Background: Anemia constitutes a problem of serious public health significance, given its impact on psychological and physical development, behavior and work performance. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of anemia, its extent and determinants among secondary school students in El-Kharga, and to identify the effects of anemia on students' performance. Methods: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional approach. It included 330 secondary school students allocated to different schools according to the number of secondary school students attending each school. A predesigned structured interviewing questionnaire was used to collect data from the students. Anthropometric measurements (weight and height), body mass index and laboratory investigations were done. School records were reviewed for the grades of the previous exams. Results: The prevalence of anemia among secondary school adolescents in El-Kharga was 51.8%. Infection with parasites, total energy calories, plant protein, total carbohydrate and iron from plant origin were significantly higher among anemic school students than among normal students. The logistic regression model showed that only those who were infected with parasites had a higher significant risk of anemia and plant protein had a protective effect compared to relevant categories. Anemic students had more than four and half times less scholastic achievements than the normal students. Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia among school adolescents in El-Kharga indicates a public health problem based on the WHO epidemiological criteria for diagnosis of anemia.

Screening of 9904 Omani schoolchildren from different regions in Oman gave a prevalence rate of rheumatic heart disease of 8 per 10 000 with no significant difference by sex or level of education. Follow-up of the sample for three months gave an estimated annual incidence of rheumatic fever of 4 per 10 000. The positive predictive value of definite murmurs for diagnosis of cardiovascular disease was 35.21% for school health physicians and 86.67% for regional physicians. The results show that rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease are not major public health problems in Oman. The study recommends integration of the management and control of the diseases within the primary health care system

Background: Disease surveillance is a cornerstone of outbreak detection and control. The evaluation of a disease surveillance system is important to ensure its performance over time. Objectives: The role of implementation; of IDSR strategy on indicators of the core and supportive surveillance functions at the head of localities. Materials and methods: An intervention approach (one group pre-test post-test design) was conducted and baseline data of communicable diseases surveillance was obtained from selected Kassala state, four localities, and 60 health facilities. After implementing an integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) strategy for six months to evaluate core and support functions. The same questionnaire (WHO- guided modified and tested questionnaire) that was used in the baseline was applied. Results: The study showed that indicators of the supportive at the head of locality was improved at the head of four localities in terms of standards and guidelines, training, supervision and resources which witnessed significant improvement during pre and post intervention more than 90%. Conclusion: Improvements in indicators of core and support functions at the locality and state levels are inextricably linked to the quality of activities carried out at health facility levels. This was noticed when the value of intervention-supported functions increased, which may also be justified by the technique of computation technique, which is based on the aggregate of indicators of health facilities.

Background: Disease surveillance is a cornerstone of outbreak detection and control. The evaluation of a disease surveillance system is important to ensure its performance over time. Objectives: The role of implementation; of IDSR strategy on indicators of the core and supportive surveillance functions at the head of localities. Materials and methods: An intervention approach (one group pre-test post-test design) was conducted and baseline data of communicable diseases surveillance was obtained from selected Kassala state, four localities, and 60 health facilities. After implementing an integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) strategy for six months to evaluate core and support functions. The same questionnaire (WHO- guided modified and tested questionnaire) that was used in the baseline was applied. Results: The study showed that indicators of the supportive at the head of locality was improved at the head of four localities in terms of standards and guidelines, training, supervision and resources which witnessed significant improvement during pre and post intervention more than 90%. Conclusion: Improvements in indicators of core and support functions at the locality and state levels are inextricably linked to the quality of activities carried out at health facility levels. This was noticed when the value of intervention-supported functions increased, which may also be justified by the technique of computation technique, which is based on the aggregate of indicators of health facilities.