scholarly journals The social contract as a tool of analysis: Introduction to the special issue on “Framing the evolution of new social contracts in Middle Eastern and North African countries”

2020 ◽  
pp. 104982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Loewe ◽  
Tina Zintl ◽  
Annabelle Houdret
Keyword(s):  
Social Contract ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Social Contracts ◽  
The Social ◽  
North African Countries

scholarly journals Prediabetes management in the Middle East, Africa and Russia: Current status and call for action

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samir Helmy Assaad Khalil ◽  
Sulaf Ibrahim Abdelaziz ◽  
Affaf Al Shammary ◽  
Ali Al Zahrani ◽  
Ashraf Amir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
National Level ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Current Status ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
North African Countries

Most data on the burden of diabetes and prediabetes are from countries where local infrastructure can support reliable estimates of the burden of non-communicable diseases. Countries in the Middle East and Africa, together with Russia, have a total population of almost 2 billion, but have been relatively overlooked by authors in this field. We reviewed the prevalence and drivers of prediabetes and diabetes across this large region. A large, and variable, burden of dysglycaemia exists, especially in Middle Eastern and North African countries, associated with high levels of obesity and sedentariness, with a generally lower prevalence in most other parts of Africa. The design and size of studies are highly variable, and more research to quantify the scale of the problem is needed. Local barriers to care relating to issues concerned with gender, consanguinity, lack of understanding of diabetes, lack of understanding of obesity as a health issue, and limited resource at a national level for tracking and intervention for diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Lifestyle interventions with proven local cost-effectiveness, enhanced access to pharmacologic intervention, and societal interventions to promote better diet and more activity will be an important element in strategies to combat these adverse trends.

scholarly journals Dietary trends in the Middle East and North Africa: an ecological study (1961 to 2007)

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 1835-1844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdieh Golzarand ◽  
Parvin Mirmiran ◽  
Mahsa Jessri ◽  
Karamollah Toolabi ◽  
Mehdi Mojarrad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Dietary Patterns ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Alcoholic Beverages ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Study Results ◽  
North African Countries

AbstractObjectiveMiddle Eastern and North African countries are undergoing nutrition transition, a transition which is associated with an increased burden of non-communicable diseases. This necessitates the evaluation of dietary patterns in these regions. The present study aimed to assess changes in dietary patterns in Middle Eastern and North African countries between 1961 and 2007.DesignAvailability of energy and fifteen main food items during 1961–2007 was examined using FAO food balance sheets from the FAOSTAT database.SettingFifteen countries including nine in the Middle East and six in North Africa were selected and the average availability of total energy and different food items in these regions were compared.ResultsOver the 47 years studied, energy and food availability (apart from animal fats and alcoholic beverages) has increased in the Middle East and North Africa. In both regions the proportion of energy derived from meat and vegetable oils has increased significantly while that from cereals decreased significantly. In addition, the proportion of energy from milk and dairy products and vegetables has shown an ascending trend in North Africa while the proportion of energy from fruits has shown a descending trend in the Middle East.ConclusionsThe study results reveal an unfavourable trend towards a Westernized diet in the Middle East and, to a certain extent, in North Africa. Tailored nutritional education encouraging healthy eating for prevention of the burden of chronic diseases in these countries seems essential.

scholarly journals An International Organization for Human Rights in Prisons

1970 ◽  
pp. 51-52
Author(s):  
Lynn Maalouf
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Physical Punishment ◽  
The State ◽  
International Organization ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
North African Countries

When lovers of the ‘Arab nation’ proudly hail the ‘glorious’ common denominators bringing together the Middle Eastern and North African countries, they obliterateanother number of less glorious facets, one of which is the appalling conditions prevailing in prisons. Indeed, a quick look at the state of prisons in those countriesreveals practices of torture, arbitrary and illegal detention, disregard of the detainees’ right to defense and sometimes even death. In some countries, arbitrary arrests have even been legalized, mainly to target certain groups; in others,physical punishment is prescribed by law.

Aid to the Middle East will fall far short of needs

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Urban Migration ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Migration Patterns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gulf States ◽  
North African Countries ◽  
In Transit

Significance The UN is seeking an additional USD10.3bn in donations to combat the pandemic worldwide, with around one-fifth earmarked for the Middle East. Impacts An upsurge in migration to Europe would put new pressure on resources in transit as well as destination countries. Internal rural-urban migration patterns may be disrupted as poverty rises. Low oil prices will reduce aid and worker remittances from Gulf states to poorer Middle Eastern countries. A failure to contain COVID-19 in Middle East and North African countries could contribute to new waves in Europe and elsewhere. A change in US administration after the November elections could lead to a reversal of recent decisions cutting support to UN aid agencies.

scholarly journals Undetermined and accidental mortality rates as possible sources of underreported suicides: population-based study comparing Islamic countries and traditionally religious Western countries

BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Pritchard ◽  
Wajid Iqbal ◽  
Rosslyn Dray
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Rate ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Population Based ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Western Countries ◽  
Islamic Countries ◽  
North African Countries ◽  
Former Ussr

Background Four Western countries (Greece, Ireland, Italy and Portugal) with strong Orthodox and Catholic traditions have been associated with the underreporting of death by suicide, and underreported suicides are sometimes found among deaths recorded as ‘undetermined’ or ‘accidental’. Aims This population-based study tests whether there are any significant difference in patterns of suicides, undetermined deaths and accidental deaths between these four Western countries and 21 predominately Islamic countries. Method World Health Organization age-standardised death rates per million population were used to compare suicide rates with combined undetermined death and accidental death (UnD+AccD) rates, from which odds ratios were calculated. Substantial odds ratios (OR > 2.0) were taken as indicative of likely underreporting of suicides. The Islamic countries come from four different historico-cultural regions, described as: less-traditional Islamic countries; former USSR countries; Gulf Arab states; and Middle Eastern and North African countries. χ2-tests were used to determine any significant differences between the Western comparator countries and the Islamic regions. Results For the Western comparator countries, the average suicide rate was 66 per million population, the average undetermined death rate 56 per million and the average accidental death rate 58 per million, yielding a suicide:UnD+AccD odds ratio (OR) of 1.73. The average values for the other three groups were as follows. Less-traditional Islamic countries: suicide rate, 31 per million; UnD+AccD rate, 101 per million; suicide:UnD+AccD OR = 3.3. Former USSR countries: suicide rate, 61 per million; UnD+AccD rate, 221 per million; suicide:UnD+AccD OR = 3.6. Gulf Arab states: suicide rate, 10 per million; UnD+AccD rate, 76 per million; suicide:UnD+AccD OR = 8.6. Middle Eastern and North African countries: suicide rate, 6 per million; UnD+AccD rate, 151 per million; suicide:UnD+AccD OR = 25.2. The patterns of these mortalities in the Islamic countries was significantly different from Western comparator countries. Conclusions The results indicate underreporting of suicides in Islamic countries. This might inadvertently lead to reduced access to mental health preventive services in both Western and Islamic countries.

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