Health consequences of Drought in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region: hotspot areas and needed actions.

Abstract Background Over the past four decades, drought episodes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) of the of the World Health Organization (WHO) have gradually become more widespread, prolonged and frequent. We aimed to map hotspot countries and identified key strategic actions for health consequences. Methods We reviewed scientific literature and WHO EMR documentation on trends and patterns of the drought health consequences from 1990 through 2019. Extensive communication was also carried out with EMR WHO country offices to retrieve information on ongoing initiatives to face health consequences due to drought. An index score was developed to categorize countries according vulnerability factors towards drought. Results A series of complex health consequences are due to drought in EMR, including malnutrition, vector-borne diseases, and water-borne diseases. The index score indicated how Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia are “hotspots” due to poor population health status and access to basic sanitation as well as other elements such as food insecurity, displacement and conflicts/political instability. WHO country offices effort is towards enhancing access to water and sanitation and essential healthcare services including immunization and psychological support, strengthening disease surveillance and response, and risk communication. Conclusions Drought-related health effects in the WHO EMR represent a public health emergency. Strengthening mitigation activities and additional tailored efforts are urgently needed to overcome context-specific gaps and weaknesses, with specific focus on financing, accountability and enhanced data availability.

Download Full-text

Health Consequences of Drought in The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region: Hotspot Areas and Needed Actions.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-48466/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Saverio Bellizzi ◽

Chris Lane ◽

Mohamed Elhakim ◽

Pierre Nabeth

Keyword(s):

Disease Surveillance ◽

Mediterranean Region ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Index Score ◽

Data Availability ◽

World Health ◽

Health Consequences ◽

Vector Borne Diseases

Abstract Background: Over the past four decades, drought episodes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) of the of the World Health Organization (WHO) have gradually become more widespread, prolonged and frequent. We aimed to map hotspot countries and identified key strategic actions for health consequences.Methods: We reviewed scientific literature and WHO EMR documentation on trends and patterns of the drought health consequences from 1990 through 2019. Extensive communication was also carried out with EMR WHO country offices to retrieve information on ongoing initiatives to face health consequences due to drought. An index score was developed to categorize countries according vulnerability factors towards drought. Results: A series of complex health consequences are due to drought in EMR, including malnutrition, vector-borne diseases, and water-borne diseases. The index score indicated how Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia are “hotspots” due to poor population health status and access to basic sanitation as well as other elements such as food insecurity, displacement and conflicts/political instability. WHO country offices effort is towards enhancing access to water and sanitation and essential healthcare services including immunization and psychological support, strengthening disease surveillance and response, and risk communication. Conclusions: Drought-related health effects in the WHO EMR represent a public health emergency. Strengthening mitigation activities and additional tailored efforts are urgently needed to overcome context-specific gaps and weaknesses, with specific focus on financing, accountability and enhanced data availability.

Download Full-text

Health consequences of Drought in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region: hotspot areas and needed actions.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-48466/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Saverio Bellizzi ◽

Chris Lane ◽

Mohamed Elhakim ◽

Pierre Nabeth

Keyword(s):

Disease Surveillance ◽

Mediterranean Region ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Index Score ◽

Data Availability ◽

World Health ◽

Health Consequences ◽

Vector Borne Diseases

Abstract Background: Over the past four decades, drought episodes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) of the of the World Health Organization (WHO) have gradually become more widespread, prolonged and frequent. We aimed to map hotspot countries and identified key strategic actions for health consequences.Methods: We reviewed scientific literature and WHO EMR documentation on trends and patterns of the drought health consequences from 1990 through 2019. Extensive communication was also carried out with EMR WHO country offices to retrieve information on ongoing initiatives to face health consequences due to drought. An index score was developed to categorize countries according vulnerability factors towards drought. Results: A series of complex health consequences are due to drought in EMR, including malnutrition, vector-borne diseases, and water-borne diseases. The index score indicated how Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia are “hotspots” due to poor population health status and access to basic sanitation as well as other elements such as food insecurity, displacement and conflicts/political instability. WHO country offices effort is towards enhancing access to water and sanitation and essential healthcare services including immunization and psychological support, strengthening disease surveillance and response, and risk communication. Conclusions: Drought-related health effects in the WHO EMR represent a public health emergency. Strengthening mitigation activities and additional tailored efforts are urgently needed to overcome context-specific gaps and weaknesses, with specific focus on financing, accountability and enhanced data availability.

