Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hala Abou El Naja, Stefano Tempia, Amal Barakat, Amgad Elkholy, Amir Aman, Wasiq Khan, Abdinasir Abubakar
Summary: A study aimed to compare the influenza activity in the EM countries during the pre-pandemic period (2016-2019) and the pandemic period (2020-2021) showed a decrease of 89% in influenza positivity rate in the EMR.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Merette Khalil, Awad Mataria, Hamid Ravaghi
Summary: The aim of this study is to share the lessons learnt from hospital responses to COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Through a literature review, online surveys, and interviews, nine major themes were identified, including Preparedness, Leadership and Coordination, Communication, Human Resources, Supplies and Logistics, Surge Capacity and Essential Services, Clinical Management, Infection Prevention and Control, and Information and Research. The study emphasizes the importance of collaboration, building resilient hospital systems, and improving public health preparedness and emergency response.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Heidi Abbas, Mohamed Mostafa Tahoun, Ahmed Taha Aboushady, Abdelrahman Khalifa, Aura Corpuz, Pierre Nabeth
Summary: This paper presents the experience of the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in using social media for monitoring and detecting the COVID-19 pandemic and other events. They collected a large amount of information from social media and other media outlets, with the majority of COVID-19 events being detected through social media. Real-time and relevant information on social media platforms played a crucial role in early detection and follow-up of public health events.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Randa K. Saad, Mohannad Al Nsour, Yousef Khader, Magid Al Gunaid
Summary: This study quantifies the literature on public health surveillance in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) over the past decade, revealing trends in research productivity and themes. Iran emerged as a leading country in publishing relevant research, with topics like COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 being prominent in recent surveillance studies. The findings also highlight gaps in surveillance research in the EMR, particularly in noncommunicable diseases and injury-related surveillance.
JMIR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SURVEILLANCE
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Bridget Mugisa, Ahmed Sabry, Yvan Hutin, Joumana Hermez
Summary: This study reviewed the HIV epidemic in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region and found that inefficient testing and suboptimal treatment have led to underdiagnosis, ongoing transmission, delayed treatment, and increased mortality. To accelerate the response, a change in thinking is needed to target high-risk populations for testing, transition to optimized treatment, and provide patient-centered services.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ahmed Sabry Alaama, Hamida Khattabi, Bridget Mugisa, Hoda Atta, Joumana Hermez, Yvan J. Hutin
Summary: The study reviewed the progress of countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) towards the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030. The findings showed that while many countries have made progress in governance, policy development, and testing and treatment, there are still limitations in birth dose vaccination, injection safety, harm reduction, and insufficient financing. It is important to include core interventions within national universal health coverage packages to move towards elimination.
LANCET GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
N. M. K. Elden, A. M. A. Mandil, A. A. Hegazy, N. Nagy, R. M. Mabry, W. A. Khairy
Summary: This study documents the numerous health innovations developed in response to the COVID-19 crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) using a scoping review approach. The results show that the majority of these innovations are digital and technology-based products and services, including health care delivery, public health informatics, and prevention.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Q. Hasan, E. Elfakki, K. Fahmy, Osama Mere, A. Ghoniem, H. Langar, N. Musa, Rania Attia, M. M. Othman, Dahlia Samhouri, Irtaza Chaudhri, Abdinasir Abubakar, Rana Hajjeh, Y. J. Hutin
Summary: This study reviewed the use of COVID-19 vaccines in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) and identified inequalities in vaccine coverage. According to the survey, high-income and self-financing countries have higher vaccine acceptance rates, while low-income countries have lower vaccine coverage.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Fayez Harash, Amin Khalaf, Nadhir Al-Ansari, Chao Chen, Imad Alrawi, Harith Al-Khafaji, Mohammed Tageldin
