Dr. Salwa Najjab
Dr. Najjab is the co-founder and previous director of Juzoor for Health and Social Development (2007-2019), where she currently serves as its Senior Health Advisor. She co-founded and served as the chairperson for the Middle East and North Africa Policy Forum, and now serves as its Vice President.
An obstetrician/gynecologist, and a pioneer in women’s and reproductive health, Dr. Najjab is a public health expert in the NGO sector and founder of a number of NGOs in Palestine. She recently served as a Track Advisor to the Scientific Programme Committee for the XXIII World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics. She comes with more than 40 years of experience in delivering, developing, and advocating for emergency obstetrics and maternal health of women in Palestine and the MENA region.
As a strong advocate for women in general, and for women health, in particular, and from the early days, she exhibited a strong commitment to combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and introduced its concept into the local health system. Dr. Najjab is notably credited for introducing the advanced life support in obstetrics methodology to the country, and for the development of a community health and specialised training programmes for doctors, nurses and midwives. She has written and adapted clinical training materials, publications and protocols on a variety of subjects including safe delivery, family planning and emergency obstetrics.
Dr. Najjab co-founded a number of influential grass roots Palestinian organisations including the Women Legal Aid and Counseling Center (WCLAC), Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC), Al-Haq (independent Palestinian non-governmental human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), and Juzoor for Health and Social Development. She also functions as the Local Senior Faculty Advisor for the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
Dr. Najjab is a member of the World Bank Civil Society Consultative Group for Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP CSO) in the West Bank. As of September 2019, Dr. Najjab has been assigned as the Commissioner for the World Health Organisation Regional Office of the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health in the Eastern Mediterranean. Dr. Najjab was a finalist for the International Woman of Courage Award in 2010.