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• Community health research based on the primary health care approach

• Risk factor analysis and intervention planning for malaria control

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• To what extent do people in malaria-endemic countries know asymptomatic malaria infections? A systematic review

  Bouwe, T; Ahissou, NCA; Kikuchi, K; Iwagami, M; Nonaka, D

  PLOS ONE ( Plos One )  21 ( 1 ) e0340636   2026.01 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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• Association of Military Aircraft Noise Exposure with Mental Well-Being and Sleep Disturbance near a Military Air Base in Okinawa, Japan: An Ecological Study.

  Maekawa Y, Nonaka D, Kawamoto S, Maeda Y, Toyama Y

  International journal of environmental research and public health ( International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health )  23 ( 1 )   2025.12 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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• Association between quality performance scorecard scores and health indicators: an ecological study in the Northern provinces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

  Chayvangmanh V, Ahissou NCA, Detleuxay K, Nonaka D

  Tropical medicine and health ( Springer Science and Business Media LLC )  53 ( 1 ) 73   2025.05 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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  Abstract Background The Ministry of Health, Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), surveyed health centers using the Quality Performance Scorecard (QPS) tool in 2021 to assess the quality of healthcare services at health centers. To validate the QPS tool, this study assessed the association between the QPS scores obtained from each health center and outpatient department (OPD) visits, antenatal care (ANC) coverages, and under-five mortality rates (U5MR) in the health centers' catchment area. Methods This ecological study assessed the association between the QPS scores as an independent variable and OPD visits, coverage of ANC at least one visit (ANC1), coverage of ANC four or more visits (ANC4) and U5MR as a dependent variable, using secondary data collected from the 234 health centers and 31 district health offices in the four northern provinces, such as Huaphan, Xiengkhuang, Oudomxay and Phongsaly. Mixed-effect linear regression was used to assess the association between the independent variable and dependent variables while adjusting for covariates. Results The mean value (standard deviation) was 64.9/100 (14.3) for QPS score, 3.3 (3.6) for U5MR (per 1,000 under-five population), 0.7 (0.5) for OPD visits (per population), 9.6 (6.0) for ANC1 coverage (per estimated number of reproductive-aged women) and 5.7 (4.4) for ANC4 coverage. The QPS scores were significantly independently associated with U5MR (unstandardized regression coefficient: −0.225 and standardized regression coefficient: −0.894), OPD visits (−0.004 and −0.114) and ANC4 coverage (−0.036 and −0.117). Conclusion This study shows that with increasing level of quality of healthcare services as measured by QPS, the U5MR was decreasing. The association demonstrated the ability of the QPS tool to capture the quality of healthcare services at health centers. Although the QPS scores were also negatively associated with OPD visits and ANC4 coverage, these associations were weak and likely confounded by unmeasured factors, or explained by quality care potentially reducing patients’ perceived need for frequents visits. To further validate the QPS tool, a longitudinal study is recommended to confirm the findings and address unmeasured factors.

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• Effect of trust in village health workers on the use of facility-based follow-up postnatal care services in two districts in the Lao People's Democratic Republic

  Ahissou, NCA; Uehara, M; Nonaka, D; Vongphoumy, I; Pongvongsa, T; Ounlienvongsack, K; Phongluxa, K; Kounnavong, S; Kobayashi, J

  TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HEALTH ( Tropical Medicine and Health )  53 ( 1 ) 61 - 61   2025.04 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

  Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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  BACKGROUND: Despite high coverage of antenatal care services (89.8%) and facility-based deliveries (79.8%), delayed initiation or lack of follow-up postnatal care (PNC) visits remains a challenge in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Follow-up PNC encourages healthy lifestyles and monitoring mothers' and newborns' health to decrease postpartum complications and hospital readmissions. While village health volunteers and workers (VHVs/VHWs) are essential for health promotion in Lao PDR, the extent to which mothers' trust in VHVs/VHWs helps promote better service utilization has not been studied. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the trust levels in VHVs/VHWs among ethnic minority mothers and the influence on the use of facility-based follow-up PNC. METHODS: We utilized cross-sectional data from July and August 2024, collected as a baseline survey for a quasi-experimental study conducted in 35 villages across the Sepone and Vilabuly districts. We compared the respondents' PNC usage and characteristics using chi-square tests and Fisher's exact tests. Standard binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the effects of various factors on the utilization of facility-based follow-up PNC. Trust in VHVs/VHWs was a construct variable based on their provision of emotional support, relevant information, adequate discussion time, effective care, and the likelihood of future pregnancy-related care. RESULTS: The study enrolled 241 mothers (mean age 24 years, SD 5.7), including 110 from Sepone and 131 from Vilabuly. Overall, the follow-up PNC coverage rate was 19.0%, and there was no significant difference between Sepone and Vilabuly, despite variations in access to healthcare and engagement with VHVs/VHWs. High trust in VHVs/VHWs was linked to 12.25 times higher odds of utilizing follow-up PNC than low trust (95% CI 2.2-67.8). In addition, having an older child (9-12 months) and immediate PNC utilization were beneficial for subsequent PNC use. Unexpectedly, contact with VHVs/VHWs during prenatal and/or postnatal periods decreased the odds of utilizing follow-up PNC, with distance to health facilities and adherence to traditional gender norms also having a similar negative effect. CONCLUSIONS: Facility-based follow-up postnatal care was critically low among respondents; however, increasing trust in VHVs/VHWs may foster improvements. Along with increasing contact frequency, offering quality support to mothers through VHVs/VHWs while emphasizing the complementary nature of community-based and facility-based care could be beneficial. Effective interventions may also include enhancing immediate PNC and tackling physical accessibility challenges, as well as restrictive gender norms through male involvement.

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• Effectiveness of Village Health Volunteers/Workers Working as Male-Female Pairs on Women's Use of Postnatal Care Services in Sepone District in Lao People's Democratic Republic: A Protocol for a Quasi-experimental Cluster Study.

  Ahissou NCA, Uehara M, Nonaka D, Vongphoumy I, Pongvongsa T, Ounlienvongsack K, Phongluxa K, Kounnavong S, Kobayashi J

  Cureus   17 ( 4 ) e82786   2025.04 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

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Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 【 display / non-display 】

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 【 display / non-display 】

• Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C)

  Project Year: 2025.04  -  2028.03 

  Direct: 2,100,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 2,730,000 (YEN)  Total: 630,000 (YEN)

• Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C)

  Project Year: 2019.04  -  2022.03 

• Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C)

  Project Year: 2016.04  -  2019.03 

  Direct: 2,700,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 810,000 (YEN)  Total: 3,510,000 (YEN)

Preferred joint research theme 【 display / non-display 】

Preferred joint research theme 【 display / non-display 】

• Impacts of U.S. bases on the health of Okinawa people

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