GBÐçOTogZTÐocBÐ ÓnHnhUÐx{bUFfYwí phCn_UÐp[UÐpe^fe=HCÐçPUehdSüÐocCÐLÚ{[>UÐpheH}UÐpdCÐw EQíÔn=úÐsýniíphýn=UÐÓnh]_CÐíhwnaCÐíÊÐÚùÐéØnUíºn4sxíGUÐíph[UÐÓnY{#Ð;Ò{x{!ÐÓÐÚØnCÐí ÓnhdcUÐíºph[UÐgCÐÊn\LÌTOÎpg@Ywí HCÐç hdSl=ngfYd_xnYpÉnBíºÓnYd_CÐYUÙ ØÐ}RúÐíphCn_UÐp[UÐpe^fY Ypiín_CÐ~TÐ}CÐíºphf_CÐphYc"ÐEQÓ5^fCÐÐ|Tíºphehd_UÐ{wn_CÐ}ýnHíph]UÐ @ÚnBíhdSüÐ;p[Un=NegCÐ EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN HEALTH JOURNAL IS the official health journal published by the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization. It is a forum for the presentation and promotion of new policies and initiatives in health services; and for the exchange of ideas, con- cepts, epidemiological data, research findings and other information, with special reference to the Eastern Mediterranean Region. It addresses all members of the health profession, medical and other health educational institutes, interested NGOs, WHO Col- laborating Centres and individuals within and outside the Region. LA REVUE DE SANTÉ DE LA MÉDITERRANÉE ORIENTALE EST une revue de santé officielle publiée par le Bureau régional de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé pour la Méditerranée orientale. Elle offre une tribune pour la présentation et la promotion de nouvelles politiques et initiatives dans le domaine des ser-vices de santé ainsi qu’à l’échange d’idées, de concepts, de données épidémiologiques, de résultats de recherches et d’autres informations, se rapportant plus particulièrement à la Région de la Méditerranée orientale. Elle s’adresse à tous les professionnels de la santé, aux membres des instituts médicaux et autres instituts de formation médico-sanitaire, aux ONG, Centres collabora- teurs de l’OMS et personnes concernés au sein et hors de la Région. EMHJ is a trilingual, peer reviewed, open access journal and the full contents are freely available at its website: http://www/emro.who.int/emhj.htm EMHJ information for authors is available at its website: http://www.emro.who.int/emh-journal/authors/ EMHJ is abstracted/indexed in the Index Medicus and MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval Systems on Line), ISI Web of knowledge, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, Lexis Nexis, Scopus and the Index Medicus for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (IMEMR). ©World Health Organization 2016 All rights reserved Disclaimer The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. The mentionof specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. All reasonable precautions have been taken by the World Health Organization to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event halls the World Health Organization be liable for damages arising from its use. The named authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication. ISSN 1020-3397 Cover designed by Diana Tawadros Internal layout designed by Emad Marji and Diana Tawadros Printed by WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Cover photograph ©World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean La Revue de Santé de Health Journal la Méditerranée orientale املجلد الثاين و العرشون عدد Vol. 22 No. 9 • 2016 • 9 Contents Editorial Closer to a polio-free Eastern Mediterranean Region A. Alwan and C. Maher ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................645 Research articles Validation of Persian version of WHOQOL-HIV BREF questionnaire in Islamic Republic of Iran M. Salehi, S. Niroumand, M.R. Erfanian, R.B. Sajjadi and M. Dadgarmoghaddam ........................................................................................................................................................647 Effect of anti-smoking advertisements on Turkish adolescents E. Unal, M.E.Gokler, S. Metintas and C. Kalyoncu .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................654 أثر اﻹعﻻم واﻹعﻻن يف الرتويج التجاري لﻷغذية عىل السلوك الغذائي للمراهقات بمدينة جدة 662......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... إهلام اجلعلي Prevalence and correlates of metabolic syndrome in pre-crisis Syria: call for current relief efforts H. Ramadan, F. Naja, F.M. Fouad, E. Antoun, M. Jaffa, R. Chaaban, M. Haidar, A.M. Sibai ......................................................................................................................................668 Trends in outpatient cataract surgery in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2006–2010 H. Hashemi, A. Fotouhi, F. Rezvan, H. Gilasi, S. Asgari, S. Mohazzab-Torabi, K. Etemad, A. Yekta, M. Khabazkhoob .......................................................................................676 The status of serum vitamin D in the population of the United Arab Emirates K. Yammine and H. Al Adham ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................682 Association between body mass index, diet and dental caries in Grade 6 boys in Medina, Saudi Arabia A. Bhayat, M.S. Ahmad, H.T. Fadel .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................687 Report Essential public health functions: the experience of the Eastern Mediterranean Region Ala Alwan, Olla Shideed, Sameen Siddiqi ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................694 Invited commentary The growing threat of antibiotic resistance in the Eastern Mediterranean Region – what does it take to control it? R. Hajjeh and A. Mafi ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................701 Short communication Primary oral health care: a missing link in public health in Pakistan S.Basharat, B.T. Shaikh .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................703 WHO events addressing public health priorities Detection and screening of priority cancers in the Eastern Mediterranean Region ............................................................................................................................707 Ala Alwan, Editor-in-chief Editorial Board Zulfiqar Bhutta Mahmoud Fahmy Fathalla Rita Giacaman Ahmed Mandil Ziad Memish Arash Rashidian Sameen Siddiqi Huda Zurayk International Advisory Panel Mansour M. Al-Nozha Fereidoun Azizi Rafik Boukhris Majid Ezzati Hans V. Hogerzeil Mohamed A. Ghoneim Alan Lopez Hossein Malekafzali El-Sheikh Mahgoub Hooman Momen Sania Nishtar Hikmat Shaarbaf Salman Rawaf Editors Phillip Dingwall Guy Penet (French) Eva Abdin, Fiona Curlet, Cathel Kerr, Marie-Josee Roux (Freelance) Manar Abdel-Rahman, Ahmed Bahnassy, Abbas Rahimiforoushani (Statistics) Graphics Suhaib Al Asbahi, Diana Tawadros Administration Nadia Abu-Saleh, Yasmeen Sedky, Iman Fawzy Cover designed by Diana Tawadros Internal layout designed by Emad Marji and Diana Tawadros Printed by WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Cover photograph ©World Health Organization املجلة الصحية لرشق املتوسط املجلد الثاين و العرشون العدد التاسع Editorial Closer to a polio-free Eastern Mediterranean Region A. Alwan 1 and C. Maher 2 After a long hard struggle, the start of bring under control. Similarly in Octo- the world has never been closer to being this decade saw the fight to eradicate ber 2013, the first cases were detected polio-free (6). polio from the Eastern Mediterranean in Syria after the importation of wild In Pakistan and Afghanistan, ag- Region appearing to bear fruit. In 2011 poliovirus originating in Pakistan. This gressive new National