The second strategic plan of medical ethics: a national report

Medical ethics faces several challenges in different aspects of education, research, and treatment in medicine and healthcare practice. Design and implementation of a national strategic plan can pave the way for the development of a roadmap in various countries to strengthen ethics and address these challenges. To create a comprehensive plan compatible with the Iranian healthcare system, a multidisciplinary team of main stakeholders compiled a national strategic plan of medical ethics following several focus group discussion sessions and two workshops (2014-2017). Ultimately, the plan was confirmed by the Supreme Council for the Medical Ethics of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. The current paper is a national report of the process and the medical ethics strategic plan in Iran. We have also tracked signs of progress and achievements in the country. In conclusion, this valuable effort has led to significant success in the implementation of medical ethics in clinical medicine, medical research, and education by using all the resources in our country. The participation of all the stakeholders, especially healthcare professionals in this way is required.

An updated checklist of the marine fishes in Lebanon. An answer to Bariche and Fricke (2020): “The marine ichthyofauna of Lebanon: an annotated checklist, history, biogeography, and conservation status”

The recent paper by Bariche & Fricke (2020) presents an updated checklist of the marine fish species in Lebanon including 367 fish species, 70 non-indigenous and 28 new records. According to Bariche & Fricke (2020), the inventory is based on the published scientific papers related to the marine fishes in Lebanon, since Gruvel (1928, 1931), as well as “grey literature, images published in newspapers or on local websites and social media”. However, important scientific papers and published reports, providing important data on marine fishes in Lebanon, were missed. Hereby we cite twelve scientific papers: [Nafpaktitis (1963), Bath (1977), Shiber (1981), Moosleitner (1988), Lakkis et al. (1996), Bariche (2006), Bariche et al. (2006); Bitar et al. (2007), Bariche & Trilles (2008), Bitar (2010), Khalaf et al. (2014), and Bitar (2015) in Zenetos et al. (2015)], twelve national reports [the national report of Abboud Abi Saab et al. (2003) under the framework of a Libano-Franco cooperation, the national report of Majdalani (2005) under the framework of the Ministry of Agricultue (MoA), the two reports in cooperation between the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) Lelli et al. (2006), and Sacchi & Dimech (2011), and the eight national reports in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment (MoE) and the organizations of: (i) aecid/Tragsa as MoE/aecid/Tragsa (2009), (ii) International Union for Conservaion Nature (IUCN)- Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC) as IUCN-SPA/RAC (2017), (iii) the SPA/RAC as Bitar (2008), RAC/SPA-UNEP/MAP (2014), IUCN-SPA/RAC (2017), and SPA/RAC-UN Environment/MAP (2017, 2018a, 2018b), and finally, the book of Lakkis (2013)]. Concerning the publication of Lakkis et al. (1996), and the book of Lakkis (2013), only the valid and confirmed/ or proofed marine fish species were listed in Table 1. While, the questionable/ doubtful marine fish records from those two references were listed in Table 2 and Table 3 (see suppl.file 2, and 3). In this context and based on the Lebanese literature, Bariche & Fricke (2020) missed the reports of 9 species (Table 1). Therefore, the list of marine fish of Lebanon (Bariche & Fricke, 2020) is enriched reaching 376 species, 71 of which are non-indigenous species (See suppl.file 1). In agreement with Zenetos & Galanidi (2020) we state that even the current update may contain errors, as species invasions are dynamic phenomena, where new information continually comes to light, whether from new observations or from re-examination of older material, changes in nomenclature and phylogenetic studies.

Overview of Nigeria’s 2nd Universal Periodic Review National Report

With the creation of the Human Rights Council Universal Period Review, its Working Group established in accordance with Human Rights Council Resolution 5/1 of 18th June, 2007 held its fourth session from 2nd to 13th of February, 2009 to review the human rights record of countries including Nigeria.2 In preparation for the review, the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had constituted a broad-based UPR National Consultative Committee tasked with the responsibility of compiling its first national report on the steps taken as well as the challenges faced in the fulfilment of its treaty obligations. The Committee which comprised representatives from diverse stakeholders working for the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria subsequently convened the National Consultative Forum (NCF) and after series of meetings, produced the country’s first UPR national report, through a consultative process that climaxed in a national validation conference. During the deliberation of the forum, every human rights issue was openly discussed and participants were able to express their views freely. The outcome of the NCF is faithfully reflected in the national report.

First National Record for Culex iridescens in Peru

ABSTRACT On October 9, 2019, mosquito collections were conducted to update the mosquito species of medical importance in the Apurímac River Valley, Canayre, in the state of Ayacucho, Peru. Species collected included Culex (Carrollia) iridescens, which had been previously reported only in Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil, this being the first national report of this species in Peru and the first species within the genus Culex in Ayacucho. With the addition of Cx. iridescens to the mosquito fauna of Peru, there are currently 182 species in the country. Specimens collected during this study were deposited in the Entomological Collection of the Natural History Museum of the National University of San Cristobal Huamanga in Ayacucho, Peru.

Index of Governance and Public Policy in Disaster Risk Management (iGOPP): National Report for Suriname

Calculation of the Index of Governance and Public Policy in Disaster Risk Management (iGOPP) for Suriname. The results of the iGOPP application in Suriname (2018) show a general progress level of 5.59%, which places the country in a “low” range of progress. The Technical notes analyses each indicator that composes iGOPP.