21 April 2016
MAP signed an agreement in Ramallah last week to support the development of Family Medicine in Palestine. The agreement was signed with the Palestinian Ministry of Health, UNRWA, An Najah National University (ANNU). MAP has been leading this work with our partners, the International Development of Family Medicine in Palestine (IDFMP), with additional partnership from the World Health Organisation and the Italian Cooperation agency.
This is hugely important development for Palestine – and an ambitious project for MAP. The sustainable development of effective, Palestinian-led healthcare systems is a significant aspect of MAP’s mission. The project aims to transform the way primary care is provided in the occupied West Bank.
In countries like the UK, when someone has a health problem, they will usually first visit their GP, who can, if necessary, refer them on to specialists for tests or treatment. For many of us, we will visit the same GP over many years, and our families consistently visit the same medical practice or clinic.
This is part of the ‘family medicine’ model of healthcare, which can help address 21st century health challenges by providing long-term, holistic, coordinated care which is more person- and family-centred and includes the involvement of multidisciplinary teams.
Primary healthcare is well established in Palestine. However, their system is struggling to cope with the needs of an ageing population and rising rates of non-communicable diseases. Heart disease and stroke are the main causes of death among adults, and approximately 12% of adults have diabetes (compared to roughly 5% in the UK). Adapting the Palestinian primary healthcare system to the ‘family medicine’ model could help address these growing demands.
Over the next year, this agreement will see MAP and IDFMP supporting the development of a new curriculum for ANNU family medicine department, the establishment of three new training centres for family doctors and the development of an on-line programme for the training of multidisciplinary primary healthcare teams, including GPs and nurses, in the West Bank.
“This is a really exciting opportunity to work with all the key stakeholders in the West Bank to establish primary health care and family medicine at the heart of the health system,” said Dr Andy Ferguson, MAP’s new Director of Programmes in the UK, who is spearheading this new initiative.
"At a time of unprecedented pressure on that system, not only from the occupation but from an ageing population, spiralling rates of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and mental health problems, and an unsustainable rise in the number and cost of hospital referrals, the need for this project has never been greater.”
If you would like to support MAP’s work in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon, you can donate today by clicking here.