War Injuries and Non-Communicable Diseases in Palestine: Burden, Incidence, and Management in the Health System

Sammanfattning

The epidemics of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and war-related injuries are significant health concerns and are rapidly emerging as major causes of mortality and disability globally, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Palestine. The thesis summarized in this brief uses a combination of methods to describe, characterize and analyze the burden, incidence and management of NCDs and war-related injuries in the Palestinian health system (PHS). The research concludes that the epidemic of NCDs, especially heart disease, and the high influx of war-associated injuries, impose a substantial and heavy burden on the PHS. The health system has many deficiencies and public hospitals do not work as they should, because of many challenges and the burden of diseases in the health system. Given this evidence, immediate actions and effective interventions should be initiated to tackle the burden of NCDs and war injuries in Palestine. A clear cost-effective health policy with a focus on preventive measures should be implemented. Further research using recent data on large scale populations are important to provide further insights on the magnitude and trend of NCDs and war injuries in this problematic context using research evidence to develop health policymaking is vital.