East Mediterranean Region Research Articles

Global and Regional Prevalence of Hepatitis C and B Co-Infections Among Prisoners Living with HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Worldwide, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are common among those living with HIV due to similar transmission routes and vulnerability. The global and regional burden of HBV and HCV infections among prisoners living with HIV have not systematically studied yet. Methods: Up to August 2019, we searched PubMed via MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, SCOPUS and Web of science (ISI) to identify studies that reported the prevalence of HBV and HCV among prisoners living with HIV. We used an eight-item checklist for critically appraisal studies of prevalence/ incidence of a health problem to assess the quality of publications in the included 50 cross-sectional and 4 cohort studies. We used random-effect models and meta-regression for meta-analysis of the results. Findings: Included studies were 50 for HCV, 23 for HBV and 15 for HCV/HBV co-infection. The pooled prevalence was 9% (95% CI: 6·0-12·0) for HBV, 60% (95% CI: 51·0-69·0) for HCV, and 29% (95% CI: 18·0-40·0) for HCV/HBV co-infection among prisoners living with HIV. Among HIV-positive prisoners who reported drug injection, the HBV prevalence increased to 12% (95% CI: 3·0-21·0) and the HCV prevalence increased to 78% (95% CI: 51·0-100). The HBV prevalence ranged from 1% in East Mediterranean region to 81% in the America region. The HCV prevalence ranged from 6% in Europe to 98% in the East Mediterranean region. The highest HBV/HCV co-infection among prisoners living with HIV was 85% in Europe region. Meta-regression results showed small changes in HCV (0·05% increase per year), HBV (0·03% increase per year) and HCV/HBV co-infection (0·014% increase per year) prevalence over time among prisoners living with HIV. Interpretation: Our findings suggested a high prevalence of HBV and HCV co-infections among prisoners living with HIV particularly those with history of drug injection that varied significantly across different regions. Over decades we have seen no change in prevalence of such co-infections which call for better screening and treatment programs targeting prisoner living with HIV. Funding Statement: The study was funded by Shahroud University of Medical Sciences and Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. For this paper, we also received support from the University of California, San Francisco’s International Traineeships in AIDS Prevention Studies (ITAPS), U.S. NIMH, R25MH064712. Declaration of Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was registered in the PROSPERO international under number of CRD42018115707.

Action and reaction: COVID-19 and the nosedive in East Mediterranean Region stock markets

East Mediterranean Region has witnessed a large number of re-emerging pandemic infectious outbreaks. EM Region has been a region of great focus due to emerging economic losses and threats to human life. The COVID-19 viral outbreak weakened the global economy. EM Region comprised of 21 member countries and Palestine territory and all the countries share cultural and historical commonalities. They study used FTSE Med Index, a stock market performance indicator for EM Region and examined the impact of COVID-19 viral outbreak on stock market performance of EM Region by using an event study methodology through implication of market model and extreme value theory. Cumulative abnormal return approach is used to estimate the decline in stock returns during the event window of 30 days pandemic viral outbreak. The results showed significant negative cumulative abnormal returns, indicating a statistically significant effect of COVID-19 outbreak on stock market performance of EM Region.

Renal Disease Burden in Sample Countries from Five Continents

Background: Changes in population structure, aging pattern, and the increasing prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, are behind the increase in chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence and end stage renal disease (ESRD). Reliable and updated information on CKD patients and ESRD patient numbers and treatment modalities are essential to understand the real estimate of the renal disease burden in many countries. It was the aim of our study to investigate different regions of the world, as defined by world health organization (WHO): Africa, the Americas, South East Asia, Europe, East Mediterranean, and West Pacific regions, regarding many aspects of renal disease and renal replacement therapy.

