Lessons of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict for Public Health: The Case of the COVID-19 Vaccination Gap
Abstract
:1. Epidemiological Co-Dependencies and Political Divides
2. Conclusions
Recommendations
- 1.
- Policymakers and politicians need to respect and protect the basic human right to health of all people in the region, regardless of their nationality or background. They need to acknowledge that regional political and economic imbalances compromise the efforts to protect the health and wellbeing of their own people.
- 2.
- Health systems in the region, especially public health systems, need to accelerate current plans to integrate cross-sectoral cooperation within and across countries, in order to build a more resilient capacity to anticipate, mitigate and respond to current and future crises. This includes regionalizing and globalizing health and climate change strategies, strengthening dialogue and cooperation among state and non-state actors at different levels of governance. The pandemic has demonstrated that even wealthy countries are unable to secure the health of their populations without effective and equitable cross-border cooperation.
- 3.
- To this end, and despite the protracted conflict, Israelis, Palestinians and their neighbors need to build a sustainable regional coordination program and/or channel of dialogue independent of, and resilient to, fluctuations in political conditions. The program should be focused on research and improved strategic responses into national and regional planning for various aspects of public health and medicine. Its scope should include sharing information, research findings, experiences and competencies, clinical aspects, technology and resources (including vaccines) to better manage current and future public health crises. Such a program should be composed of health care and operational professionals, with support from the WHO, and should draw upon the tangible gains seen from cooperation early in the pandemic.
- 4.
- In situations of chronic political conflict, such as that between Palestinians and Israelis, scientists, public health professionals, human rights advocates and other non-state actors need not wait for their governments to initiate cooperation. In fact, civil society on both sides of the border must work together to redouble cross-border efforts in order to offset the obvious political barriers to achieving universal access to health and security.
- 5.
- International organizations including United Nations, World Health Organization, Red Cross, and Doctors Without Borders,) have an important role to play in bridging the collaboration gap among scientists and professionals in the two countries. This includes advocacy for evidence-based policies and programs that address the inseparably intertwined public and environmental health of the people in the region. Such international assistance can have a significant effect in ameliorating the effects of an acute and seemingly intractable political conflict.
- 6.
- In cases of pandemic breakouts, the Palestinian Authority should have the power to make independent decisions to allow quick access to vaccines and relevant supporting infrastructures. These actions can be facilitated by international organizations.
- 7.
- None of the above recommendations will work without acknowledging the lack of trust and its negative implications for containing a pandemic such as COVID-19. International organizations, governments and health policymakers should work to build the cross-border trust that is the foundation of any collaboration, particularly in conflict zones.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Dahdal, Y.; Davidovitch, N.; Gilmont, M.; Lezaun, J.; Negev, M.; Sandler, D.; Shaheen, M. Lessons of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict for Public Health: The Case of the COVID-19 Vaccination Gap. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 11292. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111292
Dahdal Y, Davidovitch N, Gilmont M, Lezaun J, Negev M, Sandler D, Shaheen M. Lessons of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict for Public Health: The Case of the COVID-19 Vaccination Gap. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(21):11292. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111292
Chicago/Turabian StyleDahdal, Yara, Nadav Davidovitch, Michael Gilmont, Javier Lezaun, Maya Negev, Deborah Sandler, and Mohammed Shaheen. 2021. "Lessons of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict for Public Health: The Case of the COVID-19 Vaccination Gap" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 21: 11292. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111292