Motasem Hamdan is a professor of health policy and management at the Faculty of Public Health, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine. He has bachelor and master degrees in health management from Hacettepe University in Turkey between 1990-1996 and a doctoral degree in Health Policy from the Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven) in Belgium in 2003. He joined Al-Quds in 1998 and was among the founding members of the Faculty of Public Health, was a dean of public health between 2012-2019. He was the vice president of Al-Quds University for academic affairs between 2019-2024. 

In 2025 he was a visiting professor at Isparta Süleyman Demirel University in Türkiye through TÜBİTAK-2221 Visiting Scientist Program and a distinguished visiting professor of public value at the College of Public Policy, HBKU, Feb-May 2025.  

Prof. Hamdan is an expert in health policy and health system development and has a profound experience in the Palestinian health care system and international health organizations. He served as senior health policy advisor to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and consultant for many of national and international health organizations. He was the national program officer in the WHO office for Palestine between 2007-2011. Prof. Hamdan is an author of 55 peer reviewed articles, member of editorial boards of several internationally refereed journals including BMC Health Services Research, Sage Open and serves on a variety of national and international advisory boards.

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DQ6emrwAAAAJ&hl=en

Scopus author: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=35610747900

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7633-2541

Pubications 

  1. Hamdan, M., Erdem, R., Toraman, A. et al. Burnout among emergency department healthcare workers in Palestine and Türkiye: a cross-sectional comparative study. BMC Emerg Med (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-026-01579-8.
  2. Jawabreh, B., Hamdan, M. (2025). “Budgeting and Spending in Palestine’s Health Care System: AddressingGaps and Opportunities (2000-2024)”. The Academic Network for Development Dialogue (ANDD) Paper Series, Third Edition,2025. https://doi.org/10.29117/andd.2025.011
  3. Odeh, A.A.B., Wallis, L., Hamdan, M. et al. Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of implementing emergency department quality standards in Palestine: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-14199-6.
  4. Baniode, M., Hamdan, M. Understanding perceptions and the willingness of decision-makers to adopt a public-private partnership strategy in the Palestinian health sector: an exploratory study. BMC Health Serv Res (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-14101-4
  5. Jawabreh B, Khatib S, Hamdan M. A qualitative study of nephrologists’ perspectives on implementing a nephrology rapid response model for acute kidney injury. BMC Nephrol. 2025 Sep 26;26(1):534. doi: 10.1186/s12882-025-04449-w.
  6. Saleh S, Matar H, Humeid J, AbuZiada N, Hamdan M.  The Response to the Poliomyelitis Outbreak in the Gaza Strip. JGPOH 2025, posted: 30.06.2025. DOI: 10.61034/JGPOH-2025-15.
  7. Turkman N, AlfarraM, Assi N, Judeh A, Hamdan M. Water quality and its role in waterborne disease outbreaks during the war on the Gaza Strip. JGPOH 2025. Posted: 28.06.2025. DOI: 10.61034/JGPOH2025-13
  8. Hamdan, M., Erdem, R., Toraman, A. et al. Dimensions of violence against healthcare workers in emergency departments: a cross-sectional comparative study. BMC Public Health 25, 1370 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22558-x
  9. Swami V, Stieger S, Voracek M, Aavik T, Abdollahpour Ranjbar H, Adebayo SO, et al. (2025) Life satisfaction around the world: Measurement invariance of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. PLoS ONE 20(1): e0313107. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313107
  10. Bani Odeh AA, Wallis L, Hamdan M, Stassen W. Validating quality standards in Palestinian emergency departments: An e-Delphi survey approach. PLoS One. 2025 Jan 10;20(1):e0307632. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307632.