Action and reaction: COVID-19 and the nosedive in East Mediterranean Region stock markets

Action and reaction: COVID-19 and the nosedive in East Mediterranean Region stock markets

Language Choice and Identity: An Investigation Based on The Comparison of Language Attitudes from Two Different Localities

This current research tries to compare and contrast the language attitudes of Arabic-Turkish bilinguals from Mersin and Hatay cities located in the East Mediterranean Region of Anatolia. The quantitative results of the language attitude surveys conducted in the two cities by two different researchers (Çetintaş Yıldırım, 2019 and Kocaoğlu, 2019) are compared, and qualitative conclusions which can be generalized to the population of Arabic-Turkish bilinguals are obtained. Two different but related themes (language choices and the sense of belonging to a social/cultural identity of the two participant groups) consist of the main focus. Four sets of questions for the identity theme and seven sets of questions for the language choice theme were determined from the surveys and the means of each group for every question were compared and interpreted. The comparison reveals that Arabic-Turkish bilinguals from Hatay interiorize Arabic language more than Arabic-Turkish bilinguals from Mersin. The first group is more inclined to use Arabic in their professional career and transfer it to the new generations.

The potential impact of climate change on the seasonality of Phlebotomus neglectus, the vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the East Mediterranean region

ABSTRACT Phlebotomus neglectus is one of the most important vectors of visceral leishmaniasis in Southeast Europe and Asia Minor. It was aimed to study the impact of climate change on the seasonality and the range of the species for 2014–2060. In the inland areas of Asia Minor, the Balkan Peninsula and the Carpathian Basin the elongation of the activity season will reach or exceed the two months in the middle of the 21st century compared to the end of the 20th century. The most affected regions are the middle elevations of the mountainous regions and the plains of the northern distribution areas. In some areas of the southern distribution border, the season is expected to shorten. In the Apennine Peninsula, mainly the mountainous areas could be impacted notably by climate change. The results indicate the potential spread of leishmaniasis in Southeast Europe due to the increasing environmental suitability of the region.

The mosses analysis along Kahramanmaraş-Adana Highway in East Mediterranean region of Turkey

Bu araştırmada; Kahramanmaraş-Adana otoyolu çevresindeki karayosunları analiz edilmiş ve bölgenin ağır metal kirliliği hakkında bilgi edinilmiştir. Bu çalışma da araziden toplanan karayosunları laboratuarda makroskobik ve mikroskobik incelenmeleri neticesinde tür teşhisleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ağır metal analizleri, Enerji ayırımlı X-Işını floresans spektrometresi (EDXRF) ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Analizler neticesinde karayosunlarında, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn ve Pb olduğu belirlenmiştir. Mevcut çalışma ile; Doğu Akdeniz bölgesinde bulunan Otoyol boyunca ağır metal kirliliği hakkında bilgi edinilmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Bu çalışma, bölgedeki trafik yoğunluğu ile ilişkili karayosunlarının analiz edilerek ağır metal kirliliğinin belirlenmesinde ki ilk çalışmadır. Bundan dolayı bu çalışmada; otoyol boyunca toplanan karayosunlarında ağır metal analizleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bulunan sonuçların, İnsan ve çevre sağlığı üzerine muhtemel etkileri tartışılmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlardan bir diğeri ise bu tür çalışmalarda kullanılan karayosunlarının iyi bir indikatör bitki grubu oldukları sonucu tekrar belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca ağır metallerin yoğunluklarının çevre ve insan sağlığı açısından önemli olduğu da gösterilmiştir.

Some physico-chemical properties, fatty acid compositions, macro-micro minerals and sterol contents of two variety tigernut tubers and oils harvested from East Mediterranean region

Abstract This research on Yellow sugar and Honey tuber varieties tigernut tubers’ oils physico-chemical properties were investigated to collected from Adana province in Turkey. The 1000 seed weight, width, length, moisture, ash and ascorbic acid values of yellow sugar and honey wax tubers were established as 343,496 and 327,524 g, 7.61 and 8.76 mm, 17.07 and 15.23 mm, 6.41 and 6.45%, 1.19 and 1.38% and 67.34 and 58.81 mg/kg, respectively. Free fatty acidity, peroxide values, refractive index, density, iodine number, total sterol, saponifiable matter, unsaponifiable matter, mineral values of yellow sugar and honey tuber tigernut oils were determined. The palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acid contents of yellow sugar and honey tuber oils were determined as 13.02 and 12.76, 3.92 and 3.94, 69.34 and 69.91, and 11.93 and 11.80%, respectively. Campesterol, sitigmasterol and β-sitosterol contents of yellow sugar and honey tuber tigernut oils were determined. According to results, chufa tubers have high oil, oleic acid, sterol and some minerals suggest that these tubers may be very useful effect on human health and tuber oils can be use in the vegatable oil industry.

