BMJ  2006;333 (21 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7573.0-e

Editor's choice

Messages from the Middle East

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

BMJ readers, our surveys suggest, don't like theme issues. But we offer few apologies for this one on the Middle East. In a globalised world regions can ill afford to ignore each other's health problems. As tension and distrust between Islamic countries and the West mounts, we hope this issue will promote awareness of the challenges the region faces and help promote rational debate and collaboration among doctors and policy makers—in and outside it. We share Samer Jabbour's optimistic view (p 837) that action to improve health may help spur the social and political change which many of this week's contributors call for. Few of the health problems described are new; what is new is the acceptance that tackling them requires action outside, as well as inside, the health arena. "For many people in the region, health improvement must start somewhere else—with education, equality, and security"(p 815. . . [Full text of this article]

Tessa Richards, assistant editor1, Christiane Rehwagen, editorial registrar

1 (trichards@bmj.com)


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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Re: Messages from the Middle East
Dr. Rajesh Chauhan
bmj.com, 21 Oct 2006 [Full text]
Apologies!
Josef Alawneh
bmj.com, 24 Oct 2006 [Full text]
Spreading the culture of death?
Anne M Williams
bmj.com, 24 Oct 2006 [Full text]
Middle East;definitions-surely joking?
Keith R Sumner
bmj.com, 26 Oct 2006 [Full text]
Middle East? WHO's Eastern Mediterranean? What, what, what
JK Anand
bmj.com, 26 Oct 2006 [Full text]
Ending Hatred and Intolerance is How to Improve Health in the Middle East
John R. Cohn
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