Towards a renewed public health regulatory and surveillance role in water, sanitation and hygiene (Editorial).

Evidence from the burden of disease studies indicates that improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WSH) is a primary disease prevention measure. It prevents 57% of diarrheal deaths, contributes to prevention and management of neglected tropical diseases, and is the first line of defense against Cholera. Moreover, water and sanitation (W&S) services and hygiene contribute to programme initiatives including new-born, child and maternal health; infection prevention and control; universal health care; antimicrobial resistance; and health emergencies.

The environmental health nexuses within the Strategic Roadmap: regional work priorities for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (Editorial).

The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is a diverse region in terms of income, development, health and environmental conditions. The environment and ecosystems are under serious pressures with adverse impacts on human health and well-being. Environmental Health (EH) is an area of growing importance for EMR, and environmental risk factors such as air, water and soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change and radiation, contribute to more than 100 diseases and injuries, and environmental hazards are responsible for about 22% of the total burden of disease in the Region.

Climate change and health in the Eastern Mediterranean countries: a systematic review.

Objectives: To summarize the existing knowledge of the impact of climate change on health from previous research in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) and identify knowledge and research gaps.

Methods: Different databases were searched for relevant studies published in the region between 2000 and 2014. The review was limited to studies reporting the impacts of climate change on health or studying associations between meteorological parameters and well-defined human health outcomes.