PCBS Survey on demography and Health 2004
28/10/2004

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)
Press Release

Demographic and Health Survey 2004
www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=2&id=749
[Official PA wesite]

The Demographic and Health Survey 2004 is the third in a series of surveys
completed by by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) over a
period of 8 years. Beginning with the first survey in 1996, the second
survey was completed in 2000, and the third in 2004. With the availability
of the 2004 survey data, it becomes possible to examine time trends related
to demography, fertility as well as maternal and child health in the context
of changing population circumstances, and utilize such information in future
policy making and planning endeavors.

The surveys are designed to collect, analyze and disseminate demographic and
health data pertaining to the Palestinian population living in the
Palestinian Territory, with a focus on demography, fertility, family
planning and maternal and child health. The 2004 survey also includes new
sections and elements, such as basic health information on different groups
within the population, and not only married women of child bearing age and
children less than five years. It is hoped that by gradually introducing new
sections into the Palestinian Demographic and Health Survey, it can be
transformed into a survey of all of the population.

The fieldwork commenced on May 20th and was completed on July 7th 2004. The
sample size was 6,600 households of which 4,475 households were located in
the West Bank and 2,125 in Gaza Strip. The total number of interviewed
eligible women was 4,974 women aged under 55 years.

Demographic characteristics:

Initial analysis of the findings reveal that the average household size is
5.7 in the Palestinian Territory, 5.5 in the West Bank and 6.2 in Gaza
Strip, compared to 6.1%, 5.7% and 6.9% in 2000 respectively. Of the total
population surveyed 17.6%, were less than 5 years old, 45.8%were less than
15 years old, and 3.0% were 65 yearsold and more, compared to 18.5%, 46.9%
and 3.4% in 2000 respectively.

Total Fertiliy Rate (TFR), 2003 in the Palestinian Territory is 5.2 births;
5.2 births in the West Bank compared with 6.6 bithrs in Gaza Strip. Total
Feritliy Rate decreased by 5.1% compared with 1999.

Infant Mortility Rate (IMR), (1999-2003) is 25.2 birth per 1000 live births
compared with 25.5 in (1995-1999), the rate decreased by 1.2%.

The median age at first marriage for females (15-54) years old is 18 years
in the Palestinian Territory, with the same median age at first marriage for
the West Bank and Gaza Strip each. This median age was also 18 in 2000.
First cousin marriage accounted for 24.6% of all marriage in the Palestinian
Territory, 32.2% for the West Bank and 27.4% for the Gaza Strip, compared to
28.2%, 26.4% and 31.4% in 2000 respectively. The percentage in 2004
decreased by 0.7% compared with 2000.

Of the total individuals surveyed, 20.9% reported ever having changed their
place of residence in the Palestinians Territory, 23.1% for the the West
Bank and 19.1% for the Gaza Strip. Excluding those who were born after
September 2000, 3.3% reported having changed thrir place of residence since
September 2000 in the West bank and Gaza Strip each and the Palestinain
Ttrritory as a whole. (Data for 2000 not available).

Reported health status, health behavior and health services:

Initial analysis revealed that 71.0% of women reported their health as
excellent or very good, 22.5% as with moderate and 6.5% as with fair or bad
health. Reports of excellent, very good health declined with age, with 83.2%
of women under 30 years reporting their health as excellent, very good
compared to 62.8% among those (30-39) years old, and46.4% among those
(40-54) years old. Likewise, reports of fair or bad health increased with
age, with 3.2% of women below 30 years of age reporting fair or bad health,
compared to 7.5% for those (30-39) years old and 14.8% for those (40-54)
years old. (Data for 2000 not available)

For all ages, the data analysis revealed that 2.2% of surveyed persons
reported suffering from diagnosed diabetes mellitus, 3.0% from hypertension,
1.2% from cardiovascular diseases, 0.8% from asthma and 0.7% from ulcers.
These results were 2.0% and 2.4% and 1.2% and 0.7% and 0.8% in 2000
respectively. Reported of suffering from a diagnosed diseases increased with
age, with 0.1% of those under 18 reporting have diabetes mellitus compared
to 11.1% for those (40-64) years old and 21.1% for those 65 years or older.
For hypertension, there were no reports of having this disease for those
under the age of 18, compared to 13.7% for those (40-64) years old ands
33.7% for those 65 years or over. The pattern for cardiovascular and
musculoskeletal diseases is similar with a substantial rise in reports of
having these diseases noted with age.