RED BOWL-SHAPED FLOWERS: CONVERGENCE FOR BEETLE POLLINATION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION

ABSTRACT Anemone coronaria, Papaver rhoeas, Ranunculus asiaticus, and Tulipa agenensis are pollinated primarily by scarabaeid beetles (Amphicoma, Glaphyridae) and secondarily by bees (Lasioglossum marginatum Br., Halictidae, and Synhalonia plumigera Kohl, Anthophoridae). The four plant species have large bowl-shaped flowers which are orange-red in color with a black center, radial symmetry, weak scent (to humans), and filamentous stamens. It is suggested that there is a convergent evolution of red bowl-shaped flowers in the East Mediterranean region, concordant with a center of diversity in the genus Amphicoma. The floral phenology of these “Poppy guild” species correlated positively with the amount of edible pollen produced by each of them and with the visiting frequencies of their pollinators. Field experiments showed that Amphicoma beetles also preferred red, odorless flower models over odorless models of different colors, and models with a dark center over plain red ones. This evidence extends the cla...

Phenotypical characterization of tree nuts and peanut allergies in east Mediterranean children

Introduction/ObjectivesThe characteristics of tree nuts (TNs) and peanut (PN) allergies vary in different regions of the world. We aim to identify the characteristics of TNs/PN allergies in Turkish children. Patients and MethodsA total of 227 children [4.8 (3.2–6.8) years] with TN and/or PN allergies were included. The phenotypical features of TNs/PN allergic children and the risk factors for multiple TNs/PN allergies were evaluated. ResultsAllergy to TNs/PN developed at a median age of 12.0 (10.0–18.0) months. The most common TNs/PN responsible for food allergies were the hazelnut (63.9%) and the pistachio (54.6%). Of TNs/PN allergic children, 54.2% experienced reactions with at least two types of . Current ages 6–10 years [OR:2.455, 95% CI:1.255-4.852, p=0.009] and family history of atopy [OR:2.156, 95% CI:1.182–3.932, p=0.012] were the risk factors for multiple TNs/PN allergies. Most of the patients with cashew nut and pistachio allergies exhibited co-sensitization and co-allergy to both of these TNs/PN. Although the rarest TNs/PN allergy was seen with almond, the possibility of allergy to other TNs or PN was highly increased in the patients with almond allergy compared to other TNs/PN. ConclusionsChildren with TNs/PN allergy living in an East Mediterranean region differ from the counterparts living in Western countries by an earlier age of onset of the TNs/PN allergy symptoms, increasing possibility to have multiple TNs/PN allergy at older ages, and different spectrum of TN/PN allergies (hazelnut followed by pistachio/cashew) that all indicate the consumption habits which are important determinants of TN/PN allergy development.

Genetic Diversity Analysis of Olive Germplasm (Olea europaea L.) With Genotyping-by-Sequencing Technology.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is a very important edible oil crop and has been cultivated for about 4,000 years in the Mediterranean area. Due to its nutritional and economic importance, researches on germplasm characterization received extensive attention. In this study, using the genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technology, we carried out genetic diversity analysis on 57 olive cultivars with different geographical origins. In total, 73,482 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with minor allele frequency (MAF) > 5%, call rate > 50%, and heterozygosity rate < 10% were obtained at the whole genome level. Genetic structure and phylogenetic analysis showed that the 57 olive cultivars could be classified into two groups (Group I and Group II). No clear geographical distributions of cultivars were observed generally between the two groups. The average nucleotide diversities (π) specific for Group I and Group II were 0.317 and 0.305. The fixation index (F ST) between Group I and Group II was 0.033. In Group II, cultivars could be further divided into two subgroups (Group IIa and Group IIb), which seem to be associated with their fruit sizes. The five Chinese-bred cultivars were all clustered in Group II, showing a closer genetic relationship with those from the central Mediterranean region and limited genetic background. It is therefore necessary for Chinese olive breeding programs to incorporate other genetic basis by utilizing germplasm from the other regions particularly from the east Mediterranean region as breeding parents. The results showed that GBS is an effective marker choice for cultivar characterization and genetic diversity analysis in olive and will help us better understand the genetic backgrounds of the crop.

