Learning interventions in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region: supporting Member States to get prepared for better response to health emergencies in the region.

Background: The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) faces numerous public health risks caused by biological, chemical, man-made, and natural hazards. This manuscript aimed to assess the multifaceted interventions and strategies used to strengthen the EMR's preparedness capacities to respond properly to current and upcoming health emergencies.

Objective: To address these challenges, it is crucial to implement comprehensive and robust strategic risk assessments and health emergency preparedness frameworks.

A global research agenda on public health and social measures during emergencies.

The importance of strong coordination for research on public health and social measures was highlighted at the Seventy-fourth World Health Assembly in 2021. This article describes efforts undertaken by the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop a global research agenda on the use of public health and social measures during health emergencies. This work includes a multistep process that started with a global technical consultation convened by WHO in September 2021.

Correction: Grasgruber et al. Mapping the Mountains of Giants: Anthropometric Data from the Western Balkans Reveal a Nucleus of Extraordinary Physical Stature in Europe. 2022, , 786.

Note: The authors apologize for the rather extensive text corrections [...

COVID-19 morbidity in Afghanistan: a nationwide, population-based seroepidemiological study.

Objective: The primary objectives were to determine the magnitude of COVID-19 infections in the general population and age-specific cumulative incidence, as determined by seropositivity and clinical symptoms of COVID-19, and to determine the magnitude of asymptomatic or subclinical infections.

Design, Setting And Participants: We describe a population-based, cross-sectional, age-stratified seroepidemiological study conducted throughout Afghanistan during June/July 2020. Participants were interviewed to complete a questionnaire, and rapid diagnostic tests were used to test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.