Overall, 18.0% of surveyed persons 10 years old and over were reported as
smokers. Excluding those under 18 years, 25.6% were reported as smokers,
47.9% among men and 2.8% among women, compared to 26.0% in 2000 (48.0% for
males and 4.3% for females). For those under 18 years, 2.1% were reported as
smokers, 4.0% among males and 0.2% among females, compared to 4.3% (8.4% for
males and 0.7% for females) in 20001.

Of the total surveyed households in the Palestinian Territory 65.3% consumed
adequately iodized salt, 56.5% in the West Bank and 82.7% in the Gaza Strip,
compared to 37.4%, 47.3% and 16.6% in 2000 respectively. Consumed adequately
iodized salt increased by 74.6% compared with 2000.

Overall, 76.2% of surveyed households in the Palestinian Territory reported
being covered by some sort of health insurance at the time of the survey
(66.1% for the West Bank and 93.8% for the Gaza Strip), with 51.7% reporting
having governmental, 33.3% UNRWA, 1.7% private, 4.1% military and 6.1%
Israeli health insurance schemes, the percentage of individuals covered by
some sort of health insurance increased by 26.2% compared with 2000.

Maternal and child health:

Of all currently married women (15-49) years old, 51.7% reported desiring no
more children, 53.4% for the West Bank and 48.7% for the Gaza Strip. The
percentage of women (15-49) years old who reported currently using any
family planning method was 47.9% for the Palestinian Territory, 51.7% for
the West Bank and 41.4% for the Gaza Strip, while it was 51.4%, 54.3% and
46.1% in 2000 respectively, CPR decreased by 6.8% compared with 2000.

Of the last two birth that women reported having had during the past three
years preceding he survey, 96.5% were reported as with mothers having
received ante-natal care, compared to 95.6% in 2000. For these births, 20.1%
of mothers reported having suffered from acute headache during pregnancy,
24.4% from urinary tract infections, 17.9% from swelling in the body or
face, and 13.9% from reproductive tract infections. 96.3% of these births
took place in a health institution, compared to 94.8% in 2000, with 71.5%
reported as normal birth, and 12.4% requiring caesarean section, compared to
72.3% and 6.8% in 2000 respectively.

The data revealed that the mean number of children ever born alive to ever
married women (15-54) years old was 4.5 in the Palestinian Territory,
compared to 4.6 in 2000, where it decreased by 2.2% in 2004.

34.6% of women in the Palestinian Territory who had a live birth in the year
preceding the survey reported having received the tetanus toxoid during the
past pregnancy, while it was 27.5% in the year 2000, increased by 25.8% in
2004.

19.5% of mothers who reported on the last births occurring during the past
three years also reported that they have visited a specialist during the
first six week post natal period, compared to 20.1% in 2000, 7.3% consulted
a general practitioner, compared to 3.3% in 2000, 6.5% consulted nurse, and
midwife, compared to 2.8% in 2000 and 0.7% consulted a dayya (traditional
birth attendant), compared to 0.1% in 2000, with a total of 34.5% for all
consultation.

Reports of mothers indicate that of the last two children born during the
past three years, 95.6% were breastfed, compared to 96.8% in 2000, and 9.8%
were weaned within the first three months of life, compared to 12.9% in
2000. The mean duration of breastfeeding was 9.9 month, while it was 11.1
months in 2000. Of children (0-6) months of age 25.4% were exclusively
breast-fed, compared to 16.7% in 2000.

Of the last two children born during the past three years 61.8% were
reported as having received vitamin A/D in the Palestinian Territory, 72.8%
in the West Bank and 47.9% in the Gaza Strip, compared to 50.4% (57.9% in
the West Bank and 37.0% in Gaza Strip) in 2000. Receiving vitamin A/D
increased by 22.6% in 2004.

Of those whose immunization card was seen, the following immunizations were
received in children (12-23) month: polio (3rd dose) was 98.1%, DPT (3rd
dose) was 97.9%, and 95.3% received immunization compared to Measles,
compared to 96.8%, and 88.5% and 92.9% in 2000 respectively. Survey data
showed that the percentage of children aged (18-59) months fully immunized
was 77.8% in the Palestinian Territory, 83.1% in the West Bank and 68.1% in
Gaza Strip.

The data analysis also reveals that 9.4% of the children under five in the
Palestinian Territory suffer from stunting increased by 25.3% compared with
2000, 4.0% from underweight increased by 60.6% compared with 2000 and 1.9%
from wasting, increased by 35.7% compared with 2000, compared to 7.5% and
2.5% and 1.4% in 2000 respectively.