RAMALLAH, April 5, 2012 (WAFA) – Approximately 70.5% of the elderly aged 60 and over in the Palestinian Territory suffered from at least one chronic disease during 2010, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said Thursday. The percentage was 46.5% in the Palestinian Territory in 2000.
Of those, 71.4% where in the West Bank and 68.8% in the Gaza Strip, it added.
It said on the eve of the World Health Day that in 2010, 18.8% of persons aged 18 years and above are suffering from at least one chronic disease in the Palestinian Territory compared to 11.5% in 2000.
The fertility rate in the Palestinian Territory reached 4.1 births per woman in 2010, compared to 5.9 births per woman in the year 2000, said the report.
Regarding 2010 data, 22.5% of persons 18 years and above in the Palestinian Territory are reported as smokers, divided into 42.2% males and 2.3% females. The percentage was 27.5% in the Palestinian Territory in 2000.
It said that 15.4% of youth aged 15-29 in the Palestinian Territory were smokers; 29.3% of males and 0.9% of females.
Around 52.4% of married women 15-49 years of age in the Palestinian Territory use a family planning method; 54.9% in the West Bank compared to 48.1% in Gaza Strip, while the percentage was 51.4% in the Palestinian Territory in 2000.
PCBS said 0.8% of deliveries in the Palestinian Territory occurred at home or in other unsafe places; 1.2% in the West Bank compared to 0.3% in Gaza Strip. The highest rates of unsafe deliveries were reported in Tubas governorate in the West Bank at 4.5%, compared to 5.2% in 2000.
It said 16.7% of reported deliveries in the Palestinian Territory were reported as cesarean deliveries; 18.7% in the West Bank compared to 14.0% in Gaza Strip. The highest percentage of cesarean deliveries was reported in Tubas governorate with 34.8% while the lowest was in Hebron governorate with 10.5%. It was 8.8% in the Palestinian Territory in 2000.
About 95.8% of children under-5 years in the Palestinian Territory were reported as normally breastfed and 26.5% of new born children until 5 months old were exclusively breastfed in 2010.
T.R./M.S.