Download Full-text

In Honor of Dr. Abdul Hussein Taba: Iranian Physician and Former Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization

Archives of Iranian Medicine ◽

10.34172/aim.2020.90 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 (10) ◽

pp. 707-711

Author(s):

Leila Mounesan ◽

Ehsan Mostafavi

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

World Health Organization ◽

Mediterranean Region ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

World Health ◽

Regional Director ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization

The honorable Abdul Hussein Tabatabaei was born in 1911 in Iran and received his medical education in the United Kingdom. Famously known as Dr. A.H. Taba, he was a well-respected man for his significant impact on the improvement of the national and global healthcare services and support for social justice. Before joining the World Health Organization (WHO), he was twice elected to the Iranian national assembly and served as the under-secretary of health services in Iran. Later, he joined the WHO and was elected as the Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) in Alexandria in 1957 – a position he maintained for 25 years. During his tenure as the Regional Director, he rendered valuable assistance to the development and expansion of major health issues such as development and expansion of the health workforce, improvement of the national health services and controlling of various communicable diseases in the member countries and across the WHO regional offices.

Download Full-text

Are Countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region on Track towards Meeting the World Health Assembly Target for Anemia? A Review of Evidence

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18052449 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 2449

Author(s):

Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh ◽

Mandy Taktouk ◽

Radhouene Doggui ◽

Zahra Abdollahi ◽

Baseer Achakzai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Iron Deficiency ◽

Mediterranean Region ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

World Health ◽

Deficiency Anemia ◽

Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽

World Health Assembly ◽

The World

Anemia is a multifactorial condition, with a complex etiology that involves nutritional and non-nutritional factors. The misconception that iron deficiency is equivalent to anemia may mask the need to address other potential causative factors. This review paper aims to (1) assess the burden of anemia vs. iron deficiency anemia (IDA) amongst women of reproductive age (WRA), pregnant women (PW), and children under five years old (underfive children, U5C) in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR); (2) evaluate trends in anemia prevalence and whether countries are on track towards meeting the World Health Assembly (WHA) target for 2025; and (3) characterize anemia reduction efforts and provide a road map for future programs. A search of pertinent literature and databases was conducted. Anemia prevalence in the EMR ranged between 22.6% and 63% amongst PW, 27% and 69.6% amongst WRA, and 23.8% and 83.5% amongst U5C. Data showed that the EMR is not on course towards meeting the WHA target. The contribution of IDA to anemia was found to be less than half. Other potential contributors to anemia in the region were identified, including micronutrient deficiencies, parasitic infestations, and poor sanitation. A framework of action was proposed as a roadmap to meet the targets set by the WHA.

Download Full-text

Mycobacterium tuberculosis of the Beijing Genotype in Iran and the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Meta-Analysis

Microbial Drug Resistance ◽

10.1089/mdr.2017.0160 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 693-698 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sven Hoffner ◽

Leyla Sahebi ◽

Khalil Ansarin ◽

Siamak Sabour ◽

Parviz Mohajeri

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

World Health Organization ◽

Mediterranean Region ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽

World Health ◽

Beijing Genotype ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization

Download Full-text

Self-medication with antibiotics in WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-39213/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Reza Negarandeh ◽

Shah Jahan Shayan ◽

Rajab Nazari ◽

BSc. Frank Kiwanuka ◽

MSc. Sanaz Akhavan Rad

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Mediterranean Region ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽

World Health ◽

Common Source ◽

Self Medication ◽

Inappropriate Use

Abstract Background Recently, inappropriate use of antibiotics has been correlated with life-threatening side-effects such as adverse effects, increased cost of treatment, and the higher rate of microbial resistance. Besides, it leads to a waste of resources. Therefore, this review sought to determine the pooled prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics, self-medicated illness, reasons for self-medication, antibiotics used for self-medication, source of obtaining antibiotics, the inappropriate practice of antibiotics and suggested recommendations for talking self-medication with antibiotics in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization (EMRWHO). Methods Review conforms to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. Database search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science using a combination of keywords which included; antimicrobial, antibacterial, antibiotic, self-medication, self-treatment, self-prescription, non-prescribed, irrational use, inappropriate use, misuse, abuse and Eastern Mediterranean Region of WHO countries. The lists of references of the selected articles were also hand-searched to obtained additional relevant articles. Studies published in English from 2000 to 2018 were included in the review. Results We report on data from 60 articles and 49629 participants in this review. The overall prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics in EMRWHO was 47.2% (95% CI 41.6% – 52.9%). Yemen has the highest pooled rate with a rate of 75.0% (95% CI 63.4% − 83.9%), whilst Lebanon has the lowest pooled rate with a prevalence of 28.7% (95% CI 18.4% − 41.8%). The most common illnesses implicated in antibiotic self-medication were upper-respiratory infections and the most common antibiotic was Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid. The commonest reasons for antibiotic self-medication include: saving time and money. Pharmacies pointed out as the most common source of obtaining antibiotics for self-medication. Conclusion Self-medication with antibiotics is significantly high in the member states of EMRWHO. Intervention such as an educational program for communities’ members to change their behaviors, policy on the mechanism of distribution of antibiotics is called for in this area.

Download Full-text