Health Ministry report: Healthcare in the periphery lags far behind the center
Study finds infant mortality rate among Arab babies almost double that of Jewish babies, Arab men have lower life expectancy than Jewish men but Arab women are living longer
Reporter at The Times of Israel
The Health Ministry released its equity report for 2023 on Monday, highlighting great disparities in healthcare.
Among the report’s most striking findings is that residents of central Israel and the West Bank enjoy significantly better access to medical services than people in the north and south.
The report also pointed to substantial disparities between Jewish and Arab populations, especially in metrics such as infant mortality and life expectancy.
“A strong and equitable health system is a central foundation of the social and national resilience of the State of Israel,” said Health Minister Uriel Buso. However. “The report presents a comprehensive look at the existing gaps between the center and periphery, and between different sectors of the population.”
He said the report “allows us to identify the major challenges facing us and to act decisively to reduce them.
Infant mortality: Arab communities at higher risk
Across Israel’s general population, two babies die for every 1,000 live births. In Arab society, that rate jumps to 5.3 per 1,000, more than double. The Central District and Tel Aviv reported the lowest infant mortality rates (1.5 and 1.8, respectively). In Jerusalem, the rate was 2.6. In Arab communities in the south, the figure is 9.2 infant deaths per 1,000 births.
Life expectancy: Gaps persist between Jews and Arabs, especially for men
Israel’s average life expectancy stands at 83.3 years. However, Jewish men live to 81.5 while Arab men live to an average of 78.2 years, a gap that has widened in recent years.
But Arab women have seen gains: Their average life expectancy has increased by 2.3 years over the past decade and now stands at 83.2 years, narrowing the gap with Jewish women (85.8).
Shortage of doctors in the north and south
The gaps in the availability of medical professionals in the center versus the periphery are pronounced.
The number of doctors per 1,000 people is significantly higher in Haifa (5.5), Tel Aviv (5.0), and the Central District (4.2) compared to just 3.2 in the north and 2.7 in the south. The national average stands at 3.9 physicians per 1,000 people. Similar disparities exist in the availability of nurses, allied health professionals, and specialists such as dietitians, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists.
The shortage of hospital beds further illustrates the imbalance. Israel averages 1.716 beds per 1,000 residents, far below the 2022 OECD average of 3.81. Within Israel, Haifa and Tel Aviv (2.3 beds per 1,000) and Jerusalem (1.9) are significantly better served than the north (1.5) and south (1.4).
Beyond acute care, the shortage of specialized treatment centers in the periphery is dire — particularly in oncology and rehabilitation. According to the report, 60% of all oncology treatments in Israel are concentrated in just four major hospitals in the center of the country, leaving large parts of the north and south underserved.
The report highlighted stark disparities in the representation of different population groups within Israel’s healthcare workforce, especially between Haredi and Arab communities.
As of 2023, the number of Haredi medical students is “nearly zero,” according to the report. This absence is reflected across the health system, where Haredim hold almost no positions in core medical professions.
In contrast, Arab citizens are significantly integrated into the medical system. Although they comprise roughly 21% of the total population, Arabs represent 25% of all physicians, 27% of nurses, and an extraordinary 49% of pharmacists.
Notably, 75% of Arab medical students studied abroad, a figure that underscores both their determination to enter the field and the barriers they face in gaining admission to Israeli medical schools.
Spending more on programs in the periphery
Between 2024 and 2025, the Health Ministry invested over NIS 300 million ($85,911,250) in targeted programs for the periphery, addressing healthcare infrastructure, workforce planning, and disparities among Arab, Haredi, and Ethiopian communities.
Additional resources were allocated to increase access to mental health services, child development programs, and addiction treatment in underserved regions.
Incentives were also granted to health funds to encourage the opening of new services. A fund in the amount of NIS 100 million ($28,637,083) was allocated to develop healthcare infrastructure in Arab towns, where residents often face low accessibility to health services. National hospital funding was also weighted in favor of hospitals in the peripheries.
Strategic reforms have also been implemented, aimed at increasing staffing in critical medical professions, upgrading community clinics, and implementing programs for mental health, child development, nursing, and addiction services — with a focus on regional equity.
“Addressing inequality is a significant challenge that we faced even before the war, and it has been greatly intensified during 20 months of war,” said ministry director-general Moshe Bar Siman-Tov.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that every citizen in Israel receives the appropriate medical response, without distinction, without barriers and without compromise,” Buso, the health minister, said.
The Times of Israel Community.