RAMALLAH, Thursday, February 11, 2021 (WAFA) - Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and Health Minister Mai Alkaila today honored Gerald Rockenschaub, Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Office for the occupied Palestinian territory, on the occasion of ending his official duties in Palestine and praised his and the WHO contribution to the Palestinian health sector.

The Prime Minister said in a ceremony in Ramallah attended by representatives of international organizations and Health Ministry staff that he considers the WHO a key partner in the preventive measures to confront the coronavirus pandemic since it was first discovered in Palestine.

"We are following up all work between the Ministry of Health and the WHO," said Shtayyeh. "We have benefited from their experiences in the world and will continue to cooperate with them."

Shtayyeh went on to say that "Rockenschaub and the WHO in general and what they represent were not only our partners, but they worked with us in a highly professional manner. We were happy and are still pleased with the testimony by the World Health Organization about Palestine’s performance in facing the virus and bearing the highest levels of responsibility, whether in the prevention or in everything related to this matter. Palestine was a success story from the first day until today in facing the virus."

The Prime Minister said he was pleased with the vaccination of the health staff, stressing that vaccinating the population in Palestine will be launched in the coming weeks "as we are coming up to a very important occasion, which is the elections, and we are ready for that."

M.K.