World Health Day 2026: Together for health. Stand with science

Digital health and emerging technologies

The highlights collection begins with research looking at the ethics of data mining in healthcare, specifically key challenges, existing frameworks, and future directions for the responsible use of health data. Complementing this is a systematic review that maps trends and patterns in human viral pathogens from 1900 to 2024; this offers valuable insights into how digital surveillance and long‑term datasets can strengthen global preparedness.

Vaccines, confidence, and infectious disease

Several articles explore public attitudes toward vaccines and hesitancy. A mixed-methods study combining machine learning and thematic analysis investigates modifiable risk factors of vaccine hesitancy during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Another article considers vaccine confidence, focusing on how public perceptions may shape the introduction of new tuberculosis vaccines.

Regulation, policy, and sex‑informed research

Evidence‑based regulation is highlighted in work from the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences and the Society for Women’s Health Research, which supports FDA action on menopausal hormone therapy and encourages more comprehensive sex‑informed updates to drug labels. This is important for integrating sex and gender considerations into regulatory decision‑making.

Child and adolescent health

Several studies address health needs across early life stages. An umbrella review assesses the effectiveness of school‑based oral health education interventions on oral health status and hygiene behaviours among schoolchildren. Another investigation evaluates the potential risks and benefits of prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications, examining implications for both maternal mental health and child development.

Equity, inclusion, and global collaboration

A narrative review explores how Global Collaborative Evidence Networks can strengthen global health equity through improved governance, power sharing, and participation. Alongside this, research on co‑produced interventions shows how collaborative approaches can help increase clinical trial participation among people from ethnically diverse communities and support more inclusive research designs.

This open Collection invites research that advances digital health while tackling the inequities that limit its impact. The editors at Communications Health welcome submissions that explore the origins of digital health inequity, its links to broader determinants of health, and strategies to measure and reduce disparities. Authors are invited to submit original Articles, Reviews, and Perspectives until 3 December 2026.

One Health and Mycology explores fungal diseases through a One Health lens, reviewing key mycological findings and illustrating their real‑world impact through clinical case studies. The book also examines the emergence of new fungal pathogens and highlights the interconnected risks they pose to human, animal, and environmental health.

The Author Blog marks the release of the second edition of this bestselling book, How Politics Makes Us Sick, which draws on evidence from disciplines ranging from microbiology to political science to explain how economic and political forces shape health, with new insights on the commercial determinants of health and the politics of the COVID‑19 pandemic.