Vaccine acceptance in the general public is essential in controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study aimed to assess the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the adult population of Mongolia, and determine the associated factors. A total of 2875 individuals from urban and rural areas were recruited, and completed an online survey. Older age, urban residence, previous vaccination, high education, good knowledge of side effects, and a personal view of the importance of vaccines were associated with vaccine acceptability, whereas gender and religion were not. Receiving COVID-19 vaccine information from official government pages was related to a higher acceptance rate. Reliance on social media as a source of COVID-19 vaccine information was associated with high level of vaccine hesitancy. The side effects and the type of the COVID-19 vaccine were a major reason for hesitation. Countering false information regarding COVID-19 vaccines on social media, and promoting vaccine importance on general news websites is necessary. Moreover, providing clear and direct educational materials through official communication channels on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines alongside information on COVID-19 symptoms, vaccine side effects, and location of vaccine administration centers among the younger populations, rural residents, and those with lower education is needed.

Hepatitis B, C, and D virus infections are a major public health problem, and Mongolia has one of the highest prevalences of dual and triple infections in the world. We aimed to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis infection and dual or triple hepatitis infections among 10–64-year-olds. A questionnaire was used to identify risk factors for hepatitis infection, and seromarkers were measured by the fully automated immunologic analyzer HISCL-5000. Among a total of 10,040 participants, 8.1% of the population aged 10–64 was infected with HBV, 9.4% with HCV, and 0.4% with HBV and HCV, and the prevalence of the disease varied by age, sex, and the area of residence. Young people were particularly unaware of their hepatitis infection status. A small proportion of children aged 10 to 19 years and the majority of adults younger than 30 years were unaware of their HBV and HCV infection. Men were also more likely to be unaware of their HBV and HCV infection status than women. The results suggested that the prevalence of infection in the general population is high and that most people are unaware that they are infected or have become chronic carriers. Identifying mono-, co-, or triple-infection status is critical to prevent the rapid progression of liver disease among the Mongolian population.

Background: Mongolia has a high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with 85.6 cases per 100,000 population and 70% diagnosed at an advanced stage. HCC accounts for 35% of all cancer-related deaths in the country. The primary treatment for HCC remains hepatotectomy. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting the prognosis of patients undergoing liver resection for HCC in Mongolia. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Cancer Centre’s eHealth program and cancer registry. The study included 980 patients who underwent liver resection from 2015 to 2018, with a follow-up period of 9.25 years to determine survival rates. Results: The study included 980 patients, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.2:1 and an average age of 60 years. Tumour stage II patients had the highest survival rate (46.55%), and those with stage IIIb had the lowest (1.51%) (p=0.0001). Smaller tumours (≤5 cm) were associated with better survival (p=0.0006) Histologically, 19.4% had liver cirrhosis, and 80.7% had liver fibrosis. The average AFP level was 1886 ng/ml. The average survival time post-liver resection was 6.675 years. Factors such as blood loss, vascular invasion, tumour size ≤5 cm, and elevated AST and ALT levels significantly influenced long-term survival. Conclusion: The study identified key prognostic factors influencing survival rates in HCC patients post-liver resection. Minimising blood loss, early detection, and managing vascular invasion, along with early-stage detection and treatment, are crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Background: Mongolia has a high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with 85.6 cases per 100,000 population and 70% diagnosed at an advanced stage. HCC accounts for 35% of all cancer-related deaths in the country. The primary treatment for HCC remains hepatotectomy. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting the prognosis of patients undergoing liver resection for HCC in Mongolia. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Cancer Centre’s eHealth program and cancer registry. The study enrolled 1100 patients who underwent liver resection from 2015 to 2018, with a follow-up period of 5.25–9.25 years to determine survival rates. Results: The study included 980 patients, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.2:1 and an average age of 60 years. Tumour stage II patients had the highest survival rate (46.55%), and those with stage IIIb had the lowest (1.51%) (p = 0.0001). Smaller tumours (≤5 cm) were associated with better survival (p = 0.0006). Histologically, 19.4% had liver cirrhosis, and 80.7% had liver fibrosis. The preoperative median AFP level was 23.9 ng/mL (range 0–121,000 ng/mL). The average survival time post-liver resection was 6.675 years (p = 0.0006). Factors such as blood loss (p = 0.0004), vascular invasion (MaVI-p < 0.0001, MVI p = 0.0011), tumour size ≤ 5 cm (p = 0.0007), and elevated AST and ALT levels significantly influenced long-term survival (p = 0.0004, respectively). Conclusions: The study identified key prognostic factors influencing survival rates in HCC patients post-liver resection. Minimising blood loss, early detection, and managing vascular invasion, along with early-stage detection and treatment, are crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Mongolia completed Joint External Evaluations (JEEs) of its International Health Regulations capacities in 2017 and 2023, providing assessments before and after the acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency. We conducted a comparative document analysis of the two mission reports and selected contextual sources. Because the assessments used different editions of the JEE tool, we interpreted scores alongside narrative findings and priority actions rather than as directly comparable measurements. Immunization was rated at demonstrated capacity in both rounds, and selected laboratory functions received similarly favorable ratings. The 2023 report documented pandemic-period expansion of molecular testing, vaccine deployment, and use of existing respiratory surveillance systems. Antimicrobial resistance and biosafety and biosecurity repeatedly included limited-capacity ratings, while the 2023 assessment identified constraints in workforce capacity, routine financing, and multisectoral coordination. The documentary design and different assessment instruments prevent direct measurement of change or causal attribution to COVID-19. The 2023 JEE prioritizes formalized multisectoral coordination, coherent One Health implementation, and a costed, adequately resourced national action plan. Longitudinal implementation evidence is needed to determine whether pandemic-period mobilization resulted in sustained capacity in practice.

