From the Editor
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Chief Editor:
A. Abyad
MD, MPH, AGSF, AFCHSE
Email: aabyad@cyberia.net.lb

The editorial and production team would like to wish the readers and all our colleagues a very happy start of the new year and we wish all of you a successful year.
This issue has a number of papers dealing with various topic of interest to our readers in the region.

A paper from Jordan reviewed women health problems in patients presented to Royal Medical Services humanitarian missions over 3 years period. Analysis of humanitarian missions of RMS data and records over three years periods( 2009-2011) in regards to women's health issues was done. During 3 years period 72 missions were deployed to 4 locations ( Gaza, Ram Allah -West Bank, Jeneen-West Bank, and Iraq). Total numbers of females seen in this period was 86436 women accounting for 56% of adults patients seen by RMS humanitarian missions. The authors concluded that women's health care providers are needed to advise, assist, and support public health authorities in planning for and serving during a disaster. Emergency preparedness is essential to maintaining healthy pregnancies and ensuring good outcomes for pregnant women and their infants who endure disasters.

A paper from Oman presented a case of MERS-COV. A 59 year old chronic smoker admitted with fever cough and dyspnea. With rapidly progressing symptoms and right sided pneumonia he was shifted to intensive care where he died. The diagnosis of corona virus infection was made after his death when endotracheal aspirate transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) became positive. The authors concluded that this infection is rapidly progressing disease which requires up to date awareness and information regarding its spread and precaution. Urgent epidemiologic investigations are required to better understand the transmission patterns of this virus.

A paper from Prince Zaid Military Hospital aimed to determine the most prevalent factors related to non-compliance to antihypertensive treatment. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study focused on factors thought to be responsible for non-compliance to hypertensive medication referred to out-patient medical clinic at Prince Zaid Military Hospital. 471 patients attended the out-patient medical clinic during the period from June, 2011 - December, 2011. The study revealed that about 24% of the enrolled patients were non-compliant to the hypertensive treatment in which (80.7%) reported that lack of information regarding importance of taking drugs, drug prescription regimen for more than one dose per day accounted for (71.9%) while primary and secondary education levels (70.2%) were more than the illiterate and higher education. The number of medication among non-compliance accounted for (62.2) for more than one medication and unavailability of drug (59.6%), forgetfulness (55.3%) and drug side effects were (50.9%) and absence of symptoms (44.7 %) was the least reported factor of non-compliance.

A Paper from Beirut addresses the reasons for adopting vegetarianism and the health impacts of a vegetarian diet on some people in Lebanon. Results of this analysis will be used to heighten the awareness of the public, health care professionals, government and health agencies on the positive attributions of a vegetarian diet. A cross-sectional study of developmental research was used for this research which consisted of a quantitative approach that used a questionnaire filled by a random sample of respondents. The people surveyed or the respondents were individuals exposed (for any duration of time) to any type of vegetarian diet. The hypotheses were tested using frequency analysis, chart analysis and cross-tabulation using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The researcher concluded that most of the surveyed people in Lebanon adopt vegetarianism or are interested in this diet for health and religious reasons primarily (specifically Christians during Lent), for a temporary period of time, and they believe it has a positive effect on health especially in preventing some diseases and feeling generally better.

A paper from Pakistan stressed that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) constitute a major cause of acute illness, infertility, long-term disability and death, with severe medical and psychological consequences for millions of men, women and infants. In Pakistan, the STIs control programme focuses on infections such as syphilis, chancroid, gonorrhoea, chlamydial infection, trichomoniasis, and their associated syndromes. Viral infections like herpes simplex viruses (HSV) and human papilloma viruses (HPV) are also included in these programmes as these are usually transmitted sexually.