will not only improve health outcomes but also deliver high value in terms of cost-effectiveness, equity, and long-term economic growth. Keywords: health economics, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, Indonesia, surgical capacity, financing

Biography

Jonathan Alvin Wiryaputra is a medical doctor from Indonesia with international experience in scientific speaking, clinical observerships, and global health research. Passionate about cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, he actively engages in academic forums and health economics discussions to improve equitable surgical access worldwide. With a strong background in medicine, public health, and cross-cultural collaboration, he aspires to advance surgical innovation and contribute to global scholarship, while pursuing specialized training and international partnerships to strengthen cardiovascular care in Indonesia and beyond.