Emergency response of the UNRWA health programme to Great March of Return injuries: a descriptive analytic study in Gaza.

Background: The United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is one of the main health-care providers in the Gaza Strip. It provides primary health services to approximately 1·3 million Palestine refugees, comprising approximately 76% of the population of the Gaza Strip. UNRWA has well-prepared emergency health plans that are based on previous conflict experiences.

Factors affecting adherence to appointment system in the clinic for non-communicable diseases in UNRWA's Khan Younis Health Centre and the role of mobile phone text messages to improve adherence: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

Background: To meet the emerging needs of the increasing numbers of patients with non-communicable diseases and to provide optimum care with optimum contact time and minimum waiting time, as stated in UNRWA guidelines, the mobile phone text messaging system was implemented in UNRWA centres to remind patients of upcoming appointments and to thereby improve the quality of care for vulnerable patients and regulate the work load in the clinics for non-communicable diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the causes for lack of adherence to the appointment system at UNRWA centres.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done in the UNRWA's Khan Younis Health Centre (KYHC), which serves the same refugee population as other UNRWA health centres and follows the same guidelines with minimal variation.