The infant mortality rate among Arab Bedouin infants in the Negev is three times the national average. One of the main causes of infant mortality (similarly to children and adolescents) in the Bedouin society is home accidents – burns, poisoning, choking and car accidents.
In an effort to mitigate the situation, AJEEC-NISPED, together with Beterem – Safe Kids Israel developed and is implementing a large-scale intervention program. The program includes awareness raising workshops among parents, training children in the community as “safety ambassadors” and a broad media campaign educating the Arab Bedouin community about the gravity of the problem. Community leaders and local Muslim clerics will be significantly involved in the program.