On the last, 4th EEMCPDM conference that took place recently in Eilat (Israel) Dr. Goldstein mentioned the lack of statistical data on the CP and disability incidence in the Middle Eastern countries.From my experience I can only confirm this. To my knowledge, the only country that its statistics and epidemiology is known, published in English and always available from the professionals is Israel.
Palestinian Authority published, also in the Internet, its comprehensive statistical report. As far as it is in Arab and I do not read in Arab I can not evaluate what is written there.
Only one peer-reviewed publication may be found in English about disabilities in Jordan.
My recent efforts to find some numbers on the situation in Egypt and Morroco were totally unsuccessful.
Once, my colleague from Jordan told that trying to found out the numbers and its yearly dynamics we found very interesting facts. Once, CP incidence was very-very low in Jordan. The children with CP just not survived. Then, several years ago the numbers increased to un-normally high (comparing to the European). The reason was some dissemination of the CP topic among MDs and PTs and massive mis-diagnosis.
If you need to make any calculations for these countries in order to conduct a clinical trial or market survey, or humanitarian action, you have no other way, but to base your calculations on the US or European statistics. On the other hand there is a wide field of challenges for epidemiological studies.
