The National Program for Health Quality Indicators was issued in Israel Recently, its report for the year 2023 included alarming data on health disparities between Arab and Jewish citizens in Israel, and another report issued last February by the Israeli Ministry of Health described a similar reality.
Writer and lawyer Murad Mufarea, head of the Forum for Health Promotion in the Arab Community in Israel, said in an article published by the Zaman Yisrael newspaper that the Ministry of Health had previously issued similar reports addressing health inequality, and confirmed that health care gaps between Arabs and Jews still represent A major challenge that requires comprehensive policies.
He stated that Arab citizens in Israel suffer from lower life expectancy compared to Jews, and that infant mortality rates and chronic diseases are higher among them, especially heart and respiratory diseases, obesity and diabetes, which reflects a disparity in the quality of health care.
Challenges facing Arab citizens
The writer explained that this gap is mainly due to the limited access of Arab citizens to health care, as the Arab regions live with social and economic challenges that prevent them from obtaining appropriate medical services, in addition to the lack of preventive examinations and weak awareness about the importance of prevention.
He said that while Jews receive periodic examinations for early detection of cancer, colon diseases, and other diseases, Arab communities lack such services.
Many Arab families are forced to travel long distances to reach hospitals, which reinforces the disparity in health opportunities.
Pollution and increased respiratory diseases
The writer also pointed out that environmental factors in Arab regions negatively affect the health of the population, as many Arab regions suffer from pollution, which increases the spread of respiratory diseases such as asthma. On the other hand, the Jewish areas have better environmental policies, which reduces air pollution and reflects positively on the health of the population.
He stressed that the government is investing more in Jewish areas in terms of developing health facilities, which guarantees them faster and better access to medical services. As a result, many Arab citizens are forced to postpone or ignore treatment until diseases worsen, which increases pressure on the health system and doubles costs.
Civil society efforts
The writer stressed that bridging the health gaps between Arabs and Jews requires broad community efforts and partnerships between health and educational bodies and local leaders, noting the establishment of the “Academic Forum for Health Promotion in Arab Society,” with the aim of strengthening these efforts.
He pointed out that this forum includes a group of doctors, specialists and community leaders, and works to provide health awareness appropriate to the needs of all components of society, adding that the involvement of religious and educational institutions is necessary to enhance health awareness and change the unhealthy habits spread among Arabs in Israel.