Please confirm each item before submitting. Incomplete submissions will be returned.

1.    The manuscript fits the Aims & Scope of JMCHS.

2.    The work is original, not published elsewhere and not under consideration by another journal. Any preprint is disclosed.

3.    All authors meet ICMJE authorship criteria and have approved the final manuscript.

4.    The cover letter explains importance and relevance to South Asia.

5.    The title page is a separate file with all author details, ORCID iDs and declarations.

6.    The main manuscript is fully anonymised, including file properties and self-citations written in the third person.

7.    The abstract follows the required structure and word limit; 4–6 keywords are provided.

8.    The completed reporting guideline checklist is attached.

9.    Ethics approval letter is attached, or exemption is explained and documented.

10. Informed consent procedures are described; consent for publication is obtained for any identifiable individual.

11. Clinical and community trials were prospectively registered, and the registration number is in the abstract.

12. Funding and competing interests are fully disclosed.

13. A data availability statement is included.

14. Any use of generative AI is disclosed.

15. References follow Vancouver style and have been checked for accuracy.

16. Tables are editable; figures are high resolution; permission obtained for any reproduced material.

17. Questionnaire or interview guide is uploaded for surveys and qualitative studies.

18. The authors understand the fee policy of the journal.