USAID and PA Ministry of Health launch health sector reform and development project – USAID press release/Non-UN document

USAID and the Ministry of Health launch a $57 million health sector reform and development project

Ramallah, West Bank – Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Palestinian National Authority Ministry of Health launched the Palestinian Health Sector Reform and Development Project, which aims to strengthen the Ministry of Health's ability to respond to the priority health needs of the Palestinian people. The event, held under the auspices of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at the Central Public Health Laboratory in Ramallah, was attended by Minister of Health Dr. Fathi Abu Moghli, U.S. Consul General Jake Walles, USAID Mission Director Howard Sumka, Health Ministry officials, and international donors.

The new $57 million program, also called the Flagship Project, is the largest health initiative funded by USAID in the West Bank and Gaza. It will be implemented by USAID's contractor Chemonics International in close coordination with the Ministry of Health to support the "Palestinian Reform and Development Plan" and the Ministry of Health's "National Strategic Health Plan."

The Flagship Project is a five-year initiative which aims to improve good governance and management practices in the Palestinian health sector; increase the quality of essential clinical services at hospitals and clinics; promote healthier and safer behaviors within families and communities; improve disease prevention services; and provide essential commodities, such as medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.

The program is expected to make significant improvements, particularly in maternal and child health care, chronic disease treatment, injury prevention, household water and sanitation practices, and women's health issues. Its long-term goal is to provide the Ministry of Health and selected non-governmental organizations with the mechanisms, skills, and commodities to deliver international-standard, high-quality services to meet the Palestinian people's health care needs.

Since 1993, USAID has provided more than $2.2 billion in U.S. economic assistance to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza via projects designed to reduce poverty, improve health and education, build infrastructure, create jobs, and promote democracy and good governance.