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: The politics of health take centre stage in Geneva; Risk of polio reintroduction to border regions of Islamic Republic of Iran: seroprevalence study of children with at least 5 doses of oral polio vaccine; Surveillance of lymphatic filariasis 5 years after stopping mass drug administration in Menoufiya Governorate Egypt; Prospects for the sustainability of delivering the Basic Package of Health Services in Afghanistan: a stakeholder analysis; Air quality and seasonal variations in consultations for respiratory allergic dermatological and gastrointestinal diseases in Bahrain 2007; Use of short message service reminders to improve attendance at an internal medicine outpatient clinic in Saudi Arabia: a randomized controlled trial; Utilization of a telephone interactive voice-response tobacco cessation support service in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Predictors of transition in smoking stages in Iranian adolescents: latent transition analysis; ?valuation de la qualit? m?thodologique des th?ses soutenues ? la Facult? de M?decine de F?s; Knowledge attitudes and practices of health-care personnel towards waste disposal management at Ain Shams University Hospitals Cairo; Invited commentary: Improving the health of people with disabilities: what must we do?.