New data on the ecological peculiarities and the distribution in Bulgaria of the vulnerable habitat F3.1d Balkan-Anatolian submontane genistoid scrub from the European Red List of Habitats

Abstract The study presents new data on the habitat dominated by the species complex of Genista lydia/G. rumelica in Bulgaria. It is based on 129 phytocoenological relevés and provides information on the chorology, ecology and floristic structure of these communities. This habitat type occupies substrates composed by different volcanic rocks. The floristic structure is very rich in species. The phytogeographical relationships with the East Mediterranean region are considerable, which is proved by the high occurrence of floristic elements with Mediterranean or sub-Mediterranean origin. The plant life-forms analysis demonstrates that the therophytes, geophytes and chamephytes prevail in their floristic structure, which is also typical for the shrub communities in this region. During the field study this vegetation type has been mapped and its total area of occupancy has been calculated. For a first time it is proposed this habitat to be divided into three habitat sub-types due to the established differences in the environmental factors. Some recommendations have been proposed on the conservation management and also complements on the habitat‘s descriptions in EUNIS habitat classification.

Examining the opportunities for nature-based solutions at the Municipality of Piraeus

Piraeus, the third largest city within Greece constitutes one of the most significant ports in the east Mediterranean region. Inhabited since 2,600 B.C. Piraeus evolved to serve as the seaport of Athens that hosted a powerful commercial and military fleet and fortified the city during classical antiquity. Remains of Piraeus past prominence is evident through the numerous archaeological findings found throughout the city. The commercial significance of Piraeus continued in modern history soon after the establishment of the Greek state. Various interventions that included the development of the Athens-Piraeus railway line in 1869, the development of the railway link between Piraeus and the Peloponnese and northern Greece, as well as the development of the Corinth Canal in 1893 contributed in increasing port-traffic and initiating industrial development. The rapid urbanisation and industrialisation process resulted in the city’s environmental degradation. In recent years Piraeus has been subjected to further degradation through de-industrialisation and downsizing of the trade industry. Nature-based solutions (NBS) aim to integrate more nature, natural features and processes within cities, landscapes and seascapes while providing environmental, economic and social benefits and contributing to building resilience. The public authorities together with the stakeholders from the private sector and civil society co- design, create and manage green infrastructure for post-industrial regeneration. The study presented constitutes part of the “proGIreg” project funded by the European Commission programme “Horizon 2020”. A detailed site analysis of the Municipality of Piraeus was undertaken under four thematic headings: Socio-cultural inclusiveness, Human health and wellbeing, Ecological and environmental restoration, Economic and labour market. The main findings of the spatial analysis are presented which lead to the identification of two sites for the use of NBS.

Geo-economics vs Geo-politics: The Baghdad Railway Project and the Spoils of a Perpetual Economic War around Middle East

Abstract This study focuses on the geopolitical situation in the wider East Mediterranean Region at the dawn of the 20th century, based on the analysis of a major infrastructure project, the Baghdad Railway. The process of its construction eventually led to the rivalry between “Politics” and “Economy”, towards increased relative gains for the superpowers of that period. The innovative side of the research extends to the hypothesis that modern economic crises are also related to power games similar to those prevailing almost a century ago. International Relations are linked with the Politics and Economy sectors, considering realistic lessons from the past in order to shape another better in terms of peace and stability future.

