History

Since 2012, Foundations for Family Medicine in Palestine (FFMP), a registered charity, and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) have been working together with key stakeholders within the West Bank, to support the development of family medicine and family health care in the region. A major part of this work has focused on the training of professional staff; the doctors, nurses and others working in primary health care (PHC) clinics. We have also worked closely with the the Ministry of Health (MoH) and United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) to promote the development of family health care and the policies and practices to support it, meeting regularly with the Minister of Health, senior MoH officials and other partner agencies for this purpose; the latter include the family medicine residency programme at An Najah National University (ANNU) and a growing network of medical/nursing schools in the region, the Palestine Medical Council (PMC), the Palestinian Association of Family Medicine (PAFM) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Many professionals in family medicine – professors, trainers and practitioners from the United Kingdom and other countries – have contributed to this programme on a voluntary basis, making frequent visits to the West Bank.