Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal 

About: Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is an academic journal published by World Health Organization. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Health care. It has an ISSN identifier of 1020-3397. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 3704 publications have been published receiving 59496 citations. The journal is also known as: Al-mağallaẗ al-ṣiḥḥiyyaẗ li-s̆arq al-mutawassiṭ & La Revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale.

Health care system in Saudi Arabia: an overview.

Abstract: The government of Saudi Arabia has given high priority to the development of health care services at all levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. As a consequence, the health of the Saudi population has greatly improved in recent decades. However, a number of issues pose challenges to the health care system, such a shortage of Saudi health professionals, the health ministry's multiple roles, limited financial resources, changing patterns of disease, high demand resulting from free services, an absence of a national crisis management policy, poor accessibility to some health care facilities, lack of a national health information system, and the underutilization of the potential of electronic health strategies. This paper reviews the historical development and current structure of the health care system in Saudi Arabia with particular emphasis on the public health sector and the opportunities and challenges confronting the Saudi health care system.

Comprehensive mental health action plan 2013-2020.

Abstract: Twenty years ago, a book was published entitled World mental health: problems and priorities in low-income countries (1). A few years later in 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) devoted its World Health Report to Mental health: new understanding, new hope (2), and the Institute of Medicine in the United States of America brought out Neurological, psychiatric, and developmental disorders: meeting the challenge in the developing world (3). These publications were among the first to seize upon the finding that, due to their chronic course and disabling nature, mental, neurological and substance use disorders contribute very significantly to the global burden of disease. Each report also drew strong attention to the desperate situation in most lowand middle-income countries regarding the availability, quality and range of treatment services, and produced a series of recommendations for research and training, service provision and policy. In a number of respects, much progress has been made since then. Awareness and acceptance of the value of mental health and the challenge posed by mental ill-health has continued to grow, both at the international level and in an increasing number of countries. New alliances and partnerships have been formed, including civil society organizations advocating for better rights and service access for persons with mental disorders and their families. In addition, the evidence base around what resources are available in countries and which interventions are effective, feasible and affordable to implement in the context of lowand middle-income countries has improved dramatically (4–7). In other respects, however, the situation now is not greatly different to how it was 20 years ago. There continues to be widespread stigma, discrimination and human rights violations against persons with mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities (8). Resources allocated to mental health remain extremely modest; the treatment gap is as large as ever (5,9). This, then, was the backdrop against which a concerted new effort has taken place to put mental health higher on the health and development agenda of countries throughout the world. Culminating in the endorsement of the Comprehensive mental health action plan 2013–2020 in May 2013 by the 194 Member States of WHO (10), this new effort now commits governments, as well as WHO and other partners, to taking defined actions across a number of areas of implementation. This article briefly sets out what these actions are, whose responsibility they are, and how they support the proposed regional framework to scale up action on mental health in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Investing in mental health

Abstract: Mental, neurological and substance-use disorders account for 9 out of the 20 leading causes of years lived with disability worldwide (more than a quarter of all measured disability) and 10% of the global burden of disease (which includes deaths as well as disability) (1,2). A recent analysis by the World Economic Forum estimated that the cumulative global impact of mental disorders in terms of lost economic output will amount to US$ 16 trillion over the next 20 years (3). Such an estimate marks mental health out as a highly significant concern, not only for public health but also for economic development and societal welfare. Worldwide, current investments in mental health are extremely meagre. Many lowand middle-income countries allocate less than 2%—or even less than 1%—of their health budget to the treatment and prevention of mental disorders (4). Most of the funds that are made available by governments are specifically directed to the operational costs of specialized but increasingly outdated mental hospitals (which are commonly associated with isolation, human rights violations and poor outcomes). This inevitably curbs the development of more equitable and cost–effective community-based services. It has been estimated that an integrated package of cost–effective mental health care and prevention can be delivered in community-based settings of lowand middle-income countries for US$ 3–4 per capita per year (5). The World Health Organization (WHO) recently set out 4 criteria against which public health investments are commonly made (6): the protection of human rights, including the right to health; the current and future (health and economic) burden of disease; the avertable burden of disease (resulting from the provision of cost–effective services); and the reduction of social inequalities, including access to essential health services. Application of these criteria to mental health revealed that a robust investment case can be made on the grounds of enhancing individual and population health and well-being, reducing social inequalities, protecting human rights, or improving economic efficiency. The consequences of not investing in mental health are manifold and include:

Novel coronavirus infections in Jordan, April 2012: epidemiological findings from a retrospective investigation.

Abstract: In April 2012, an outbreak of acute respiratory illness occurred in a public hospital in Zarqa city, in Jordan; 8 health care workers were among the 11 people affected, 1 of who later died. The cause of the outbreak was unknown at the time and an epidemiological investigation including laboratory testing carried out immediately afterthe outbreak was inconclusive. Following the discovery of novel coronavirus infection (nCoV) in the Arabian peninsula in September 2012, stored respiratory and serum samples of patients from this outbreak were retested and the diagnosis of nCoV was confirmed in 2 deceased patients. This paper describes the epidemiological findings of retrospective investigation carried out in November 2012 and highlights the likelihood of nosocomial transmission of nCoV infection in a health-care setting. A total of 2 laboratory-confirmed and 11 probable cases were identified from this outbreak of whom 10 were HCWs and 2 were family members of cases.

"Our planet, our health": saving lives, promoting health and attaining well-being by protecting the planet - the Eastern Mediterranean perspectives.

Abstract: Cognizant that every human has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, the World Health Organization (WHO) is promoting the health and well-being of all by all. To achieve this mission in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), a strategic vision was adopted calling on Member States and partners to anchor solidarity and action to achieve Health for All by All in the Region. The vision focuses on the need to address the environmental causes of diseases while targeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and fulfilling the human rights to live in a healthy environment.