World Health Organisation

Citation

Lamb-White, J. (2005), "World Health Organisation", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 18 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2005.06218bab.001

World Health Organisation

World Health Organisation

A new public health magazine by Israeli and Palestinian health professionals addresses the health situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Edited by Jo Lamb-White

Keywords: Public health, Partnership, Magazines, Israel, Palestine

Israeli and Palestinian health professionals – supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) – have joined together to co-author Bridges – The Israeli-Palestinian Public Health Magazine – in order to help improve the health situation for people in West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Bridges, a bimonthly, is a unique publication written, edited, produced and managed jointly by Palestinian and Israeli academics and health professionals under the sponsorship of the WHO. The magazine exemplifies the WHO paradigm of “Health as a bridge for peace” – the integration of peace-building concerns, strategies and practices with health care – and represents an innovative approach to the planning and implementation of joint projects, sponsored by a professional and impartial body.

WHO has launched this innovative tool to bring together Palestinian and Israeli health professionals to address pressing health concerns faced by the people in the region. Bridges – the Israeli-Palestinian Public Health Magazine embodies the exchange of public health information of interest to both Israeli and Palestinian societies, and establishes links between the two communities.

The magazine covers public health topics of importance to both populations; seeks to analyse the impact of the conflict on the health and well being of both societies; provides a forum where locally significant research, programmes, activities and cooperative ventures can be published and made available; and disseminates international health policy and strategic information of particular importance to the local regional context, including WHO recommendations and guidelines.

The magazine will also focus on the areas in which WHO is most intensely involved in the region, such as emergency, health information, nutrition, mental health, food safety, and drugs.

Guiding principles include:

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  a balance between the presentation of the negative impact of the conflict on both sides and the positive cooperative efforts that are taking place;

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  a focus not only on scientific health issues but also dialogue/peace, right to health, women’s and children’s rights, and social determinants of health;

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  a particular relevance to the daily life on both sides; and

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  an emphasis on the human story, by personalizing the major challenges for public health on the Palestinian side and, on the other hand, highlighting cooperative ventures.

For more information contact: Dr Ambrogio Manenti – Head of Office, WHO West Bank and Gaza, Tel.: +972 254 00 595; Mobile: +972 547 668 553; Fax: +972 258 10 193; e-mail: ama@who-health.org