Situation in the OPT – WHO Health Inforum newsletter (15 February 2004)

Health Inforum News 

Volume 3, No.45, 15 February 2004

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Welcome to the forty-fifth issue of the Health Inforum Newsletter.

In our ongoing efforts to provide useful information to the health community, we welcome any comments or suggestions that you might have to help us to improve this newsletter. Please help us to distribute this update by forwarding it to your colleagues and friends. If you wish to subscribe, please send an email to info@healthinforum.org 

In this Issue:

§ 15 dead & 66 injured during the incursion in Gaza on February 11, 2004

§ Italian Cooperation Health Projects Database Presentation

§ UNRWA condemns a week of house demolitions by Israeli in Rafah

§ Palestinian Health Information Center asks feedback on the MoH Annual Report 2002

§ Health Incidents in oPt

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15 dead & 66 injured in the incursion to Gaza on February 2004

 The consequences of Israeli military operation in Gaza on February 11, 04 resulted in casualties, destruction of infrastructure and displacement of families.

15 dead & 66 injured were reported during the Israeli incursions into Al-Shujaeya and Rafah areas.

During the incursion, PRCS ambulances were denied access to the injured people: the medical teams of the ambulances were targeted and threatened by the Israeli Army gunfire during their mission to rescue casualties. In Al-Shaout area, direct gunfire reached one of the PCRS ambulances while transporting one victim.  Further injuring the patient, and damaging the ambulance.

One five-floor building and six homes were totally destroyed. The concrete fences of four different schools were either destroyed or damaged by bulldozers, and gunfire caused structural damage to some of the classrooms. Telephone, electricity and water networks were seriously damaged in Al-Shaout and Zurob neighborhoods.

Italian Cooperation Health Projects Database Presentation

On January 21st 2004, the Italian Cooperation presented the  “Health Projects Database” with the attendance of most of the donors and implementing agencies, in order to receive a feedback from the users.

The database was extensively illustrated and, through the discussion, the following points have been raised:

· The terminology used in the database (e.g. implemented, suspended, under preparation) should be clarified by setting standard definitions.

· Lack of updating, resulted from administrators not following up, scarce cooperation and motivation of donors.

· Scarce validity of data, as for example the number of projects considered in the database refers instead to specific activities

During the presentation, a questionnaire was distributed to the participants for a further feedback on the database. The data collected through the questionnaires have been analyzed and the main recommendations summarized by the Italian Cooperation as follows:

·  The database should include feedback such as: project progress, performance indicators, geographical distribution, field versus projects, field versus budget, donors contributions and projects output.

· The database should be administered by the MOH.

· The database should be organized for better allowing analysis.

A working plan is being established to implement the above recommendations to allow for a substantial improvement of the database,

The Italian Cooperation would like to thank all the organizations for their helpful contribution.

UNRWA condemns a week of house demolitions by Israeli in Rafah

Since January 16, Israeli military incursions have left 584 people homeless in the town and refugee camp of Rafah, in the south of Gaza strip. The fresh demolitions have worsened the already severe humanitarian crisis in Rafah, where a total of 9,970 people have lost their homes since October 2000. In the whole Gaza Strip, 14,852 people have been made homeless by Israeli actions since the start of the strife. For more information: www.un.org/unrwa  

Palestinian Health Information Center asks feedback on the MoH Annual Report 2002

The Palestinian Health Information Center (PHIC) of the Ministry of Health has been publishing – since 1994 – several annual reports on the health status in Palestine (The annual reports are published on the MoH website www.moh.gov.ps and on the Health Inforum website www.healthinforum.org )

The PHIC is actually working on the annual report 2003. A need for a further improvement of the quality of the information produced in the report is strongly perceived by the Information Center professionals. Therefore, the PHIC launches an appeal to those experts in the field of health information that are interested in improving the health information system in Palestine.

In particular, technical support is sought in order to:

§ Give a feedback on the 2002 annual report (topics covered, relevance and accuracy of indicators, quality of analytical sections, editing, etc.)

§ Provide recommendations on the above for the development of the next report

A participatory effort for improving the annual report would be highly appreciated by the Ministry of Health. This could possibly lead to the establishment of a network of experts, functioning as a scientific board of the publication.

Hoping that this appeal will stimulate a response for a productive joint work

Please contact:

Health Incidents in the oPt

PRCS Health Incidents at Checkpoints (31January 6 February, 2004)  

*In the checkpoint, the driver was hit on his face and stomach by the Israeli soldiers

For more information please contact Press Office at:

Phone: +972 2 240 6515/6/7

E-mail: pressoffice@palestinercs.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION

We welcome your inputs, comments and suggestions, Please feel free to contact us for information at:

Health Inforum, c/o Italian Cooperation. Sheik Jarrah, East Jerusalem, el: 02 532 7447, Fax: 02 532 2904

Health Inforum, c/o WHO, Gaza office, Al-Bayed building, Al-Halbi Str. Tel: 08-2822033, Fax: 02-2845409                    

Email: info@healthinforum.org    www.healthinforum.org 

Health Inforum posts daily news and announcements concerning health issues on its website: www.healthinforum.org.