Relevance of the COVID-19 rapid response system to public health policymaking in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased awareness of the need for high-quality and timely evidence to support policy- and decision-making in emergency situations.

Aims: To describe the experiences of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), Islamic Republic of Iran, in adopting evidence-informed policymaking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: During the COVID-19 pandemic, NIHR institutionalized a rapid response system that was backed up by evidence-informed policy- and decision-making.

Primary Health Care Model for Non-Communicable Diseases Management during COVID-19 Pandemic in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Background: Given the importance of appropriate response to prevent and manage Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), this study aimed to analyze the state of NCDs services at the level of the PHC system during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the main strategies.

Methods: In this qualitative study, first, the circulars and guides in Iran's PHC system from the beginning of the pandemic to the end of September 2020 were retrieved manually and by searching the internal websites of the Ministry of Health. All documents about decision-making or governance and coordination mechanisms for the provision of NCDs services were enrolled and analyzed.

Mapping of national population-based surveys for better reporting of health-related indicators in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Background: Population-based surveys are the main data source to generate health-related indicators required to monitor progress toward national, regional and global goals effectively. Although the Eastern Mediterranean Region of World Health Organization (WHO) member states conduct many population-based surveys, they are not led regularly and fail to provide relevant indicators appropriately. Therefore, this study aims two-fold: to map out population-based surveys to be conducted data for the health-related indicators in the Region and propose a timetable for conducting national population-based surveys in the Region.

The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Management Services in the Primary Health Care System of Iran.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions in the provision of non-communicable disease (NCDs) prevention and control services in many countries, and there is a concern that it would lead to long-term complications of the diseases. The aim of this study is to assess the changes in the provisions of selected NCD services before and after the COVID-19 epidemic in Iran's primary healthcare system. In this descriptive-analytical retrospective study, the number of eight NCD services provided during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic from Feb 2020 to Dec 2020 were compared with the same period in the previous year using the data from the Iranian integrated electronic health record system (SIB) and also the association between the number of deaths due to COVID-19 and a sample of NCD services were assessed using cross-correlation analysis.

Prevalence of Tobacco Use in Adults; 2016 Nationally Representative Household Survey in Iran.

Background: Tobacco use is an established preventable risk factor for many noncommunicable diseases and is considered as an important indicator for monitoring progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to determine the situation of tobacco use among Iranian adults using 2016 household survey.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the data from 2016 nationally representative STEPwise approach to Surveillance (STEPs) survey with a sample size of 31,050.

Universal health coverage in Iran: Health-related intersectoral actions.

The majority of modifiable health outcomes are attributable to factors that are outside the direct reach of the health systems and can only be reached through intersectoral actions. In recent years, Iran implemented a series of reforms in the health sector called Health Transformation Plan (HTP). This paper aimed to review health-related intersectoral actions in Iran that have focused on interventions conducted after HTP implementation and to compare the interventions against the recommendations by World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health.

Evaluating the Women Health Volunteers Program in Iran- a Quarter Century Experience (1992-2016).

Background: Running for more than 25 years, the Women Health Volunteers (WHV) program in Iran has made many great achievements. Considering the new expectations from the health system, this national program needs to be revised and undergo fundamental changes. Although many studies have been conducted to evaluate this program, there still is a lack of a comprehensive nationwide assessment containing policy recommendations.

Implementing Health Impact Assessment at National Level: An Experience in Iran.

Background: According to the general health policies issued in 2014, Health Impact Assessment (HIA) or Health Annex should be implemented in Iran. The present study provided a model for executing HIA in the Iranian context as a developing country.

Methods: This is a system design study with the qualitative approach.

Transition of Mental Health to a More Responsible Service in Iran.

This study proposed a model for provision of an effective universal coverage for mental health services based on global and national experiences, available resources and the nature of primary health care system of Iran to reduce the burden of mental health conditions. A framework with prioritized mental and social health services was devised through a review of literature and policy documents. It was then adapted using inputs from the stakeholders and experts.

How to integrate social care services into primary health care? An experience from Iran.

Background: Social issues have prominent effects on the peoples' physical and mental health and on the health risk factors. In Iran, many organizations provide social care services to their target population. This study aimed to explore the roles and functions of Primary Health Care (PHC) system in providing social care services in Iran.

Designing a national plan for improving sexual health in Iran: An experience of an Islamic country.

Background: Prevalence of sexual dysfunction varies from 20% to 40% in men and women in different studies in Iran. Despite its high prevalence, it seems that this issue has been neglected, particularly in Islamic countries. The aim of this study was to assess sexual health in Iran.

The Impact of Future World Events on Iranians' Social Health: A Qualitative Futurology.

Background: Social health is a dimension of health affected and interacts with other dimensions. Considering the rate of world changes, foresighting the influence of future events and possible trends on social health could bring about advantageous information for social policy makers.

Methods: This is a qualitative study of futurology with cross impact analysis approach.

Achievements and future path of Tehran municipality in urban health domain: An Iranian experience.

Background: According to national laws and world experiences; provision, maintenance, and improving citizens' health are considered to be the essential functions of municipalities as a "social institute". In order to equitably promote health conditions at urban level, particularly in marginal areas, since 2004 targeted efforts have been implemented in the municipality of Tehran metropolis. This study was intended to identify and analyze these targeted measures and tries to analyze health interventions in a conceptual framework and propose a future path.

Valproic acid may exerts its cytotoxic effect through rassf1a expression induction in acute myeloid leukemia.

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), despite the acceptance of standard intensive chemotherapy as an optimal induction regimen for all age groups, in the elderly patients, the best treatment should meet the challenge of multiple factors like age, comorbidities, and cytogenetics, making them ineligible for standard induction chemotherapy. Using the current low-intensity therapies like decitabine, azacitidine, and low-dose cytarabine as a single arm, outcomes for these patients remain poor. As a histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) exhibit anticancer activity by triggering apoptosis, the mechanism of which is not yet completely clarified.

A mutational and expressional analysis of DNMT3A in acute myeloid leukemia cytogenetic subgroups.

Objectives: Despite numerous studies in order to determine the allele frequency and clinical impact of DNA methyltransferase 3 A (DNMT3A) gene mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), reports about the expression analysis of this gene are rare and between the available, differences are evident.

Methods: In this study, we decided to investigate DNMT3A possible expression changes with regard to their mutation and cytogenetic status in a series of 96 AML patients.

Results: Mutations were founded in 17 of the 96 patients (17.

Intact expression status of RASSF1A in acute myeloid leukemia.

As a typical tumor suppressor gene, transcriptional silencing of ras-association domain family 1, isoform A (RASSF1A) is caused by biallelic methylation or the condition that one allele is methylated and then the other allele lost by allelic loss, as second hit. RASSF1A is inactivated epigenetically and thus down-regulated in many solid tumors. In summary, for the first time, we analyzed the expression status of RASSF1A in a cohort of 56 de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.