Who shouts the loudest? A qualitative study exploring barriers and enablers to implementing a low emission zone in a Northern UK city.

Pollution is a major cause of ill health globally. Low emission zones (LEZ) have been identified as effective in reducing pollution and are increasing in popularity but remain divisive. Understanding what factors help or hinder implementation is important. In the UK, Clean Air Zones (CAZ, a type of LEZ) are being implemented in several cities. We aimed to identify key barriers and enablers to the implementation of a CAZ in real time, as policy was being developed and implemented in a large Northern city in England, UK. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted with city stakeholders and implementors approximately 6 months before a CAZ charging non-compliant taxis, buses, heavy goods vehicles and vans was launched. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Implementers were required to operate within a tight policy framework. Key enablers included: freedom to adapt the framework to local context, financial support, and cross-sector working. A focus on health was felt to be useful in justifying the policy to the public. Key barriers included conflict and opposition from local industry, politicians, and communities. Implementation of air quality policy which involves traffic restrictions remains controversial. The voices which 'shout the loudest' are often those with negative views, and these can create divisive discourse which shape public opinion and damage confidence of implementers. A systems perspective is needed to understand socio-political contexts which can influence implementation success. We provide recommendations to other areas considering implementing a LEZ.

A qualitative study examining the health system's response to COVID-19 in Sierra Leone.

The paper examines the health system's response to COVID-19 in Sierra Leone. It aims to explore how the pandemic affected service delivery, health workers, patient access to services, leadership, and governance. It also examines to what extent the legacy of the 2013-16 Ebola outbreak influenced the COVID-19 response and public perception. Using the WHO Health System Building Blocks Framework, we conducted a qualitative study in Sierra Leone where semi-structured interviews were conducted with health workers, policymakers, and patients between Oct-Dec 2020. We applied thematic analysis using both deductive and inductive approaches. Twelve themes emerged from the analysis: nine on the WHO building blocks, two on patients' experiences, and one on Ebola. We found that routine services were impacted by enhanced infection prevention control measures. Health workers faced additional responsibilities and training needs. Communication and decision-making within facilities were reported to be coordinated and effective, although updates cascading from the national level to facilities were lacking. In contrast with previous health emergencies which were heavily influenced by international organisations, we found that the COVID-19 response was led by the national leadership. Experiences of Ebola resulted in less fear of COVID-19 and a greater understanding of public health measures. However, these measures also negatively affected patients' livelihoods and their willingness to visit facilities. We conclude, it is important to address existing challenges in the health system such as resources that affect the capacity of health systems to respond to emergencies. Prioritising the well-being of health workers and the continued provision of essential routine health services is important. The socio-economic impact of public health measures on the population needs to be considered before measures are implemented.

Local genetic adaptation to habitat in wild chimpanzees.

How populations adapt to their environment is a fundamental question in biology. Yet we know surprisingly little about this process, especially for endangered species such as non-human great apes. Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, are particularly interesting because they inhabit diverse habitats, from rainforest to woodland-savannah. Whether genetic adaptation facilitates such habitat diversity remains unknown, despite having wide implications for evolutionary biology and conservation. Using 828 newly generated exomes from wild chimpanzees, we find evidence of fine-scale genetic adaptation to habitat. Notably, adaptation to malaria in forest chimpanzees is mediated by the same genes underlying adaptation to malaria in humans. This work demonstrates the power of non-invasive samples to reveal genetic adaptations in endangered populations and highlights the importance of adaptive genetic diversity for chimpanzees.