20 January 2020, Ramallah – Strong political leadership and engagement at a recent health reform workshop in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt), has demonstrated further commitment towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), to enable all Palestinians to access quality health services without financial distress. Despite Palestine’s long...

Huda is a nurse in the cancer outpatient department at Al Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City. She has been working with cancer patients for 15 years.  The work is not easy and cancer departments in Gaza face severe shortages of drugs and supplies, as well as lack of equipment. In November 2019, almost half (48%) of essential drugs stocks were at zero stock in...

WHO obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Nashwa Skaik, who leads the pioneering Early Essential Newborn Care project which assists with 75 per cent of all births in Gaza, has been awarded WHO Director-General’s Award of Excellence for her work. Credit: WHO22 December 2019, Gaza – “Families and in particular, mothers and infants, are the essence of any...

Sabreen is a 28-year-old first responder and team leader of the Nabed Al-Hayat team, working east of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. Sabreen established the independent team on 6 April 2018, soon after the beginning of Gaza’s Great March of Return. Her team of 13 at the start of demonstrations included Abdullah al-Qutati, who was shot and...

October 2019, Ramallah – WHO today released its report, “Right to Health in the occupied Palestinian territory: 2018”. The report examines obstacles to achieving the highest attainable standard of health for Palestinians living under occupation, including barriers to adequate health care provision, access to health care, determinants of health...

A child gets medical check up at the mobile clinic in Kherbet Zakhariya. Credit: WHO06 September 2019 - The World Health Organization (WHO) supports health partners to deliver primary healthcare services to over 12,000 people in the West Bank through mobile clinics. With funding from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, two mobile clinics,...

WHO high-level expert mission with Minister of Health Dr Al-Kaila4 September 2019 – The World Health Organization (WHO), at the request of the Prime Minister, conducted a high-level expert mission to the occupied Palestinian territory to support the Ministry of Health and partners in accelerating efforts towards universal health coverage (UHC)....

An ambulance attacked in Gaza during the Great March of Return demostrations. Photo: WHO12 July 2019, oPt - The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and other health and human rights partners to strengthen the protection of...

The solar power plant at Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Credit: WHO17 June 2019, Gaza  - The World Health Organization (WHO) and implementing partners inaugurated the newly installed solar power plant at Nasser hospital in the Gaza Strip. Funded by the Government of Japan, the solar plant as a source of alternative energy will reduce the reliance of...

Opening of the renovated acute male ward facility in Bethlehem Psychiatric Hospital. Credit:WHO13 June 2019, Bethlehem – The Palestinian Minister of Health Dr Mai Alkaila and representatives from the European Union (EU) and from the World Health Organization (WHO) marked the ending of WHO’s project “Building Palestinian Resilience: Improving...