A Word on the Health Crisis in Palestine from Dr. Mahmoud Daher

Dr. Mahmoud Daher, interim head of the World Health Organization's Palestinian office, spoke on campus this Thursday at the University of Tennessee's Howard H. Baker Center. His presentation informed listeners of the World Health Organization's mission both globally and in Palestine specifically.

As Dr. Daher pointed out, millions are affected annually by conflict around the world. An estimated thirty million people have been driven out of their homes and into other regions of their countries in the past year. The World Health Organization also estimates that twenty-three million people are refugees, forced to leave their own countries. Dr. Daher listed Turkey, Pakistan, Palestine, Jordan, and Latin America as several major areas of conflict.

Along with this displacement of people come health issues, including higher infant and maternal mortality rates, lack of food and clean water, and power shortages in hospitals.

Dr. Daher is a native of the Gaza Strip in Palestine, an area of heated militarized conflict that is under siege by Egypt and Israel. Because of the siege there are less jobs, resources, and healthcare services in Palestine. As an example, Dr. Daher pointed out that Gazan fishermen are permitted to sail only three miles offshore. This restricts the amount of fish that Gazans can add to an already low food supply. He works on the front lines there to provide humanitarian support to those affected by the war.

As Dr. Daher stated, the World Health Organization's concerns in areas like Palestine include loss of life, physical injury, access to safe water and food, reproductive health, mental health, and communicable disease. Internationally, the organization is viewed as a leader for the health community and sets the research agenda for health services.

When asked about where the World Health Organization acquires funding, Dr. Daher verified that they are a donation-based operation. He estimated that eighty percent of their funding comes from nations that donate to specific causes. Dr. Daher named the United States as the major donator in the World Health Organization's project to treat and stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in Egypt.

source: www.tnjn.com