During the last 12 years, most Middle Eastern countries, particularly those focused upon in this study (Algeria, Egypt, prerevolutionary Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia), have placed increasing emphasis on improved health care. This emphasis has been reflected in both budgetary and public policy plans. The strides made in medical care during this period have been enormous, but much remains to be done. Some of the major health problems today involve diseases that have largely been conquered in industrialized countries, such as infectious and parasitic diseases, respiratory infections, problems related to childbirth, and diarrheal disease. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, which have become common in industrialized countries and to which much of the newer medical technology is addressed, are, by many accounts, far down on the list of health problems in the Middle East. Many Middle Eastern countries need comprehensive public health programs to help meet their goals.