Israel Health & Medicine: Israeli-Palestinian Health Cooperation

Cooperation between the Israel Ministry of Health (IMOH) and the Palestinian Health Authority (PHA) intensified from 1994 to 1998 and proved to be stable and efficient due to the good will of the two parties and the persistent direct contacts and dialogue. The dialogue and cooperation on various issues in the fields of health and medicine were performed and promoted by the activities of the joint professional committees as follows:

1. Joint committee on public health, including preventive medicine and epidemiology:

This committee deals with public health issues common to both sides, exchange of medical information and statistical reports, disease prevention and early detection projects, coordination of common policy on immunization.

2. Joint committee on drugs and pharmaceuticals:

This committee deals with quality, effectiveness and safety of drugs produced in Israel, and in the Palestinian autonomy, regulations for transportation of drugs between Gaza, Judea-Samaria and Israel, regulations regarding donations and import of drugs.

3. Joint committee on food control:

This committee is responsible for ensuring good manufacturing practices for manufactured and imported food on both sides.

4. Joint committee on training programs for health and medical personnel:

This committee deals with the evaluation and determination of needs for various training programs, and with planning and organization of courses, workshops and post-graduate studies.

ADDITIONAL FIELDS OF ISRAELI - PALESTINIAN COOPERATION

A. Referral of Palestinian patients to Israeli hospitals for hospitalization and ambulatory care:

Complementary medical service in Israel is needed because of the lack of certain facilities in areas of the Palestinian autonomy. About 4000 patients from Judea-Samaria and Gaza are referred yearly for hospitalization and about 8600 patients from both areas are referred yearly for ambulatory procedures and therapeutic care.

B. Cooperation between Magen David Adam of Israel and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Palestinian ambulance drivers get their training in first aid and emergency medicine from Magen David Adam instructors,

C. Drugs and immunization supplies.

The PHA purchases drugs and immunizations from the same Israel source from which the IMOH purchases the products.

D. Israeli - Palestinian joint projects developed by the Economic Cooperation Foundation.

Joint projects have been developed in the areas of primary health care, occupational medicine, rehabilitation and post-graduate training. These projects are carried out and supervised by the Economic Cooperation Foundation.

Sources: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs