Challenges in the provision of health to the rural Bedouin population in southern Israel

The Bedouins in the south of Israel are in a state of transition and adaptation to nontraditional lifestyle and the abandonment of the nomadic way of life in exchange for permanent housing in small towns and authorized villages. This development has been encouraged by the government that provides infrastructure and incentives. However, about eighty thousand Bedouins do not reside in those settlements. Most of them are scattered in permanent houses, huts or tents in remote rural places. Living outside of town means no electricity, no running water, no sewage system, no paved roads, no mail address and no phone lines. Climate changes impose additional burdens on this population. The purpose of this paper is to describe the challenges and some of the solutions in providing health care to this population.