Yesterday, in the Ministry of Health in Ramallah and in the presence of his Excellency Dr Maged Abu Ramadan, UNICEF and the Government of Japan signed a US$ 3.8 million agreement in cooperation with Ministry of Health to launch the project “Improving Access to Health and Nutrition Services for Vulnerable Children and Women” in the State of Palestine. The initiative aims to provide critical primary health care and nutrition services to an estimated 180,000 children, women, and families in Gaza and the West Bank over the next 12 months.

The agreement was signed by H.E. Mr. ARAIKE Katsuhiko, Ambassador of Japan for the Palestinian Affairs and Ms. Jean Gough, UNICEF Special Representative in the State of Palestine highlighting the strong partnership between UNICEF and Japan in addressing the urgent health and nutrition needs of the most vulnerable populations in Palestine.

The project will focus on revitalizing primary health care services, improving access to antenatal and postnatal care, managing childhood illnesses, and delivering critical nutrition interventions. It will also support the training of 300 health professionals and the establishment of four mobile health teams to reach hard-to-access communities.

H.E. Mr. Araike reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people: “this support symbolizes the solidarity of the Government of Japan and its people with the Palestinian people. It also reflects our commitment to continuing to contribute to efforts that bring about lasting peace in Palestine and in its neighboring countries.”