Palestinian health research.

e6 www.thelancet.com Vol 383 January 25, 2014 2·7 million Palestinians live in the West Bank (including 404 000 in East Jerusalem), occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), and 1·7 million in the Gaza Strip, oPt; an estimated 5·1 million Palestinians live in Arab countries, mainly Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria (many now refugees again in Lebanon); and 1·4 million Palestinians live in Israel, where they comprise about 20% of the population. 5 million Palestinians are registered as refugees, defi ned by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as “persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 confl ict”. Nearly a third of refugees still live in refugee camps. The West Bank has been under Israeli military occupation since 1967. The Palestinian Authority controls 22% of the land and has access to 13% of the water. In 2012, about 350 000 Jewish settlers lived in 118 offi cially recognised settlements in the West Bank, while an estimated 200 000–300 000 Israelis lived in settlements in East Jerusalem. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. It was invaded by the Israeli army in 2008–09, attacked again in 2012, and has been under economic siege since 2006. Both the West Bank and Gaza Strip are chronically Palestinian health research Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) have contributed results from studies of Palestinian refugees across the region. 26 (40%) of 65 abstracts presented at the Cairo conference came from the West Bank, ten (15%) from the Gaza Strip, 18 (28%) jointly from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, fi ve (8%) from Lebanon, and fi ve (8%) from UNRWA. International collaboration remains strong, involving researchers from 30 universities on four continents and in 14 countries. Not surprisingly, in view of travel restrictions, international collaboration was a feature of only three of ten abstracts from the Gaza Strip, compared with 15 of 26 from the West Bank. 39 (60%) of 65 abstracts presented at the Cairo conference were about studies of primary data. 25 (38%) were about the increasing use of secondary, often routine, data to assess health need and to audit services. Descriptive epidemiological studies, usually involving population or patient surveys, remain the most common type of study, but about a fi fth of studies were qualitative, capturing the experiences of patients or professionals. The number of clinical audits, to measure clinical activity in hospitals and community clinics, is increasing. Evaluations of interventions are still unusual. LPHA has grown by providing the challenge, opportunity, and support needed for Palestinian researchers to produce and present research fi ndings at a high level. The LPHA’s fi rst aim of presenting and publishing research fi ndings is being achieved— faster and in greater numbers than anyone expected. The number of young researchers augurs well for the future. Although international partnerships are still important, there is an increasing number of academic and service partners within the oPt. Peer review and capacity building within the oPt have been key features of these changes, helping to increase the number of high-quality studies describing and explaining the health and health care of Palestinian people.