PROJECT DESCRIPTION
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Long term diseases are increasing worldwide, including in developing countries, resulting in a huge economic and health burden to society. While there are known policies and interventions to prevent and control long term diseases, these may not be applicable in settings exposed to prolonged armed conflict, such as Gaza Strip in Palestine. It is therefore important to understand which policies could best work in these situations to minimize the harm long term diseases cause to societies.
This project will involve conducting a household survey of the population in Gaza to understand the types of long-term diseases experienced such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, as well as their risk factors including tobacco use, unhealthy diet. The data from this household survey will inform a statistical model, which will predict how long-term diseases and their risk factors will change over time depending on the policies that governments and other agencies implement in Gaza. This modelling component will test different scenarios under different conditions, such as siege, blockage, armed conflict, and restrictions to farming and imports, and will aim to identify set of value for money and feasible interventions best suited to the population of Gaza.
Research Timeline: 2019-2021
TEAM
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Investigators
- Dr. Eszter Panna Vamos (PI), Imperial College London
- Professor Christopher Joseph Millett (Co PI), Imperial College London
- Dr. Mohammed Jawad (Co PI), Imperial College London
- Dr. Hala Ghattas (Co PI), Assistant Research Professor and Interim director, CRPH
- Professor Bassam Abu Hamad (Co PI), Al Quds University
Research Team
- Raeda El Sayed Ahmad
- Zeina Jamaluddine
Consultants
- Professor John Yudkin, University College London
- Dr. Sanjay Basu, Stanford University