Background/Objectives: Despite increasing interest in the human gut microbiome, particularly in Bifidobacterium, studies focusing on traditionally living populations with high habitual dairy consumption remain limited. This study investigated species-level diversity, abundance, and regional variation of Bifidobacterium among healthy Mongolian adults and contextualized these findings within a global comparative framework. Methods: A total of 100 healthy adults were recruited from four Mongolian regions. Fecal samples were analyzed using species-resolved shotgun metagenomics, and dietary intake was assessed through a standardized food frequency questionnaire. Alpha- and beta-diversity metrics, differential abundance tests, and diet–microbe correlations were performed on members of the Bifidobacterium species. To assess the broader significance of the Mongolian Bifidobacterium profile, Shannon diversity was further compared against a curated global dataset comprising 1286 healthy adults from 29 countries using harmonized bioinformatic and statistical pipelines. Results: Shannon diversity within the Bifidobacterium genus was significantly higher in nomadic Mongolians, particularly those from Khuvsgul and Dundgobi, and strong geographic structuring was observed in beta-diversity analyses (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001). Nomadic populations showed higher relative abundances of B. adolescentis and B. angulatum, whereas B. pseudocatenulatum predominated in Ulaanbaatar. Although overall Bifidobacterium abundance was lowest in Bulgan, B. longum remained the dominant species in this region. Spearman correlation analysis with false discovery rate correction identified significant associations between dairy intake and specific Bifidobacterium species. Homemade yogurt and traditional dairy intake were positively associated with B. angulatum. B. catenulatum was positively associated with homemade yogurt, traditional dairy, and total fermented dairy intake, whereas factory milk intake was negatively associated with B. angulatum but positively associated with B. pseudocatenulatum. Mongolia ranked among the top eight of 30 countries for Bifidobacterium Shannon diversity though total Bifidobacterium abundance showed substantial inter-individual and regional variation. Conclusions: Mongolian adults exhibit relatively high Bifidobacterium diversity at both national and global scales. Traditional dairy consumption was associated with species-specific variation in Bifidobacterium composition, supporting the contribution of dietary practices to regional gut microbiota patterns.