Summary: This study investigates the variations of the surface Moho beneath the northwestern Arabian plate using Bouguer gravity data and a 3DINVER program. The calculation results show that the maximum Moho depth is over 40 km in the western Arabian shield and the minimum depths of 16-20 km are mainly located beneath the Mediterranean Sea. The study also innovatively implements an exponential density contrast decrease in the sediment-basement interface, resulting in a more accurate representation of the subsurface structure and providing valuable insights into the geodynamic processes and seismogenic potential of the area.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Masoumeh Sadeghi, Marjan Jamalian, Kamran Mehrabani-Zeinabad, Karam Turk-Adawi, Jacek Kopec, Wael Almahmeed, Hanan Abdul Rahim, Hasan Ali Farhan, Wagida Anwar, Yosef Manla, Ibtihal Fadhil, Michelle Lui, Hamidreza Roohafza, Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam, Kadhim Sulaiman, Nooshin Bazargani, George Saade, Nejat Hassen, Amani Alandejani, Amr Abdin, Saira Bokhari, Gregory Roth, Catherine Johnson, Benjamin Stark, Nizal Sarrafzadegan, Ali Mokdad, Tahir Turk
Summary: This study aims to provide a comprehensive description of the trends in the burden of ischemic heart disease (IHD) across the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) from 1990 to 2019. The study found that the prevalence of IHD increased in the region, but mortality and DALYs decreased, with higher burden in males compared to females.
Review
Psychiatry
Alina Zuberi, Ahmed Waqas, Sadiq Naveed, Md Mahbub Hossain, Atif Rahman, Khalid Saeed, Daniela C. Fuhr
Summary: The study synthesized data from 54 cross-sectional studies in 15 countries within the EMR, showing that depression and generalized anxiety disorder had the highest prevalence rates in the region. Populations exposed to adverse events had higher prevalence of mental disorders than the general population.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Issam Motairek, Steven Ajluni Junior, Haitham Khraishah, Barrak AlAhmad, Sarah Al-Dulaimi, Charbel Abi Khalil, Sanjay Rajagopalan, Sadeer Al-Kindi
Summary: The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) experiences high levels of PM2.5 and a significant burden of CVD due to air pollution. Despite reductions in household air pollution (HAP) over the past three decades, there is still ongoing exposure and a rising trend in CVD mortality and DALYs attributable to ambient sources. The analysis suggests substantial opportunities for mitigating the burden of PM2.5-attributable CVD in the EMR region.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Fereshteh Safaeian, Shidrokh Ghaemimood, Ziad El-Khatib, Sahba Enayati, Roksana Mirkazemi, Bruce Reeder
Summary: The study found an increase in the burden of cervical cancer in the Eastern Mediterranean Region between 2000 and 2017, despite a decrease in mortality rate. The age group of >= 50 years showed the highest mortality rate for cervical cancer in both EMR countries and globally.
JMIR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SURVEILLANCE
(2021)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh, Mandy Taktouk, Sally Naalbandian, Hassan Aguenaou, Nawal Al Hamad, Salima Almamary, Hend Ali Al-Tamimi, Salah Abdulla Alyafei, Rawhieh Barham, Maha Hoteit, Munawar Hussain, Hanan Massad, Lara Nasreddine
Summary: This systematic review aims to identify and characterize national sugar reduction initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. A total of 162 peer-reviewed documents were analyzed, highlighting the average sugar intake, levels in food products, implementation strategies, and monitoring and evaluation efforts. 95% of countries implemented at least one type of sugar reduction initiative, with consumer education being the most common (71%).
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Abdullahi Tunde Aborode, Christos Tsagkaris, Ajagbe Abayomi Oyeyemi, Onigbinde Oluwanisola Akanji, Mohammad Yasir Essar, Shoaib Ahmad, Uzzam Ahmed Khawaja, Cruz-Martins Natalia, Gaber El-Saber Batiha
Summary: In European refugee camps, the majority of migrants are women and children, many of whom are born on the way without essential newborn screening. With hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases, providing appropriate care for newborns becomes a significant burden. Therefore, conducting adequate newborn screening as a preventive measure emerges as a crucial strategy.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
