Ramallah: The Government of Japan has partnered with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to initiate a significant project aimed at delivering crucial health and protection services for women and girls in Palestine. This initiative, backed by a $2.4 million funding commitment from Japan, seeks to restore and enhance access to essential reproductive health services across the region.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the project, titled 'Essential Access: Delivering Lifesaving Sexual and Reproductive Health and Protection Services for Women, Girls, and Youth in Palestine,' will span 12 months. It focuses on reinstating fundamental healthcare services through mobile clinics in the West Bank and bolstering healthcare delivery in Gaza by training medical practitioners and performing data analysis.
In the West Bank, ongoing violence and movement constraints have severely impacted over 230,000 women and girls, including nearly 15,000 pregnant women, who reside in militarized zones. These communities face significant challenges in accessing crucial reproductive health services, such as obstetrics, gynecology, breast cancer screenings, and neonatal care.
The health crisis in Gaza remains severe even six months post-ceasefire, with many hospitals still non-operational, putting around 50,000 pregnant women at risk. The project aims to address these critical healthcare gaps by emphasizing the delivery of lifesaving sexual and reproductive health interventions and reinstating specialized and preventive services, including oncology and pre-conception care.
Key interventions planned under the project include deploying four mobile clinics in the West Bank to provide integrated health services, supporting two major health facilities in Gaza to enhance emergency obstetric and newborn care, and restoring breast cancer services through a mobile mammography unit and a specialized unit in Gaza. Furthermore, preventive services such as pre-marriage counseling will be reactivated, and the capacity of the health system will be bolstered through training programs for healthcare professionals.
UNFPA's Representative in Palestine, Nestor Owomuhangi, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating that the project aims to restore essential health services and ensure that women and girls have the ability to protect their health and exercise their rights with dignity.
Japan's Ambassador for Palestinian Affairs, ARAIKE Katsuhiko, expressed Japan's commitment to advancing human security and the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, highlighting the importance of enabling women to make informed decisions regarding their health.
This partnership marks a significant step toward rebuilding the healthcare infrastructure in Palestine, ensuring that essential services reach those in need, and supporting the recovery and resilience of affected communities.