Health in times of uncertainty in the eastern Mediterranean region, 1990�2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013

Background The eastern Mediterranean region is comprised of 22 countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Since our Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD 2010), the region has faced unrest as a result of revolutions, wars, and the so-called Arab uprisings. The objective of this study was to present the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in the eastern Mediterranean region as of 2013. Methods GBD 2013 includes an annual assessment covering 188 countries from 1990 to 2013. The study covers 306 diseases and injuries, 1233 sequelae, and 79 risk factors. Our GBD 2013 analyses included the addition of new data through updated systematic reviews and through the contribution of unpublished data sources from collaborators, an updated version of modelling software, and several improvements in our methods. In this systematic analysis, we use data from GBD 2013 to analyse the burden of disease and injuries in the eastern Mediterranean region specifically. Findings The leading cause of death in the region in 2013 was ischaemic heart disease (90·3 deaths per 100�000 people), which increased by 17·2 since 1990. However, diarrhoeal diseases were the leading cause of death in Somalia (186·7 deaths per 100�000 people) in 2013, which decreased by 26·9 since 1990. The leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) was ischaemic heart disease for males and lower respiratory infection for females. High blood pressure was the leading risk factor for DALYs in 2013, with an increase of 83·3 since 1990. Risk factors for DALYs varied by country. In low-income countries, childhood wasting was the leading cause of DALYs in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen, whereas unsafe sex was the leading cause in Djibouti. Non-communicable risk factors were the leading cause of DALYs in high-income and middle-income countries in the region. DALY risk factors varied by age, with child and maternal malnutrition affecting the younger age groups (aged 28 days to 4 years), whereas high bodyweight and systolic blood pressure affected older people (aged 60�80 years). The proportion of DALYs attributed to high body-mass index increased from 3·7 to 7·5 between 1990 and 2013. Burden of mental health problems and drug use increased. Most increases in DALYs, especially from non-communicable diseases, were due to population growth. The crises in Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Syria have resulted in a reduction in life expectancy; life expectancy in Syria would have been 5 years higher than that recorded for females and 6 years higher for males had the crisis not occurred. Interpretation Our study shows that the eastern Mediterranean region is going through a crucial health phase. The Arab uprisings and the wars that followed, coupled with ageing and population growth, will have a major impact on the region's health and resources. The region has historically seen improvements in life expectancy and other health indicators, even under stress. However, the current situation will cause deteriorating health conditions for many countries and for many years and will have an impact on the region and the rest of the world. Based on our findings, we call for increased investment in health in the region in addition to reducing the conflicts. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY licens

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Cookers for solar homes

Means of piping solar energy into kitchens were investigated. Two different solar cookers utilising the heat-pipe principle were designed, constructed and tested. A cooker utilising an east-west line focusing collector, designated Mecca-1, was developed for this purpose. The second cooker was a flat-plate heat-pipe cooker, Mecca-2. A single heat pipe in each cooker absorbed the energy at the collector, transported it into the kitchen and delivered it to an insulated oven at the condenser end. Various heating and boiling experiments conducted on the two cookers demonstrated the feasibility of the concept. It was found that the Mecca-2 cooker with triple glazing had a utilisation efficiency of up to 19 per cent and could boil 1 litre of water in 27 min for a solar insolation of 900 W/m2.

Status of Residual Refractive Error, Ocular Aberrations, and Accommodation After Myopic LASIK, SMILE, and TransPRK

PURPOSE: To analyze residual refractive error, ocular aberrations, and visual acuity (VA) during accommodation simultaneously with ocular aberrometry in eyes after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), and transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (TransPRK). METHODS: Ocular aberrometry (Tracey Technologies, Houston, TX) was performed 3 months after LASIK (n = 95), SMILE (n = 73), and TransPRK (n = 35). White measuring the aberrations, VA was measured at distance (20 ft), intermediate (60 cm), and near (40 cm) targets. The examinations were done monocularly. A parallel group of age-matched normal eyes (n = 50) with 20/20 Snellen distance VA also underwent aberrometry. RESULTS: Distribution of residual spherical error of LASIK eyes matched the normal eyes the best, followed by SMILE and TransPRK. However, the distribution of cylindrical error of the SMILE eyes was distinctly different from the rest (P <.05). The SMILE eyes tended to be undercorrected by approximately 0.25 diopters (D) on average at all reading targets compared to LASIK eyes (P <.05). The undercorrection was greater when the magnitude of the preoperative cylinder exceeded 0.75 D (P <.05). The VA of LASIK and SMILE eyes was similar to normal eyes at all targets, but the TransPRK eyes were marginally inferior (P <.05). Only the ocular defocus changed differentially between the study groups during accommodation and the magnitude of change was least for TransPRK eyes (P <.05). However, postoperative near and intermediate accommodation of LASIK eyes were similar to normal eyes, followed by SMILE eyes and then TransPRK eyes. CONCLUSIONS: The refractive and aberrometric status of the LASIK eyes was closest to the normal eyes. The SMILE procedure may benefit from slight overcorrection of the preoperative refractive cylinder