“It’s not easy to acknowledge that I’m ill”: a qualitative investigation into the health seeking behavior of rural Palestinian women

Background: This qualitative study sets to fill a gap in knowledge by exploring the health seeking behaviour of rural women living in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). The existing literature on the oPt has so far focused on unravelling the country’s epidemiological and health system profile, but has largely neglected the assessment of factors shaping people’s decisions on health care use. Methods: Based on a conceptual framework rooted in the Anderson behavioural model, we conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with purposely selected women and seven key informant interviews in three purposely selected villages in Ramallah district. Results: Our findings indicate that women delay seeking professional care, use self-prescribed medications and home treatment, and do not use preventive and educational health services. Their health seeking behaviour is the result of the interplay of several factors: their gendered socio-cultural role; their health beliefs; financial affordability and geographical accessibility; their perceptions of the quality of care; and their perceived health needs. Conclusions: Findings are discussed in the light of their policy implications, suggesting that adequate health policy planning ought to take into considerations socio-cultural dimensions beyond those directly pertinent to the health care system

Governing the reuse of treated wastewater in irrigation: the case study of Jericho, Palestine

Wastewater reuse in irrigation provides additional water supply for agriculture and saves freshwater resources for human consumption. Through these benefits, wastewater reuse can significantly alleviate the water scarcity in Palestine and fit to the complexity of the geopolitical context. However, the governance of reusing treated wastewater in Palestine is understudied. The paper bridges this knowledge gap by outlining the governance factors that influence the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation in Palestine. Jericho was selected as the case study site, given its significant role for agricultural production in Palestine. Based on interviews and document reviews that were carried out using a governance assessment tool, three governance-related factors are identified: 1) weak coherence among the actors, reflected in overlapping and unclear responsibilities; 2) low extent and coherence of legal instruments, indicated by the absence of laws and by overlapping and conflicting provisions; 3) low extent of resources, such as appropriate infrastructure