50. Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Health Survey in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 1996: Analytical Report Series No. 1: Child Health in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Ramallah: PCBS, 1999: 35 Pages.
In Arabic only.

This report is part of a larger health survey, which aims to provide database information on the health status of the Palestinian population by surveying 3,722 Palestinian families (2530 families from the West Bank and 1192 from Gaza). With respect to child health indicators, the report shows that 4% of children under five years of age in the West Bank and Gaza are below ideal weight, a percentage which dramatically increases among the 6-11 months age group and among females. Diarrheal diseases among children under five were reported at 14% for the two weeks prior to the survey, and on average, episodes of diarrhea lasted for 4 days. In addition, 25% of children under five had a cold or cough in the two weeks preceding the survey, a percentage which fluctuates with age and place of residence. With respect to immunization coverage, the survey showed that 94% of Gaza children aged 12 to 23 months were up to date in their immunization schedule compared with only 75% of the children in the West Bank. The survey covers information regarding breast feeding of infants indicating that the phenomenon is prevalent in the West Bank and Gaza where 96% of the infants born throughout the five years before the survey have been breast fed an average of 11.1 months. Four recommendations were stated at the conclusion of the report. The first and the second were that more attention is needed for the education of mothers regarding child nutrition and how to manage diarrheal infections among their children. The third is to work on increasing rates of immunization coverage in the West Bank. Finally, the last recommendation is to encourage mothers to increase vitamin D in their children’s diet.