Medical Aid for Palestinians - Our Work - Occupied Palestinian Territory

Child in Gaza (MAP, 2008)

Medical Aid for Palestinians has been working in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) for 20 years. Given movement and access restrictions, MAP has offices in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This ensures that while there is one overarching programme for the occupied Palestinian territory, we are able to respond quickly and work effectively across the territory. MAP works in partnership with local health providers and hospitals to address a wide range of health issues and challenges faced by the Palestinian people living under occupation and blockade.

MAP is committed to working strategically toward a more programmatic approach across the oPt, with a diversified portfolio of health and emergency partners. Our work focuses on Health Development and Emergency Preparedness and Response.

In Health Development, MAP works in partnership with local health providers to promote community participation in health initiatives. In particular, we focus on the key areas of child health and primary health care, disability and rehabilitation, and psychosocial health, while working towards an integrated approach to primary health care and public health.

In Emergency Preparedness and Response, MAP ensures its ability to respond rapidly and effectively to humanitarian crises and conflict situations that frequently arise, especially in the Gaza Strip. Our capacity to respond is based not only on the presence of our field staff, but strong links with our partner organisations, local health providers and hospitals.

Over the past 18 months MAP has also invested in strengthening coordination, information flow and research to better underpin health policy, planning and practice within the oPt. MAP has increased support to key research areas, and also re-established the Health Committee of the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA). This Health Committee works to increase information share and coordination between health stakeholders, and promoting accountability at all levels. In 2009, MAP was elected to the executive committee of AIDA, and remains committed to strengthening coordination and accountability in the health sector.

Please note that MAP works with local partner organisations to provide for a range of community health services, both emergency and longer term. Therefore, we do not provide direct support for individual medical cases.