scholarly journals Health promotion/education interventions in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a rapid evidence review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahir Turk ◽  
Wasiq Khan
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Noncommunicable Disease ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Health Promotion And Education ◽  
Evidence Review

Background: Health promotion and education (HPE) can be a valuable component of initiatives to promote health and prevent disease in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). Aims: To assess the type and scope of HPE interventions in the EMR and synthesize lessons learned. Methods: A rapid review was conducted with a PICOS (participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes and study approaches) framework guiding approaches. Results: A growing interest in HPE approaches in the EMR was identified, with the majority of studies published within the past 5 years. Few high-quality studies were identified. Formative research predominated with nearly half of the studies recommending the need for scaling up of HPE interventions. There was also an underemphasis on implementation and evaluation of priority HPE interventions contributing to the major burdens of disease. Conclusion: The findings highlight the need to: (1) up-scale resource-efficient HPE interventions; (2) implement HPE programmes addressing noncommunicable disease priorities; and (3) capacity building to operationalize high-quality interventions and evaluations.

scholarly journals The Regional assessment of the implementation of wheat flour fortification in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayoub Eid Al Jawaldeh
Keyword(s):  
Wheat Flour ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Current State ◽  
Regional Workshop ◽  
Key Indicators

Background: Wheat flour fortification is a preventive food-based approach aimed at reducing vitamin and mineral deficiencies or insufficiencies and their consequences. Fortification of industrially processed wheat flour, when appropriately implemented, is a simple, inexpensive and effective strategy for supplying vitamins and minerals to large segments of the world’s population. Objectives: The main objective of the study was to assess the current state of wheat flour fortification in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, identify common challenges and lessons learned from country experiences, outline the latest guidance on best practices, and make recommendations to advance appropriate wheat flour fortification in the Region. Methods: A questionnaire was designed to assess progress on the implementation of flour fortification in the Eastern Mediterranean Region according to key indicators. The questionnaire was circulated to the nutrition focal points within the Ministry of Health (MOH) in all countries of the Region. The data were extracted, analyzed and discussed in a regional Workshop organized by WHO in 2017.  Data were verified or gaps were filled through other potential resources, such as MOH websites, WHO, World Bank, the Food Fortification Initiative and CDC. Results: The study shows that flour fortification has been widely used in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Most countries (17 of 22 in the Region) have some coverage of wheat flour fortified with iron and folic acid, and this is mandatory in 11 countries. Eight countries fortify flour with B-vitamins. Fortification with vitamin D, vitamin A and zinc is currently rare (two countries in each case). Quality control and monitoring of wheat flour is still a big challenge in all countries. Conclusion and recommendations: Considerable progress has been made in tackling micronutrient deficiencies, and wheat flour fortification has contributed to this. However, given that micronutrient deficiencies persist in the Region further progress is needed. Furthermore, countries need to review their policies and practices to ensure that they are in line with WHO guidance on best practice and that wheat flour fortification is being appropriately implemented.

scholarly journals Injection practices in 2011-2015: A rapid review using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoyuki Hayashi ◽  
Yvan J-F Hutin ◽  
Marc Bulterys ◽  
Arshad Altaf ◽  
Benedetta Allegranzi
Keyword(s):  
Health Surveys ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Annual Number ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
African Region ◽  
Unsafe Injections ◽  
Injection Practices

AbstractBackgroundReuse of injection devices to give healthcare injections decreased from 39.8% to 5.5% between 2000 and 2010, but trends since 2011 have not been described. We reviewed results of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to describe injection practices worldwide from 2011 to 2015.MethodsWe searched the DHS Internet site for data published on injection practices conducted in countries from 2011 to 2015, extracted information on frequency (number of healthcare injections per person in the last 12 months) and safety (proportion of syringes and needles taken from a new, unopened package). We compared gender groups and WHO regions in terms of frequency and safety. For countries with data available, we compared injection practices 2004- 2010 and 2011-2015.ResultsSince 2011, 40 of 92 countries (43%) that had DHS surveys reported on injection practices. On average, the frequency of injection was 1.64 per person per year (from 3.84 in WHO Eastern Mediterranean region to 1.18 in WHO African region). Among those, 96.1% of injections reportedly used new injection devices (from 90.2% in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region to 98.8% in the WHO Western Pacific region). On average, women received more injections per year (1.85) than men (1.41). Among 16 (40%) countries with data up to 2010 and since 2011, 69% improved in terms of safety. The annual number of unsafe injections was reduced in 81% of countries, with the notable exception of Pakistan where the number of unsafe injections was the highest and did not decrease between 2006 and 2012.ConclusionInjection practices have continued to improve in most countries worldwide, although the Eastern Mediterranean region in particular is facing residual unsafe practices that are not improving. Further efforts are needed to completely eliminate unsafe injection practices in health care settings, including through the use of reuse-prevention devices. Despite some limitations, DHS is an easily available method to measure progress over time.

scholarly journals Global Prevalence Estimates of Toxascaris leonina Infection in Dogs and Cats

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 503
Author(s):  
Ali Rostami ◽  
Seyed Mohammad Riahi ◽  
Vahid Fallah Omrani ◽  
Tao Wang ◽  
Andreas Hofmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Global Prevalence ◽  
Stray Cats ◽  
Prevalence Estimates ◽  
Meta Regression ◽  
Paratenic Hosts ◽  
Toxascaris Leonina

Toxascaris leonina is an ascaridoid nematode of dogs and cats; this parasite affects the health of these animals. This study estimated the global prevalence of Ta. leonina infection in dogs and cats using random effects meta-analysis as well as subgroup, meta-regression and heterogeneity analyses. The data were stratified according to geographical region, the type of dogs and cats and environmental variables. A quantitative analysis of 135 published studies, involving 119,317 dogs and 25,364 cats, estimated prevalence rates of Ta. leonina in dogs and cats at 2.9% and 3.4%, respectively. Prevalence was highest in the Eastern Mediterranean region (7.2% for dogs and 10.0% for cats) and was significantly higher in stray dogs (7.0% vs. 1.5%) and stray cats (7.5% vs. 1.8%) than in pets. The findings indicate that, worldwide, ~26 million dogs and ~23 million cats are infected with Ta. leonina; these animals would shed substantial numbers of Ta. leonina eggs into the environment each year and might represent reservoirs of infection to other accidental or paratenic hosts. It is important that populations of dogs and cats as well as other canids and felids be monitored and dewormed for Ta. leonina and (other) zoonotic helminths.

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