The Ministry of Health

Total Budget: 19.3 Billion NIS

Development Budget: 424 Million NIS

Budget for Closing Gaps: 9.3 Million – 2.2% of the Development Budget

Number of Employees: 27,330

Number of Arab Employees: 1,731 – 6.3%

Issues:

1. Infant Mortality and Infant Welfare Clinics

· Infant mortality rates per 1,000 residents decreased by half in recent years.

· In Israel, there are 520 Infant Welfare Clinics, and 175 of them are in Arab communities (33%).

One of the results of a relative lack of Infant Welfare Clinics in the Arab local municipalities, is a higher level of infant mortality.

Although there has been improvement in recent years, the infant mortality rate among Moslem citizens (82% of the Arab citizens) is still twice that of the Jewish population.

Quantitatively, it would appear that this situation reflects affirmative action. Yet the budget allocated to closing gaps in this area represents only 2.2% of the Ministry’s development budget, and does not allow for any real affirmative action. It is therefore necessary to increase allocation (at least to reflect the percentage of Arab citizens in the total population -- 18.6%) and only then can the gap in infant mortality be closed.

Infant Mortality Rates per Thousand Residents

Jews 7 per 1000 4.7 per 1000

Moslems 14 per 1000 8.8 per 1000

2. Breast Cancer Detection Screening (Mammography) for Women

· According to the National Health Act of 1995, every woman over the age of 50 is entitled to screening for early detection of breast cancer. Between the years 1996 – 1998 approximately 35% of Jewish women and 5% of Arab women were tested. The project for early detection of cancer among Arab women, carried out in 1998, greatly improved the situation.

· In Israel there are 65 breast-screening units. Only three of them are found in clinics within Arab municipalities (two in Nazareth and one in Um El Fahm).

The success of the project disproved the claim about Arab women’s reluctance to be tested. There was a marked willingness to be tested, but problems of access to clinics remained. In 1998, research indicated that about 24% of Arab women were screened, as compared to 52% of Jewish women. The trend of significant increase can be attributed to greater vigilance, however, without addressing the problem of access, women’s vigilance and awareness alone are of little consequence.

There is a need to position breast-screening units in Arab towns such as Baka al Garbia, Taiba, Shfaram and Tamra, and others, whose populations and that of their peripheries warrant it. By doing so, Arab women will no longer have to great distances to medical centers situated in Jewish communities.

Willingness to be Tested

1995 1998

Jewish Women 35% 52%

Arab Women 5% 24%