Background: Failed attempts to improve the delivery of healthcare to communities show distinct flaws that have a higher impact during a major incident or disaster (MID). This study evaluates the concept of surge capacity, which intends to achieve a balance between the needs and resources in affected areas by providing staff, stuff, structure, and system. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed according to the PRISMA statement and by using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, and related keywords. Results: There were limited publications about flexible surge capacity (FSC). However, the sum of data obtained indicated the need for flexibility in expanding major incidents or disasters, demanding new resources, which may neither be available on time nor reachable due to infrastructural damage. Conclusion: FSC is a novel concept based on international guidelines. It refers to the extra and adjustable human and material resources that can be mobilized by activating nonprofessional but educated staff and different but accepted facilities in a fast, smooth, and productive way. public health and public education play an essential role in obtaining such flexibility.

Background: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to transform our world, and each goal has specific targets to be achieved by 2030. For the goals to be achieved, everyone needs to do their part: governments, academia, the private sector and all people. This paper summarizes the main evidence-based recommendations made by excellent academics and scholars who discussed their experiences and views during the conference to respond to the challenges of sustainable health development.Methods: To contribute to exploring to the academia's role in reaching SDGs, the 1st International Conference on Sustainable health Development was held at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, on 24-25 April 2016, in Tehran, Iran.Results: In line with Goal 3 of SDGs: "ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages", the conference discussed various aspects of Universal health Coverage (UHC), as well as Global Action Plans for prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), and explained the special role of academic public health institutes in education, research and service provision in the two above-mentioned areas.Conclusion: To fulfill the requirements of SDGs, modern approaches to funding, education, teaching, research priority setting and advocacy, which in turn need novel strategies in collaboration and constructive partnerships among academic public health institutes from low, middle and high-income countries, are essential.

Psychiatric disorders are prevalent throughout theworld and based on the latest survey on the prevalenceof mental disorders among Iranians, these disorders werefound in 23. 6% of the population and were more prevalentin women than men. Pregnancy, childbirth anda year after delivery is considered “ the perinatal period” which is a critical period for mothers, babies and the entirefamily. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders inthe perinatal period is 15-29% with depressive andanxiety disorders being the most common conditions...

The UNESCO Chair in health Education in TUMS (TUMS), Iran, was established in Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute in April 2004. The purpose of this chair is to promote an integrated system of research, training, information and documentation activities in the field of health education. The target group includes the public, health care workers, students, trainees and researchers. During its one year existing, the Chair has supported financially eleven admitted proposals and supported technically eight submitted proposals in divers fields regarding health issues with the cooperation of other research institutes in TUMS. It has made connections with most of the national research institutes and universities to establish multi-centric collaborations. The activities of the Chair are being directed towards the health priorities of the country and region. The Chair has contributed to an important international congress on immunodeficiency disorders as well as another meeting on Asthma in near future. The Chair is to publish several educational books, booklets and CDs related to health education; it is also going to prepare a thorough proposal on HIV/AIDS prevention with collaboration of other institutions, which could be applicable regionally, and in neighboring countries and states.

Mass gathering (MG) is defined as "any type of organized or spontaneous occasion that attracts sufficient numbers of peoples to strain the planning and response sources of the city or nation hosting the event" 1. Published literature addressed public health aspects and associated risks with MG and necessity of public health preparedness as the responsibility of public health authorities 2-5. There are several concerns regarding MG from the viewpoint of public health authorities including risk of spreading infectious diseases by participants worldwide. . . .