  11. Imam A, Hamdan M, Akyön S H,  Ünal K. Assessment of health services in East Jerusalem: A cross-sectional study. Anadolu Kliniği Tıp Bilimleri Dergisi. Yıl 2024, Cilt: 29 Sayı: Special Issue on Gaza, 66 – 72, 28.12.2024. https://doi.org/10.21673/anadoluklin.1571874
  12. Miqdadi R, Hamdan M. Key stakeholders’ perspectives of public health emergency preparedness in Palestine: A qualitative exploratory study. Public Health. 37 (2024): 232-237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2024.10.013.
  13. Swami V et. al. Exposure and connectedness to natural environments: An examination of the measurement invariance of the Nature Exposure Scale (NES) and Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Journal of Environmental Psychology 99 (2024) 102432.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102432.
  14. Odeh AAB, Wallis LA, Hamdan M, Stassen W. Consensus-based quality standards for emergency departments in Palestine. BMJ Open Quality 2024;13:e002598. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002598. 
  15. Hoteit M et al. Call for emergency action to restore dietary diversity and protect global food systems in times of COVID-19 and beyond: Results from a cross-sectional study in 38 countries. Heliyon 9(2023)e21585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21585.
  16. Swami V et. al. Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age. Body Image. 46 (2023) 449-466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.07.010. 
  17. Aseel Houso, Motasem Hamdan, Hiba Falaneh.  Cost benefit analysis of clinical pharmacist interventions in medical intensive care unit in Palestine medical complex: Prospective interventional study. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2022.09.017. 
  18. Eskin M, Baydar N,  Khan M, El-Nayal M, Hamdan M, et al. Are Non-Fatal Suicide Attempts Instrumental in Achieving Personal and Interpersonal goals? Behavior Therapy, Volume 53, Issue 4, July 2022, Pages 725-737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2022.02.003.  
  19. Hoteit M, Mortada H, Al-Jawaldeh A, Mansour R, Yazbeck B, AlKhalaf M, et al. Dietary Diversity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Disparities, Challenges, and Mitigation Measures. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022. Sec. Nutrition and Sustainable Diets. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.813154
  20. De Backer C, Teunissen L, Cuykx I, Decorte P , et al. An evaluation of the COVID-19 pandemic and perceived social distancing policies in relation to planning, selecting, and preparing healthy meals: an observational study in 38 countries worldwide. Front. Nutr., 04 February 2021.  Sec. Eating Behavior. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2020.621726
  21. Eskin M, Baydar N, Harlak H, Hamdan M, et al. Cultural and interpersonal risk factors for suicide ideation and suicide attempts among Muslim college students from 11 nations. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2021 Nov 1;294:366-374. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.07.050.
  22. Asma Imam, Motasem Hamdan. Study of East Jerusalem Healthcare Sector. The Union of Charitable Societies- Jerusalem. 2021. 
  23. Ulrich Laaser, Vesna Bjegovic-Mikanovic, Motasem Hamdan, Flavia Senkubuge and Michaela Michel-Schuldt. Editorial article: Women’s Health in Low-Resourced Countries: Epidemiology, Governance, Advocacy, Capacity. Front. Public Health, 09 December 2020. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.602467. 
  24. Mehmet Eskin, Nazlı Baydar, Mayssah El-Nayal, Nargis Asad, Isa Multazam Noor, Mohsen Rezaeian, Ahmed M. Abdel-Khalek, Fadia Al Buhairan, Hacer Harlak, Motasem Hamdan, Anwar Mechri, Ulker Isayeva, Yousef Khader, Aqeel Khan, Alaa Al Sayyari, Albaraa Khader, Bahareh Behzadi, Cennet Şafak Öztürk, Laifa Annisa Hendarmin, Murad Moosa Khan, Hazem Agha.  Associations of Religiosity, Attitudes towards Suicide and Religious Coping with Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts in 11 Muslim Countries. Soc Sci Med. 2020 Sep 24;265:113390. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113390.   
  25. Eskin M, Tran U, Carta MG, Poyrazli S, Flood C, Mechri A, Shaheen A, Janghorbani M,  Khader K, Yoshimasu K, Sun JM, Kujan O, Abuidhail J, Aidoudi K, Bakhshi S, Harlak H, Moro MF, Phillips L, Hamdan Motasem, Abuderman A, Tsuno K, Voracek M.  “Is individualism suicidogenic? Findings from a multi-national study of young adults from 12 countries”. Front. Psychiatry, 03 April 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00259. 
  26. Eskin M; Senel Poyrazli; Mosen Janghorbani; Mauro Giovanni Carta; Ulrich S; Anwar Mechri; Hamdan Motasem; et al.  The Role of Religion on Suicidal Behavior, Attitudes and Psychological Distress in University Students: A Multinational Study”. Transcult Psychiatry. 2019 Feb 8:1363461518823933. doi: 10.1177/1363461518823933. 
  27. Elham Kateeb, Abdullah Hassan, Motasem Hamdan, Fidah Musa. Dental caries experience and related factors among a clustered random sample of students in occupied Palestinian territory: a cross-sectional study. The Lancet Volume 393, Special Issue 1S1-S55, March 2019. 
  28. Eskin, M., AlBuhairan, F., Rezaeian, M. Abdel-Khalek A, Harlak H, El-Nayal M, Asad N, Khan A, Mechri A, Noor IM, Motasem Hamdan, et al. Suicidal Thoughts, Attempts and Motives Among University Students in 12 Muslim-Majority Countries. Psychiatric Quarterly. 2018 Nov 29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-018-9613-4.
  29. Hamdan Motasem, Saleem Abd-Raouf. Changes in patient safety culture in Palestinian public hospitals: impact of quality and patient safety initiatives and programs. J Patient Saf.  14(3):127-132, September 2018. doi: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000522. 
  30. Najjar Sh, Baillien E, Vanhaecht K, Hamdan M, et al. “Similarities and differences in the associations between patient safety culture dimensions and self-reported outcomes in two different culture settings: A national cross-sectional study in Palestinian and Belgian hospitals”. BMJ Open 2018;8:e021504. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021504.
  31. Hamdan M, Abu Hamra AA. Burnout among workers in emergency departments in Palestinian hospitals: Prevalence and associated factors.  BMC Health Serv Res. 2017 Jun 15;17(1):407. doi: 10.1186/s12913-017-2356-3.
  32. Tucktuck M, Darkhawaja R, Areqat T, Mansour S, Giacaman R, Hamdan M.  The role of non-governmental organizations in the health sector in the occupied Palestinian territory: a cross-sectional qualitative study. The Lancet, Volume 390, Special Issue, S29, Research in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 6, August 2017. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32080-9
  33. Wafa’ J Zaghari, Hamdan M. Patient safety culture in Palestinian hospital pharmacies: a cross-sectional survey. The Lancet, Volume 390, S1-S42, Research in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 5, August 2017. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32017-2
  34. Massad S, Hamdan M, Agha H, Amr A, Donohue R. Sports Nutrition Supplement Use: Comparison between a USA and a Palestinian community. The International Journal of Science Commerce and Humanities, Volume No 5 No 2 June 2017. 
  35. Abu-El-Noor NI, Hamdan M, Abu-El-Noor MK, Radwan AS, Alshaer AA. Safety Culture in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the Gaza Strip, Palestine: A Need for Policy Change. J Pediatr Nurs. 2017 Jan 9. pii: S0882-5963(16)30470-5. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2016.12.016.
  36. Abu-Hamad B, Hamdan M, Al-Saqqa H. Assessment of patient safety culture in the Gaza Strip Hospitals. Int. Journal of Development Research. Vol. 06, Issue, 06, pp. 8135-8140, June, 2016.
  37. Hamdan M. (Contributor) 50 years of professional public health workforce development. ASPHER’s 50th Anniversary Book. (Editors. Edited by: Foldspang A, Müller-Nordhorn J, Bjegovic-Mikanovic V, Otok R).  The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), 2016.  http://aspher.org/download/80/anniversary-book-may2016.pdf
  38. Hamdan M. The role of the civil society in health. A Global Public Health Curriculum (2nd Edition), 2016. (Ed Ulrich Laaser, Florida Beluli). South Eastern European Journal of Public Health. Special Volume 2016. DOI: 10.4119/UNIBI/SEEJPH-2015-106  
  39. Eskin, M., Sun, J.-M., Abuidhail, J., Yoshimasu, K., Kujan, O., Janghorbani, M., Flood, C., Carta, M. G., Tran, U. S., Mechri, A., Hamdan, M., Poyrazli, S., Aidoudi, K., Bakhshi, S., Harlak, H., Moro, M. F., Nawafleh, H., Phillips, L., Shaheen, A., Taifour, S., Voracek, M., & Tsuno, K. Suicidal behavior and psychological distress in university students: A 12-nation study. Arch Suicide Res. 2016 Jul 2;20(3):369-88. doi: 0.1080/13811118.2015.1054055. 
  40. Hamdan M, Abu Hamra A (2015). Workplace violence towards workers in the emergency departments of Palestinian hospitals: A cross sectional study. Journal for Human Resources for Health, 2015 May, 7;13:28. doi: 10.1186/s12960-015-0018-2.
  41. Rashed A, Hamdan M (2019).  “Physicians and nurses perceptions and attitudes towards incident reporting in Palestinian hospitals”. Journal of Patient Safety. Journal of Patient Safety: September 2019 – Volume 15 – Issue 3 – p 212–217. doi: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000218.
  42. Hamdan M (2013), Measuring safety culture in Palestinian neonatal intensive care units using the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire. J Crit Care. 2013 Jul 17. pii: S0883-9441(13)00177-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2013.06.002. 
  43. Hamdan M, Saleem A (2013).  Assessment of the patient safety culture in Palestinian public hospitals. International Journal of Quality in Health Care. 25, issue 2; pp. 1–9. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzt007
  44. Najjar S. Hamdan M. et al (2014). The Global Trigger Tool shows that one out of seven patients suffers harm in Palestinian hospitals: challenges for launching a strategic safety plan. International journal for quality in health care 25 (6), 640-647
  45. Najjar S, Hamdan M, Baillien E, Vleugels A, Euwema M, Sermeus W, Bruyneel L, Vanhaecht K (2013). The Arabic of the hospital survey on patient safety culture: a psychometric evaluation in Palestinian sample. BMC Health Serv Res. 2013 May 24;13:193. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-13-193.
  46. Kitaneh M, Hamdan M (2012). Workplace violence against physician and nurses in Palestinians public hospitals: A retrospective cross-sectional study. BMC Health Services Research Journal, 12:469.
  47. Hamdan M, Al-Akhras N., (2009). “House to house survey of disabilities in rural communities in the north of the West Bank”. WHO, East Mediterranean Health Journal, Vol. 15, No. 5, 2009. 
  48. Hamdan M, (2008). “Health policy and planning in Palestine: crossing from ambitions to realities”, Bridges Magazine, WHO West Bank and Gaza, June 2008. 
  49. Hamdan M, (2007). Health care policy in Palestine: challenges and opportunities. In Health Policy in Europe: Contemporary dilemmas and challenges. International Association of Health Policy Europe (IAHPE), UK. 
  50.  Hamdan M, (2003). The dynamics of health policy development during transition and under uncertainty: what can be learned from the Palestinian experience? Acta Hospitalia. Issue 3/2004; pp 69-77.
  51. Hamdan M., Defever M., (2003). Human resources for health in Palestine: A policy analysis. Part I: Current situation and recent developments. Health Policy. Vol 64(2): 243-259.
  52. Hamdan M., Defever M., (2003). Human resources for health in Palestine: A policy analysis Part II: The process of policy formulation and implementation. Health Policy. Vol 64(2): 261-273.
  53. Hamdan M., Defever M., Abdeen Z. (2003). Organising Health Care within Political Turmoil: The Palestinian Case. The International Journal for Health Planning and Management, Vol 18 (1):63-88.
  54. Hamdan M., Defever M., (2002). A ‘transitional’ context for health policy development: the Palestinian case. Health Policy. Vol 59(3):193-207.
  55. Defever M., Hamdan M., (2001). Who will care for you? Un-met Needs in the Health Care System. Report prepared for the King Baudouin Foundation, Brussels. ISBN: 2-87212-336-9.

Al-Quds University