The Ministry of Health, represented by Dr. Jawad Awwad, signed a joint memo of understanding with MIFTAH, represented by CEO Dr. Lily Feidy, to promote better response to citizens’ needs. The signing took place at the Ministry headquarters in Ramallah.

The memo is part of MIFTAH’s Oxfam-funded project “Finance for Development” which the organization carries out in partnership with AMAN and ARIJ. It represents the start of cooperation between MIFTAH and the ministry in the fields of transparency in public budgets and government spending policies in a bid to better respond to the needs of Palestinian citizens.

In this context, Dr. Awad confirmed his ministry’s strategy in moving forward to strengthen partnerships with civil society institutions, including MIFTAH, saying this was crucial to serving Palestinian society.

On her part, Dr. Feidy stressed that among the most important pillars of democracy were transparency, accountability and involving civil society in formulating public policies, first and foremost fiscal policies.

As part of this cooperation, MIFTAH and the Ministry of Health conducted a joint workshop in public, participatory and citizens’ budgets, which resulted in the first ever citizens’ budget for the health ministry in 2018.

The citizens’ budget is a simplified version of the ministry’s public budget, which summarizes its policies, approaches and priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.

Cooperation with the Ministry of Health comes after a number of successful agreements and cooperation between MIFTAH and the Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Education and Higher Education.