Phylogeographic and evolutionary history analyses of the warty crab Eriphia verrucosa (Decapoda, Brachyura, Eriphiidae) unveil genetic imprints of a late Pleistocene vicariant event across the Gibraltar Strait, erased by postglacial expansion and admixture among refugial lineages

BackgroundThe Pleistocene cyclic sea-level fluctuations are thought to have markedly affected the distribution and genetic architecture of Atlanto-Mediterranean biota. Despite the acknowledged key role played by these historical events in shaping population genetic structure of marine species, little is still known about the processes involved in shaping the spatial distribution of genetic variation within intertidal species. We intended in this study to reconstruct the phylogeography of a common and widely distributed coastal species across the East Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea (the warty crab Eriphia verrucosa), aiming to unravel potential microevolutionary processes likely involved in shaping its genetic polymorphism. For this purpose, a total of 155 specimens of E. verrucosa from 35 locations across the entire distribution range were analyzed by comparing a 453 basepairs region of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (Cox1).ResultsOur results unveiled the prevalence of high genetic connectivity among East Atlantic and Mediterranean populations, with noticeable genetic distinctiveness of the peripheral population from the Azores. Spatio-temporal patterns of genetic diversification and demographic history allowed retrieving genetic imprints of late Pleistocene vicariant event across the Gibraltar Strait followed by subsequent postglacial expansion events for both the East Atlantic and Mediterranean regions. Integrative evidences from the outcomes of comparison of regional genetic diversification, as well as evolutionary and biogeographic histories reconstructions, support the existence of potential glacial refugia for E. verrucosa in the East Atlantic and western Mediterranean. Our results also revealed low levels of genetic variability along with recent demographic and spatial expansion events for eastern Mediterranean warty crabs, suggesting that the eastern areas within the distribution range of the species might have been recently colonized from putative glacial refugia.ConclusionsThese findings provide new insights into the phylogeography and evolutionary history of a common but poorly studied Atlanto-Mediterranean decapod species. Specifically, they contribute to the understanding of the impact of historical processes on shaping contemporary population genetic structure and diversity in intertidal marine species.

The 2018 ASOR Annual Meeting

The 2018 ASOR Annual Meeting

Evaluation of the breeding system of two Vicia narbonensis L. accessions from East Mediterranean region

Vicia narbonensis is one of the annual leguminous species with the potential to become an important grain and straw crop for animal feeding. In this study, we evaluated the reproductive potentialities of two introduced accessions of V. narbonensis L. through two experiments: bagging and free pollination. The plants fertility was estimated by the number of flowers giving pods and the number of seeds by flowers. Statistical analysis showed that the two accessions were preferentially autogamous (mean pods/flowers ratio = 0.6). Significant differences were observed for the number of flowers and pods per plant and the number of seeds per pod. Significant correlations were obtained between the fertility rate and the pods number by plant. Accession VN1 had a lower fertility rate than VN9 (0.47 vs 0.71) under strictly self-fertilization conditions due to the low viability of its pollen. Results allowed a better characterization of the two Narbon vetch accessions, which may contribute to the conservation of its genetic resources considering its drought tolerance and its potential as a feed legume crop in dry areas. This preliminary study should be developed to estimate the total plant production toward a better integration of these results into projects aiming at provisioning feed supplies for the rapidly growing livestock population in the Mediterranean region.

Pipeline or Pipe Dream: The Potential of Peace Pipelines as a Solution to Fragmentation and Energy Insecurity in the European Union

In recent years, the European Union (EU) has developed its energy policy to adapt to an evolving global market calling for cleaner energy while maintaining and enhancing its energy security as consumption has remained constant. While the EU works towards this goal, it also seeks to reduce Russian dominance in its energy markets. The EU’s internal politics have become more fragmented with the Eurozone and refugee crises, which has made the coordination of Union policies difficult as leaders are unable to form strong domestic policy alone to counter Russian presence in the energy market. Lacking a united energy policy against Russia, the EU seeks alternative suppliers for its energy needs. One increasingly popular solution is importing newly discovered gas in Israel and the countries of the East Mediterranean region into the EU via pipeline. The peace pipeline theory has the potential to address both energy security and conflict mitigation through the claim that states with economic relations are far less likely to engage in conflict with one another than those without economic ties. This article analyzes the economic interdependence peace pipeline theory and investigates its potential to aid Europe’s quest for energy security. It explores current efforts to use pipelines as a foreign policy tool, examining case studies of Turkey, Israel, and Cyprus. While interstate pipelines can assist Europe’s goal of achieving energy security, available evidence suggests proponents have overstated their impact on energy security and international relations.

