PFPPA-JTF
Improving Reproductive Health-Mother Child Health knowledge and services in Hebron, Halhoul, Tulkarem and Gaza Districts
PFPPA with the generous funding and support of Japan Trust Fund has been implementing the project since 2009 in the targeted areas focusing on advancing mothers and children health and rights under the project “Mother Child Health”. In the second phase of the project however new perspectives have been added to the project to provide more comprehensive services in the targeted areas within the service delivery point which includes advancing reproductive health. The goal of the projects is to contribute in improving Palestinian reproductive health and rights, the quality of life, the development of productivity and social prosperity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Although efforts have been placed by the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) and the PFPPA to improve mother child health (MCH) services in Palestine, especially in the last two years, through the support of JICA and the JTF, it remains essential that the work continues in the coming years, as is planned by both parties.
The PFPPA played a significant role in raising awareness and the level of the RH/MCH health services through the project “Improving RH/MCH health and services in the rural areas of Tulkarm, Hebron, and Gaza” from January 2009 till the end of 2010. However it is clear that and according to the Palestinian MoH 2010 biannual statistics that Anaemia affects: 42% of children less than 9 months, 27% of pregnant women and 23% of women, and this high percentage is only another incentive to continue working in the communities in the targeted areas to combat this disease and raise the public’s awareness to health issues concerning mothers and children.
The project in its two years of implementation has played a strong role in the targeted locations: new ideas have been introduced, partnerships with local organizations have been established, and voluntary supportive groups have been established and activated after training has been conducted. As a result the people in the area became familiar with the project’s aim and activities. PFPPA has been requested by individuals, beneficiaries, and local organizations to continue a number of activities in order to benefit a larger scope of beneficiaries.
The feedback from community leaders, organization representatives, and the people of the targeted and nearby locations have requested that a number of the project activities continue and have also suggested new activities that have been included, such as: targeting children nurseries (both teachers and children) to increase awareness and benefit from the activities, focus on the integration of men, conducting open days celebrating various international days. The local partners and their recommendation can be an outlook for the needs of their community.
The local partners from the health organizaions declared that the community is growing fast and the population number is bigger than the abilities and the resource of the local NGOs especially with low financial support.
As the project focuses on integrating the MCH into the services of the PFPPA SDPs, the services and outreach activities will be continuous in the strategic plan for all PFPPA activities in the future. This project will focuse on establishing voluntary supportive groups to MCH issues who will be active in their community in spreading knowledge to their peers and families and within their organizations. Women, men, youth and children alike who attended the awareness activities will gain knowledge regarding MCH, SRHR, HIV prevention and as such the information will be spread to their families and community on the long term.
In the targeted locations, including the added new areas, there is a lack of organizations that provide access to information and services among people regarding MCH and sexual, reproductive health and rights (SRH&R) child health. For instance, there is a lack of awareness in the community concerning: family planning, pre marriage tests, sexually transmitted diseases, etc, the right of family planning and birth control, the right of continuing their education and others.
In regard to the new areas added to the project, this was mainly as a result of their request to be included in the project activities, due to the strong need of such awareness in their community and to benefit from our experience in the field of SRHR, youth and gender. As such, the PFPPA has committed to merge the participation of the targeted organizations in our activities with this project and others implemented in their areas.
The main objectives of the project for the years 2012-2013 are as follows:
1. To contribute in increasing access to MCH and family planning services and information among women, men, and children in the targeted areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip within 24 months.
2. To strengthen the partnership of 12 CBOs, including women’s organizations and 60 volunteers concerning MCH and SRH rights and services in the targeted areas within 24 months.
This two-year project will continue working with the problem of the quality of MCH components in Palestine, integrating such services within the reproductive health package in PFPPA health centers in the West Bank and Gaza. The project team will spread awareness regarding the MCH handbook and as such will be distributed when needed within the community. As a result, accessibility will be increased relating to MCH information in 3 Governorates Hebron, Tulkarem, and Gaza. This will contribute in addition to the services offered to provide the communities with information related to issues such as: Nutrition, Family planning methods, Antenatal care and gender-based violence, through the participation of both men and women in community-based programs. As a result, a group of voluntary females will be able to make decisions that affect their own health and lobby for a change at a local and national level.
This project is generously funded by Japan Trust Fund