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Background <p>Geographic location impacts health. Despite Ministry of Health policies, Israel’s northern district continues to lag behind in health outcomes. This study examined geographic health inequities in Israel (2009–2024), alongside policies intended to reduce them, through the Policy Networks framework to analyze Ministry of Health policymaking on health equity.</p> Methods <p>This mixed-methods study evaluated Ministry of Health initiatives between 2009 and 2024. A quantitative analysis compared health infrastructure and workforce rates in Israel’s Northern District compared to national rates from 2009 to 2024. Qualitative analysis involved a content analysis of policy documents to identify key stakeholders, roles, and policy shifts over time.</p> Results <p>Quantitative analysis found persistent healthcare disparities in the north, including hospital bed, physician, and paramedical personnel rates. Qualitative analysis of the ten policy documents issued between 2009 and 2024 showed varying focus to socio-geographic disparities, with only four addressing the Northern District. Three factors were identified as contributing to the persistence of disparities: lack of robust representation, centralized decision-making, and decreased focus on geographic disparities.</p> Conclusion <p>Health disparities between Israel’s northern district and central regions persist due to inequities in healthcare access and outcomes and lack of sufficient policies. Centralized decision-making and the exclusion of peripheral stakeholders in the policy network hinder implementation of equity-focused solutions.</p>

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Evaluating fifteen years of national policy in Israel to overcome socio-geographic health disparities in Israel’s Northern District: a mixed-methods study

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月24日

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  • Nurit Dessau,
  • Marganit Ofir Gutler,
  • Beth G. Zalcman,
  • Sivan Spitzer

摘要

Background

Geographic location impacts health. Despite Ministry of Health policies, Israel’s northern district continues to lag behind in health outcomes. This study examined geographic health inequities in Israel (2009–2024), alongside policies intended to reduce them, through the Policy Networks framework to analyze Ministry of Health policymaking on health equity.

Methods

This mixed-methods study evaluated Ministry of Health initiatives between 2009 and 2024. A quantitative analysis compared health infrastructure and workforce rates in Israel’s Northern District compared to national rates from 2009 to 2024. Qualitative analysis involved a content analysis of policy documents to identify key stakeholders, roles, and policy shifts over time.

Results

Quantitative analysis found persistent healthcare disparities in the north, including hospital bed, physician, and paramedical personnel rates. Qualitative analysis of the ten policy documents issued between 2009 and 2024 showed varying focus to socio-geographic disparities, with only four addressing the Northern District. Three factors were identified as contributing to the persistence of disparities: lack of robust representation, centralized decision-making, and decreased focus on geographic disparities.

Conclusion

Health disparities between Israel’s northern district and central regions persist due to inequities in healthcare access and outcomes and lack of sufficient policies. Centralized decision-making and the exclusion of peripheral stakeholders in the policy network hinder implementation of equity-focused solutions.