The fourth annual Lancet Palestinian Health Alliance (LPHA) Conference on the “Health of Palestinians Inside and Outside the Occupied Palestinian Territory” was held in Cairo, Egypt on March 18-19, 2013. It was jointly organized by Birzeit University’s Institute of Community and Public Health and American University of Beirut’s Center for Research on Population and Health at the Faculty of Health Sciences.

LPHA is a network of Palestinian, regional and international researchers committed to the highest scientific standards in describing, analyzing and evaluating the health and health care of Palestinians. The alliance seeks to contribute to international scientific literature and develop local evidence-based policy and practices.

Over 150 participants attended the conference from across the globe, including the occupied Palestinian territory, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Europe and the United States. Topics addressed a broad range of health issues, including mental health; political and structural violence in relation to health; war and environmental pollution; children’s health; nutritional and behavioral risk factors and health; fertility, infertility and maternal and child health; non-communicable diseases;  and a special session on the Gaza Strip following the aftermath of the 2012 Israeli war.

The LPHA conference was sponsored by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Welfare Association and the World Health Organization.