Seventh TEPHINET Global Scientific Conference in Amman, Jordan, November 2012

The Jordanian Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] hosted the Seventh Global Scientific Conference of the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network [TEPHINET] in Jordan in November 2012. This was the first time this Conference was held in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The Conference theme was [communicable and noncommunicable diseases: public health challenges and successes]. Over 400 participants including field epidemiology training program residents, graduates and public health officials from 66 countries attended the Conference as well as 187 people from 57 countries who attended the conference sessions on line. The programme included 121 oral and 130 poster presentations in addition to 5 pre-conference workshops and 9 roundtable discussions. All sessions were recorded and virtually broadcasted and made available on line. The Conference succeeded in creating opportunities for dialogue between residents and graduates of field epidemiology training programmes and public health stakeholders across the region and the globe

Overweight and obesity among Jordanian women and their social determinants

This study aimed to explore the social determinants associated with obesity among Jordanian women using the national data from the Jordan Population and Family Health Survey 2009. We found the overall prevalence of overweight was 30% and obesity was 38.8% among Jordanian women aged 15–49 years. Results of multivariate analysis showed that age; residing in the south region of Jordan, marriage at an early age, parity, wealth status and smoking were statistically significant predictors of overweight and obesity among women in Jordan. Our results show that there is an urgent need to implement health programmes to prevent and control overweight and obesity at the national level. Social determinants should be taking into consideration in designing and implementing these programmes.

Public health considerations for mass gatherings in the Middle East and North Africa [MENA] region

This review describes major mass gatherings in the MENA region and the public health implications of these events, and provides recommendations for public health officials of the host country. Through our search of the literature for peer-reviewed publications, we identified relevant 77 papers; all were related to the annual Hajj. Using the information obtained from the literature review, the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] developed and conducted 2 workshops on Public Health Surveillance during Mass Gatherings for field epidemiology training programmes and ministry of health focal points from 10 countries. The main potential public health concerns associated with mass gatherings include: infectious diseases [e.g. respiratory disease, gastro-intestinal tract disease, foodborne disease], injuries, traffic accidents, heat-related illnesses, insect stings, non-communicable diseases and terrorism

Mass gathering in Aqaba, Jordan, during Eid Al Adha, 2010

During the 5-day Eid Al Adha holiday, Aqaba is the site of one of the largest mass gatherings in Jordan. Public health concerns during this holiday included: food- and waterborne diseases, drowning, injuries by marine creatures, road traffic crashes, and pressure on emergency departments at hospitals. This cross-sectional study was carried out in Aqaba during the period 16-20 November 2010 and aimed to identify and prioritize the major public health risks and to overview the preparedness plans of the Health Directorate during previous Eid events in Aqaba. All related stakeholders participated in the study. An exploratory visit to Aqaba was made and an introductory workshop was conducted for participants. Relevant data were collected and compared with the figures for the week prior to the event. No food poisoning outbreaks were reported during the event. There was a 23% increase in emergency department attendance, a 33% increase in hospital admissions, and road traffic crashes increased by more than 300%. More males were affected than females

Highlights and conclusions from the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] Conference 2011

As a follow up of a short communication that the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal published in December 2011, this article reports on highlights and conclusions from scientific abstracts, methodology workshops and plenary sessions that were presented as part of the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] conference held from 6 to 9 December 2011 in Sharm Al Sheikh, Egypt

Networking for applied field epidemiology- Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] Conference 2011

On the occasion of the second Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network [EMPHNET] conference that was held from 6-9 December 2011 in Sharm Al Sheikh, Egypt, this article introduces EMPHNET and its role to link Field Epidemiology Training Programs [FETP] in the region. The paper briefly describes the changing epidemiology situation in the region to illustrate the urgent need to strength`en public health systems and to build up the epidemiologist workforce

Epidemiology of breast cancer in women in Jordan: patient characteristics and survival analysis

The 5-year survival rate of female breast cancer cases in Jordan and some of the factors that affected survival were measured. All Jordanian women newly diagnosed with breast cancer during 1997-98 were included. Data were obtained retrospectively from the Jordan Cancer Registry and hospital records. Of 838 women included, half were diagnosed between the ages 40 and 59 years. The overall Kaplan-Meier 5-year survival rate was 59.3%. Stage, laterality and grade had a significant effect on survival rate. However, Cox proportional regression showed that tumour stage was the only factor that significantly influenced survival analysis after controlling for other factors. Further studies are needed to confirm the results and to ensure the inclusion of other factors