Health of Palestine

Abstract

ACCORDING to the report for 1939 recently published by the Department of Health in Palestine, the country was so much disturbed by political strife in that year as to prevent development of health work. The health of the people, however, was remarkably good, and there were no important epidemics. The recorded incidence of infectious diseases was the lowest for many years, and the death-rate from them half that of 1931. The total population numbered 1,501,698, of which 60 per cent were Moslems, 30 per cent Jews and 10 per cent Christians and others. The birth-rate was twice as high among Moslems (46.4 per cent) as among the Jews (23.0 per cent). Both rates were falling, but that of the Jews more rapidly than that of the Moslems. The death-rate of the Moslems was much more than double that of the Jews. Infantile mortality was 121.5 per 1,000 live births among the Moslems and 54 among the Jews ; for Christians the rate was 101. These rates were the lowest ever recorded and showed a sharp decline from previous years. Of the various diseases diarrhoea caused 1,336 deaths and pneumonia 1,258, then in order of frequency came heart disease 617, cancer 364, cerebral haemorrhage 311, and nephritis 276. 3,394 cases of malaria were reported with 15 deaths, 1,235 cases of typhoid with 134 deaths, and 175 cases of paratyphoid with 2 deaths. There has been no increase in tuberculosis in the last ten years. Ophthalmias are a formidable problem.