Although Palestine has a number of medical technology laboratories, none has the ability to conduct the molecular diagnostic tests to diagnose inherited diseases, tumours and infectious diseases.

This has led to many patients seeking diagnosis abroad, which adds to their suffering. and in many cases travelling. For many people, the costs of seeking diagnosis and treatment abroad are prohibitive.

In addition, seeking diagnosis abroad wastes a lot of time which is critical for treating and preventing illnesses such as cancer

The Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) has staff that specialise in molecular diagnosis techniques, and Islamic Relief has agreed with the IUG to establish a molecular diagnostic lab in its premises.

Project Objectives

• Establishing a molecular diagnostics lab in the Palestinian territories
• Contributing to the effective and speedy diagnosis of patients
• Reducing and preventing many inherited diseases
• Providing opportunities for students and researchers to carry out and develop relevant techniques.
  

Project Activities

• Preparing list of required equipment with the Medical Technology Department at the IUG.
• Procurement of equipments and materials.
• Installing laboratory
  

Beneficiaries

• Carriers of inherited diseases and their relatives
• Patients of various types of tumours and cancers
• Patients of several types of infectious and viral diseases
• About 1,246 students of medicine and related fields.

"Islamic Relief is striving for a fairer world. Our mission is to help the poor and needy to live sustainable, self-reliant lives within safe and caring communities. Our work is guided and shaped by the core values of accountability, humanitarianism, neutrality and impartiality, inclusiveness, integrity and co-operation, all of which are also integral to the Islamic faith."
Dr Hany El Banna - Founder of Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief was established in 1984 and our unique approach is the result of these many years of hands-on experience.

1. Where possible we adopt a community partnership-based approach; encouraging community involvement, understanding and ownership of projects.
2. We run the majority of our field projects ourselves, giving us direct insight into the problems faced and how best to solve them.
3. We aim to empower those we help in order to achieve sustainable results.
4. Though our emergency response teams are quick to respond to emergencies around the world, we continue to support communities long after the initial media interest has died down.
5. We recruit staff locally to benefit from their local knowledge. This ensures that we are culturally sensitive and allows us to reach communities and areas other organisations cannot.
6. Where necessary we coordinate our work with other reputable aid agencies, local organisations and governments.

Millennium Development Goals

Islamic Relief is committed to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which have been agreed by the world’s leading development institutions in an effort to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by the year 2015. 

The goals:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

For more information about the MDGs, please visit: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/