BZU take part in the LPHA Conference on Public Health

Birzeit University Institute of Community and Public Health (ICPH) hosted the Lancet Palestinian Health Alliance (LPHA), on March 10, 16, for a workshop session on policies to enhance health conditions for Palestinians. 

The workshop came after the seventh annual 2017 LPHA conference was convened at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), on March 7-8, 2016, with the attendance of university president Abdel Latif Abu Hijleh.

Special focus was given to  two themes: Non-communicable diseases and evidence based actions. Presentations and discussions built on  knowledge accumulated internationally and through research undertaken in the oPt, as well as on Palestinian experiences of what works and what does not work, and why. 

Keynote speakers in both conferences evaluated the health and health care conditions of Palestinians, and sought to find methods to contribute to the international scientific literature and to develop local evidence-based policy and practices. 

This conference has been designed to accomplish three goals,’ said Abu Hijleh. ‘ We want to collectively discuss ways to strengthen the health sector in Palestine, identify tools and resources to make these efforts successful, and address concerns related to the current and future of public health in Palestine.’

‘The LPHA conference is uniquely positioned to bring all experts together in one venue to engage in discussions and formulate solutions for this important milestone in the lives of Palestinians’, Abu Hijleh continued.

‘Our mission is nurture creative,  team-based, and interdisciplinary approaches to advancing scientific research and knowledge, and improving population health. We are committed to the innovation, research, and teaching necessary to meet the global demands of the future. That’s why we are committed to support LPHA conference, which brings together the world’s leading academics and professional experts in public health’, Professor at the Institute of Community and Public Health, Rita Giacaman stated.

Panelists responding to talking points and questions posed by the moderators and the audience included professionals from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, officials of UNRWA in the West Bank and WHO in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Legislative Council, Maqassed Hospital, and academics from Al Quds University.

The seventh annual Lancet Palestinian Health Alliance (LPHA) conference in Jordan was presented by health care professionals from the occupied Palestinian territory (West Bank and Gaza Strip), Europe, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, and the U.S.

 The closing session included announcing  the names of the winners of the two  best posters and the presentation of a prize to each by Dr. Richard Horton, Chief Editor of the Medical and Public Health Journal, the Lancet.