In today's interconnected world, migration is a key feature of modern societies. The UK has become home to a significant number of migrants seeking new opportunities or fleeing difficult circumstances. Yet, this group often faces unique healthcare challenges, including the risk of undiagnosed infectious and non-communicable diseases and incomplete vaccination records. Addressing these issues is crucial not only for individual well-being but also for broader public health. In a recent article published in the journal BMC Medicine , we evaluated Health Catch-UP!, a digital tool designed to bridge these healthcare gaps. Understanding the Need Migrants when compared to local populations are more vulnerable to certain health conditions that are common in their countries of origin. These range from infectious diseases like hepatitis and latent tuberculosis (TB) to non-communicable conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol. Unfortunately, current healthcare services in the UK often ov
Understanding the limitations of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the Covid-19 pandemic
The UK and many other countries saw the implementation of numerous non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Policy-makers, clinicians and public health specialists need to be more aware of the limitations of observational studies in evaluating non- NPIs. The lack of high-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) during the Covid-19 made it difficult to isolate the specific effects of individual NPIs and disentangle them from the complex interplay of different interventions. While observational studies provided rapid insights in an evolving crisis, they also presented challenges due to confounding factors and the concurrent implementation of multiple NPIs. Prioritising adaptive frameworks for real-time RCTs, particularly cluster-randomized trials, in future health crises could strengthen the evidence base and provide more robust insights for policymakers. Although the UK has a good public health data infrastructure compared to many other countries, it can