Abstract Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) Health Systems Framework (HSF) with its 6 building blocks is a widely accepted tool for accurate evaluation of health systems. However, its role in the developing world has not been widely assessed yet. Methods: Six Questionnaires with 5-point Likert-scale were designed and distributed to all the attendees of Libya Health 500 (LH500) Conference, and collected just before the group discussion of Libyan health system’s session. Results: There were high levels of agreement of the respondents to the questionnaires items about the 6 building blocks. The application of evidencebased medicine and equal provision of health service to all, received the highest levels of agreement. Most of the attendees agreed that health services should be paid by the health insurance system, as it has many advantages, including the peace of mind for the public. The fairness and efficiency of the workforce and the establishment of regulatory mechanisms to address the needs of the health workforce had a high level of agreement. Moreover, a functioning health technology requires an effective supply and distribution system of technology elements. The participants agreed that health information technology is important to improve healthcare services and to prevent financial and administrative corruptions. Conclusion: It is feasible to adapt the WHO-HSF to identify the needs and ways to enhance health systems in the developing world. The Libyan healthcare providers were fully aware and committed to the need for the applicability of the WHOHSF to the National Health Service in Libya. arabic 18 English 100
Nabil A Alagili(7-2016)

Exposure to chemicals has been shown to adversely affect CNS health in rodents and humans. The objective was to evaluate, in-vivo, the effects of trichloroethane (TCE), a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, on the integrity of neural cells. A group of albino mice was injected intraperitoneally twice weekly for three weeks with TCE (100 and 400 µg/kg). Animals were followed up for signs of toxicity and death. Alterations in neural tissues have also been investigated by histopathology The results showed a large number of degenerative neural cells (pyknosis of nuclei, DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation) in the 100 and 400 µg/kg TCE-treated groups comparing to controls. Although there were no significant effect on the neural cell counts, the pattern of increased degenerative cells in TCE-treated groups was higher compared to controls. The results also showed that TCE led to a significant increase in the percent of degenerative neurons. There was also a significant reduction in the percent of neurons. These results correlated with the increase in the percent of glia. This study indicates that TCE exposure had detrimental impact on neural cells, and that neurons are more vulnerable to TCE than glia in this in-vivo mouse model.
Mohamed A. Al-Griw, Naser M. Salama, Soad A. Treesh, Lubna N. Algadi, Abdul hakim Elnfati(7-2015)

Objectives: The objective of this study is to study the demographic, clinicopathological features, and geographical distribution of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) among Libyan patients referred from all parts of the country to the nuclear medicine department, for radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy.Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of medical records of 265 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) referred to RAI therapy in the Nuclear Medicine Branch‑Tripoli Medical Center, in the period from May 2005 to October 2010. The data analyzed included sex, age at the time of diagnosis, the city of residence, pathological diagnosis, the extent of disease, and types of treatment.Results: There were 225 (84.9%) females and 40 (15.1%) males giving a sex ratio of 5.6:1. The mean age of males at diagnosis was 51.2 ± 14.8 (range 24–78) years and  the  mean age  of  the  females was  44.6 ± 15.6 (range 10–95) years. Two  hundred and  twenty‑three (84.2%) had  papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), 31 (11.7%) had  follicular thyroid cancer, 3 (1.1%) had  Hurthle cell  thyroid cancer, and  2 (0.8%) had follicular‑insular thyroid cancer. About 43 (16.2%) had  a  history of  multinodular goiter, and  3 (1.1%) Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. From data  collected, cervical lymph node metastases were found in 45 (17.0%), and distal metastases in 27 (10.2%).Conclusions: PTC was the most common type of DTC. DTC was more common among females. The current study showed that the disease tends to occur at an older age, and with less cervical lymph node metastases than previously reported.
Hawa Juma El-Shareif(3-2018)