The EMHJ was launched in 1995 as a peer-reviewed medical journal. Starting January 2010 the Journal has been given a new format and is now published monthly. The EMHJ serves as a forum for the dissemination of biomedical information through the publication of scientific research papers on a range of topics related to public health with particular relevance to the Eastern Mediterranean Region. In this month's issue: Share on facebookShare on twitter.Universal health coverage in the context of emergencies; Factors associated with treatment default by tuberculosis patients in Fez Morocco; High tuberculosis treatment success in Kabul Afghanistan despite high patient transfers out; Management of paediatric tuberculosis in provincial and district hospitals in Afghanistan; Tobacco use among Iranian dental students: a national survey; Oral health status of male adolescent smokeless tobacco users in Saudi Arabia; Trends in cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adolescents: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study; Relation between serum ferritin and liver and heart MRI T2* in beta thalassaemia major patients; Impact of the mandatory age-based single-embryo transfer legislation in Turkey on outcome of in vitro fertilization: a multicentre study; Tuberculosis and migration: a review; Prevalence of tobacco use among adult and adolescent females in Egypt.