Eastern Mediterranean La Revue de Santé de Health Journal la Méditerranée orientale املجلد الثاين و العرشون عدد Vol. 22 No. 10 • 2016 • 10 Contents Editorial Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 thrives on health Z. Mirza.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................711 Research articles Iranian public trust in health services: evidence from Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran J.S. Tabrizi, M. Saadati, H. Sadeghi-Bazargani, L. Abedi and R. Alibabayee ........................................................................................................................................................................713 Tobacco chewing and risk of gastric cancer: a case–control study in Yemen F.A. Al-qadasi, S.A. Shah, H.F. Ghazi .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................719 Job satisfaction and its relationship to Radiation Protection Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (RP-KAP) of Iranian radiation workers S.S. Alavi, S.T. Dabbagh, M. Abbasi and R. Mehrdad ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................727 Turkish version of the SPAN questionnaire for high-school students: reproducibility and validity F. Öz, S. Metintas, R. Aydın and Ö. Özay ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................735 Knowledge of diabetes among patients in the United Arab Emirates and trends since 2001: a study using the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test M. Jawad Hashim, H. Mustafa and H. Ali ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................742 Preliminary estimates of the economic implications of addiction in the United Arab Emirates C.M. Doran ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................749 Prevalence and seasonal variation of human intestinal parasites in patients attending hospital with abdominal symptoms in northern Jordan A.S. Jaran .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................756 Report Overview of the 63rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean Ala Alwan......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................761 Review Dietary transition and obesity in selected Arabic-speaking countries: a review of the current evidence B.H. Aboul-Enein, J. Bernstein and A.C. Neary ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................763 WHO events addressing public health priorities Intercountry meeting on controlled medicines .............................................................................................................................................................................................................771 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-France 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 العارش Editorial Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 thrives on health Z. Mirza 1 Never before has the flight of human current health issues, including the Never before had such a bold ambition imagination made calls for universal need to strengthen health systems. embraced the aspirations of all citizens development that are so loud and Target SDG3.8 is bold in terms of sharing the planet, given that the Reso- audacious. The all-encompassing Sus- its scope, namely “achieve universal lution mandated for all United Nations tainable Development Agenda 2030 health coverage, including financial (UN) members take action on this (SD Agenda 2030) has evolved over risk protection, access to quality es- Agenda. Clearly such an array of goals 67 years since the adoption of the Uni- sential health-care services and ac- is not within the competencies and versal Declaration of Human Rights by cess to safe, effective, quality and bounds of a single agency; thus, inter- the United Nations in 1948. Although affordable essential medicines and sectoral action and partnerships were based on the same principle of univer- vaccines for all” (4). made part of the agenda itself, resulting sality, the scope of the Agenda is much The interdependence of SDGs in the 17th SDG, titled “Strengthen broader. It is a melting-pot of human is highlighted through SDG3 and its the means of implementation and rights, environmental movements and relationship with the other 16 SDGs, revitalize the Global Partnership for the fight against poverty; hence, it is a which are: poverty, hunger, educa- Sustainable Development” (4). In plan of action for people, the planet and tion, gender equality, water and sani- addition, an elaborate framework of prosperity. Moreover, it also seeks peace tation, energy, economic growth, 230 indicators has been developed by as a necessary condition for develop- inclusive and sustainable industri- the Inter-Agency and Expert Group ment. alization and innovation, inequality, (IAEG) on SDG Indicators to moni- The symbiotic relationship be- safe cities, sustainable consumption tor progress in implementation of this tween health and development is well and production, climate change, action plan for global transformation understood. The historic Alma-Ata sustainable use of water reservoirs, (5). Totaling 26 indicators, the health Declaration on Primary Health Care environmental protection, peace goal has the largest number of proposed in 1978 (1) and the work of the WHO and justice, and partnerships. Health indicators of all 17 SDGs. Unlike Mil- Commission on Social Determinants will benefit from development in lennium Development Goals (MDGs), of Health (2) have unequivocally estab- each of these areas, just as health which constituted a less focused agenda lished that for health to be attained there also contributes to the advancement and was mainly donor driven (despite is a need for “action of many other social towards these goals. For example, some remarkable achievements), the and economic sectors in addition to when poverty is reduced there are SD Agenda 2030 is the responsibility of the health sector” (1). The more recent fewer incidences of poverty-related Member States. work on health-in-all-policies approach diseases, and citizens are able to What does the SD Agenda 2030 (3) is also embedded in the importance spend more on their health. Thus, mean to governments and develop- of inter-sectoral action to protect and healthy individuals are able to work ment partners, and how can they work promote health. more, earn better wages and enjoy in partnership to support it? This is the The centrality of health in the SD economic prosperity. Such health important question being addressed Agenda 2030 is evident through the benefit–contribution relationships by both sides. The comprehensive na- links that the Sustainable Development exist for all other goals. ture of the Agenda is such that either Goal 3 (SDG3) has with the remain- On 25 September 2015, the national development planning com- ing 16 SDGs. SDG3 aims to “Ensure General Assembly of United Nations missions/ministries, or their equivalent healthy lives and promote well-being adopted Resolution 70/1 titled “Trans- pivotal bodies, have to take on the lead- for all at all ages” (4) and its