ArticleInternational journal for equity in health2025
Equity in the distribution of health resources and services in the West Bank, Palestine: a focus on hospitals and primary healthcare centers.
Article in International journal for equity in health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Equity in the allocation of hospital beds in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene · 2026Pooled it
- Data-driven network diagnostics for optimizing POCUS management: an actionable hospital analytical approach.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Regional Disparities and Associated Factors Underlying CDC Health Professional Distribution in China.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Equity in health resource allocation in Guangdong Province, China, from 2013-2021: research based on the Dagum Gini coefficient and exploratory spatial data analysis.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2026Article
- Infectious disease burden and surveillance challenges in Jordan and Palestine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in digital health · 2025Review
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Abstract
backgroundInequalities in the provision, distribution and utilization of healthcare services are the most commonly used variables to measure health system equity. Health inequalities in the Palestinian health system are evidenced due to geopolitical and socioeconomic challenges. This study evaluates the equity of healthcare resource distribution and utilization in the West Bank, focusing on primary healthcare centers and hospital services managed by the Palestinian Ministry of Health over a six-year period (2017-2022).
methodsThe data was extracted from the Annual Health Reports for the investigated six years, covering the eleven governorates of the West Bank. The distribution of primary healthcare centers, hospital beds, and health workforce was assessed using standardized measures per population and geographic area, service utilization trends were analyzed across governorates. The Gini coefficient was calculated to evaluate equity in resource allocation.
resultsDisparities in resources allocation and services expansion and utilization are noticed among the different governorates. Hospital services expanded at a higher rate (18.5% increase in beds, and 5.8% increase in standardized beds ratio to population) compared to PHC centers (6.8% increase in centers, and - 4.63% for the standardized ratio of PHC centers to population). The rates varied widely among different governorates in both areas. Human resources growth rates lagged behind infrastructure expansion. Despite these inequities, the Gini coefficient values suggested relatively balanced resource allocation at the population level ranging between 0.078 and 0.164, though higher values for Gini coefficients and inequalities are found for resources distribution by geographic area.
conclusionThe findings emphasize the urgent need for a strategic equity-oriented approach that integrates community needs, geographic accessibility and workforce development. Comprehensive plans for strengthening healthcare services at different levels; focusing on PHC services and aligning workforce growth with infrastructure expansion are essential for achieving universal health coverage in Palestine.
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