Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor) Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor) Abyad Medical Center & Middle East Longevity Institute Azmi Street, Abdo Center, 2nd Floor PO BOX 618, Tripoli LEBANON Tel & Fax: 961 6 443684/5/6 Email: aabyad@cyberia.net.lb Web: www.amc-lb.com

Our first edition for January 2009, sees some excellent articles form the region, with most focusing on nursing issues. In an article entitled, "Approaches for Improving the Nutrition and survival of orphans and vulnerable Children in Rural areas of Abia State, Nigeria" Dr Enwereji, E. E. from the Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Abia State University, Nigeria writes that most Nigerians do not have one meal a day, and the plight of orphaned and vulnerable children is even worse.

In an article entitled: Prevalence and factors affecting childhood asthma in the Middle East: A literature review, Mohammad Al-Motlaq reviews the literature on this important topic. A female nursing student, Ms. Alaa Ali M. Al Shehri provides a personal perspective on Nursing in Saudi Arabia, particularly looking at the need to learn English. This is an excellent insight into the concerns of student nurses.

Dr Mehrnoosh Pazargadi, provides an excellent article on "IRANAIN EXPERTS' PERSPECTIVES ON PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF NURSE FACULTIES: A QUALITATIVE STUDY" while Nazdar Ezzaddin Rasheed and Salar Adnan Ahmed submitted an article on "EFFECTS OF ß- THALASSEMIA ON SOME BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS".

Professor Ali Reza Kaldi, and Masoumeh Hardar, M.A. of University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences discuss the controversial topic of "Attitude of University Students Toward Family of Temporary Marriage in the City of Tehran" and the societal problems it causes.

Another excellent article on regional nursing issues was submitted by Fadi El-Jardali, MPH, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Management and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut in a paper entitled: Comparing Reasons for Nurse Migration against Intent to Leave Lebanon: A Two-Hospital Case Study and studies the reasons and intent of Nurses to work abroad.

We thank you for your support of the ME-JN during 2008 and look forward to receiving your articles and readership in 2009.