Dr. Sari Taha, Coordinator of the Global Health Institute at An-Najah National University, has published a new research article titled “Palestinian dermatology: exploring policies, challenges, and opportunities in fragile and conflict-affected settings” in the prestigious International Journal for Equity in Health. The journal ranks among the top globally in the field of health equity and holds an impact factor of 5.0.

The study presents a comprehensive analysis of dermatological care in Palestine through the lens of health equity, addressing the multifaceted challenges resulting from ongoing political conflict and limitations within the local healthcare system. It proposes context-specific strategies to enhance service delivery and research capacity, focusing on access to dermatological care, integration into primary healthcare, referral pathways across care levels, and the severe shortage of dermatologists.

The article also highlights the limited research output in dermatology in Palestine, pointing to gaps in research infrastructure, human resource capacity, and institutional support for scientific inquiry. Dr. Taha puts forward a set of evidence-based recommendations to improve the quality of dermatological care, emphasizing the importance of strengthening primary care systems, improving referral coordination, and building on recent developments—particularly the Palestinian Ministry of Health and Medical Council’s efforts to establish a new national dermatology training program that integrates research with clinical education.

This publication contributes to the broader mission of An-Najah’s Global Health Institute to advance academic research, improve public health outcomes in Palestine, and promote health equity by addressing systemic barriers with evidence-informed, contextually grounded solutions.