The incidence and mortality of cancer in Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) and its relationship with Human Development Index (HDI): An Ecological Study

Background: the cancer was considered as the second cause of mortality in the developed countries and all around the world after the cardiovascular diseases. Also, it was reported as the third cause of mortality in the less developed countries after cardiovascular diseases. The current study was aimed to evaluate the epidemiology, incidence, and mortality of all cancers in East-Mediterranean region by gender and age.&#x0D; Methods: This study was an ecologic study in Asia for assessment of the correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) with HDI (life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling and gross national income (GNI) per capita) Data about SIR and SMR for every Asian country for the year 2012 were obtained from the global cancer project. Correlation bivariate method for assessment of the correlation between incidence and mortality rates was used. Statistical analysis using Stata-14 and P 05/0, respectively and a significant &lt;0.05.&#x0D; Results: in East-Mediterranean region, some 555318 cases of cancer recorded in 2012. The highest incidence rates of cancer were reported for breast, colo-rectum, lung, liver, and bladder being 17.9%, 5.9%, 5.9%, 5.3%, and 5%, respectively. Also, the highest mortality of cancer were reported for breast, colo-rectum, lung, liver, and bladder being 11.5%, 5.8%, 5.9%, 7.6%, and 3.8%, respectively.&#x0D; The highest and lowest mortality ratios were reported for Somalia, and Saudi Arabia being 106.2, and 53.9 cases per 100000 people, respectively. Lung cancer and Human Development Index (HDI) had significant correlation with each other (P&gt; 0.05). Also, a significant correlation was seen between Human Development Index (HDI) and mortality rates of breast, colorectal, lung and liver cancer (P&gt; 0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: the cancer was considered as one of the main causes of mortality in the most countries of East-Mediterranean region. The breast and colorectal cancers were reported as the most common types of cancer in this region. As for the alarming trend and remarkable distribution of cancer to the disease load in East-Mediterranean countries, controlling the cancer should be considered as one of the priorities of health policy.&#x0D; Key words: Cancer, Incidence, Mortality, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO).&#x0D;

The incidence and mortality of cancer in Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) and its relationship with Human Development Index (HDI): An Ecological Study

Background: the cancer was considered as the second cause of mortality in the developed countries and all around the world after the cardiovascular diseases. Also, it was reported as the third cause of mortality in the less developed countries after cardiovascular diseases. The current study was aimed to evaluate the epidemiology, incidence, and mortality of all cancers in East-Mediterranean region by gender and age.&#x0D; Methods: This study was an ecologic study in Asia for assessment of the correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) with HDI (life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling and gross national income (GNI) per capita) Data about SIR and SMR for every Asian country for the year 2012 were obtained from the global cancer project. Correlation bivariate method for assessment of the correlation between incidence and mortality rates was used. Statistical analysis using Stata-14 and P 05/0, respectively and a significant &lt;0.05.&#x0D; Results: in East-Mediterranean region, some 555318 cases of cancer recorded in 2012. The highest incidence rates of cancer were reported for breast, colo-rectum, lung, liver, and bladder being 17.9%, 5.9%, 5.9%, 5.3%, and 5%, respectively. Also, the highest mortality of cancer were reported for breast, colo-rectum, lung, liver, and bladder being 11.5%, 5.8%, 5.9%, 7.6%, and 3.8%, respectively.&#x0D; The highest and lowest mortality ratios were reported for Somalia, and Saudi Arabia being 106.2, and 53.9 cases per 100000 people, respectively. Lung cancer and Human Development Index (HDI) had significant correlation with each other (P&gt; 0.05). Also, a significant correlation was seen between Human Development Index (HDI) and mortality rates of breast, colorectal, lung and liver cancer (P&gt; 0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: the cancer was considered as one of the main causes of mortality in the most countries of East-Mediterranean region. The breast and colorectal cancers were reported as the most common types of cancer in this region. As for the alarming trend and remarkable distribution of cancer to the disease load in East-Mediterranean countries, controlling the cancer should be considered as one of the priorities of health policy.&#x0D; Key words: Cancer, Incidence, Mortality, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO).&#x0D;