Under the auspices of His Excellency the Prime Minister, Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, a 10 million Euro agreement was signed today by the Government of Germany, through its Development Bank KfW and the Palestinian Ministry of Finance to support the health sector.
The project, which will be implemented by UNDP, aims at strengthening the Palestinian COVID-19 vaccination efforts and the health system’s capacity to maintain and improve essential healthcare services, especially in marginalized areas.
The German Representative, Mr. Oliver Owcza pointed out “Health is core for all people, a precondition for economic growth and social justice. Thus, I am glad that Germany is making available these extraordinary funds to support the Palestinian health sector with regard to the COVID-19 response and beyond. The project will directly impact and improve the provision of health services to Palestinians living in the West Bank, East Jerusalem as well as Gaza."
To increase the COVID-19 vaccination coverage, health personnel will be deployed, mobile health clinics will be supported to provide healthcare services to marginalized communities and critical medical equipment and supplies will be procured and delivered to health facilities. In parallel, analyses on sustainability models and knowledge products will be developed to inform future policies and strengthen the Palestinian health sector.
UNDP Deputy Special Representative, Chitose Noguchi, highlighted that the lack of human resources has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis and has placed an additional burden on the health sector. “The new contribution is a testament to our partnership with the Government of Germany, its Development Bank – KFW, and the Ministry of Health, to improve the Palestinian population’s access to quality health services.”
