160. Majdi , A. Health-service use and choice of health-care provider in the Gaza Strip: a household survey. 2010.

little is known about the pattern of health-service use and changes since 2006. Therefore, the distribution and change of health-service use, and the choice of health-care providers in Palestinian households in the Gaza Strip, were investigated .A house-to-house survey with a stratified cluster random sample of 883 households was undertaken by the Palestinian Medical Relief Society in the Gaza Strip in February, 2009. The sampling frame was the Gaza Strip. Households were asked about their use of different categories of health services during the previous year, their chosen health-care provider. Study findings show that use of health-care services was high: 560 (87·4%) patients who had acute illnesses consulted a health provider, all 313 pregnant women used antenatal-care services during their pregnancy, all 280 mothers gave birth at health institutions. Main study interpretation is the use of UNRWA and MoH as the primary providers of health services indicates the populations’ preference of using services that are free or low cost.