Table 15 showing Infant Mortality Rate (Per 1000) Among Mulsims of Palestine in Towns before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 711. Chapter XVI: Social Services : Section 5 The Standard of Living of Palestinian Arabs :

CHAPTER XVI.


Table 15.



INFANT MORTALITY RATES (PER l,000) AMONG MOSLEMS OF PALESTINE IN TOWNS.

Majdal Gaza Hebron Bethlehem Ram le Jaffa Jenin Acre Tiberias Beersheba Sa fad Haifa Nablus Tulkarm Nazareth Jerusalem

Total in towns

119-25-30 I

I '

318 176 208 287 244 250 193 171 191 198 156 195 183 168 203 124

1940_44 I Percentage

decrease

1881 4-1-

158 10

154 28

150 48

147 40

146 42

144 24

139 19

138 2R

135 32

132 15

120 38

115 37

112 33

109 46

102 18

200

130

35

Various interesting features appear from the table

(a) In all towns infant mortality has decreased to a substantial extent during 1925-44. The process of urbanization and industrialization, which in many countries was accompanied, in its early stages, by a worsening in health standards, seems not to have had this effect in Moslem Palestine.

(bl The percentage of decrease and the actual size of the rate vary greatly between towns. Many factors have been operative, such as differences in economic conditions, availability of hospital facilities, work of health welfare centres, contact with the Jewish population and influence of its higher cultural, health and economic standards, etc.

(c) Particular mention should be made of the conditions found in the three large towns. In Jaffa the rate is yet rather high, but the progress has been spectacular. In Haifa, the progress has been rapid and the rate is among the lowest-a fact which is all the more notable, if the rapid growth of the population of this town is taken into consideration. The rate for Jerusalem is now, as in the past, very low, probably because of the wider health, welfare and hospital facilities available in the Holy City.

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