WDF in Palestine: a long-term commitment to better care

The World Diabetes Foundation and its partners have been active in Gaza and the West Bank for years – and are making real progress, despite the challenges.

25 September 2014 Gwendolyn Carleton

Palestinians receiving care at a UNRWA clinic in Jordan. Photo: UNRWA
The World Diabetes Foundation aims to alleviate suffering related to diabetes among those least able to withstand the burden of the disease. Not surprisingly, Palestine has been a focus area for the Foundation since its creation in 2002.
 
It all began with a small project in Israel. With WDF funding, the Danish NGO DanChurch Aid and the Augusta Victoria Hospital set up a diabetes care clinic for Palestinians at the hospital, which is located in East Jerusalem.

However, the worsening security situation made it increasingly difficult for Palestinians to get there. In response, the hospital started a bus service that could bring patients from Ramallah and other parts of the West Bank to the hospital; however, this proved impractical due to long delays and waits.   
 
So the WDF, DanChurchAid and Augusta Victoria Hospital tried a new approach: building capacity within the West Bank and Gaza. Through a series of projects, the partners provided training, built the capacity of Palestinian clinics, and strengthened and expanded awareness about diabetes among Palestinians. Along the way, Augusta Victoria Hospital became a diabetes centre of excellence for the Palestinian population.
 
WDF has also worked closely with a another partner: the United Nations Relief and the Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). As a major health provider in the area, UNRWA runs a clinic in every refugee camp and serves 35 % of the population in West Bank and 70 % of the population in Gaza. With WDF funding, UNRWA built a centre of excellence for diabetes care in the West Bank, and launched a project addressing diabetes foot care in Gaza. 
 
A separate joint project takes an even more ambitious approach, working to improve diabetes care for Palestinian refugees in 131 UNRWA clinics throughout the region.That brings the total number of WDF projects helping Palestinians since 2002 to nine: four completed, and five active.

Important projects for refugees everywhere

 
On July 8, war broke out between Israel and Gaza – the third and most severe conflict in the region in six years. So far, the WDF’s partners in the area are reporting only minor delays and problems carrying out their projects, says Jakob Sloth Yigen Madsen, the WDF Programme Coordinator for Palestine. 
 
“It’s really commendable, given the situation,” he says. “But the war has of course had negative effects on our efforts in Gaza; we’ll learn more about the impact and plans to overcome the delays in the months ahead.”
 
The knowledge gained helping Palestinians could be useful in other refugee situations as well, says Anders Dejgaard, managing director of the WDF.

“There are high incidences of diabetes in refugee camps and very difficult problems with access to care,” he says. “So these projects are very important, and can be seen as front runners for similar projects in other parts of the world where these camps exist.”

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