To document the first application of the WHO New Vaccine Introduction Prioritization and Sequencing Toolkit (NVI-PST) in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and to describe how Iran’s National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) adapted and implemented the framework to develop a prioritised roadmap for vaccine introduction during 2025–2030.

Policy implementation case study applying a structured multicriteria decision analysis-informed prioritisation framework through a three-phase process including framework adaptation, evidence synthesis, ordinal ranking of candidate vaccines, weighted aggregation and development of sequencing scenarios.

National immunisation governance process in Iran, coordinated by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Iran’s NITAG, with technical support from the WHO Country Office.

Core and non-core members of Iran’s NITAG and key immunisation stakeholders involved in the deliberative prioritisation process.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine ranked highest in both importance and feasibility, followed by pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) for high-risk adults and seasonal influenza vaccine for high-risk groups. Two sequencing scenarios were proposed: both placed HPV first, with either PCV or influenza third after the already-approved hexavalent vaccine. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and varicella vaccines were classified as low priority for the 5-year horizon. The toolkit enabled structured multistakeholder deliberation, improved the transparency and reproducibility of prioritisation, and supported systematic integration of epidemiological, economic and programme evidence. The main implementation challenges arose from national evidence constraints, particularly gaps in adult RSV and pneumococcal disease burden, limited locally generated cost-effectiveness analyses and uncertainty in long-term budget impact estimation under macroeconomic instability, rather than from limitations of the toolkit itself.

The NVI-PST proved feasible under national leadership and generated credible, consensus-based recommendations aligned with Iran’s public health priorities and programme constraints. Minor refinements (streamlined evidence compendium, simpler weighting, stronger secretariat support) would make the toolkit lighter and more sustainable, especially for resource-constrained settings. This Iranian experience provides a replicable model for structured multi-vaccine prioritisation in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and beyond.

Considering the proven anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin, we aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin supplementation on fatigue and musculoskeletal health (primary outcomes) and depression and its side effects (secondary outcomes) in postmenopausal women.

This was a parallel-group, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled superiority trial.

The trial was conducted at two general clinics in Tabriz, Iran, in 2023.

A total of 74 postmenopausal women were enrolled. The participants were women aged between 40 years and 60 years with normal menopause and at least 1 year after amenorrhoea.

They were randomly assigned (1:1 allocation ratio) using a block randomisation method to receive either 500 mg curcumin capsules (intervention group, n=37) or identical placebo capsules (control group, n=37) twice daily for 8 weeks. Both participants and researchers were blinded to the group assignments.

Data were collected using the questionnaires of demographic characteristics, short form of the perimenopausal fatigue scale, musculoskeletal health, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-13) and the side effects checklist. Independent t, ANCOVA and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare the results between the two groups.

A total of 74 women were randomised, with 33 in the curcumin group and 31 in the placebo group completing the study and being included in the final analysis. After the 8-week intervention, ANCOVA adjusting for baseline values revealed that the curcumin group showed a statistically significant improvement in musculoskeletal health (mean difference (MD): 5.3; 95% CI: 3.3 to 7.4; p

In this trial, an 8-week supplementation with curcumin was more effective than placebo at improving musculoskeletal health and reducing fatigue score in postmenopausal women. The study was not able to demonstrate a significant effect on depression.

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT): IRCT20120718010324N72. Last updated version: 18 October 2022. Actual start of recruitment: 23 January 2023.

While previous studies have shown an association between anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels and endometriosis, there are limited data on the relationship between AMH levels and age among women with endometriosis.

The present study aimed to investigate the associations between age and AMH levels in women with and without endometriosis.

A cross-sectional, population-based study using data from the ongoing Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.

A total of 1005 eligible reproductive-age women were selected. These participants were categorised into two groups: women with confirmed endometriosis (n=305) and controls (n=700).

None.

Association between AMH levels and age among women with endometriosis and healthy controls, using linear, quadratic and segmented regression analyses.

A total of 1005 women aged 18–48 years participated in the study, including 305 (30.3%) with endometriosis and 700 (69.7%) healthy controls. Women with endometriosis had significantly lower AMH levels compared with healthy controls (1.99±1.42 vs 2.30±1.61 ng/mL; p=0.029). In healthy controls, an increase of 1 year was associated with –0.15 ng/mL of AMH (95% CI: –0.17 to –0.14). Segmented regression identified a threshold at 27 years (1.92), with a sharper decline below this age (slope: –0.35, 95% CI: –0.47 to –0.23; p

Our study showed that women with endometriosis had significantly lower AMH levels compared with healthy controls and did not demonstrate the age-related threshold observed in the control group, where AMH levels declined more sharply before 27 years of age. These findings suggest that endometriosis may alter the typical pattern of AMH, indicating that clinicians should interpret AMH levels with caution in this population. Further research is needed to validate these results in other populations and explore alternative biomarkers or strategies for more accurately assessing ovarian reserve in women with endometriosis.