Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
Community Health, Nutrition, Food Safety and One Health Outreach
An-Najah National University's Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine contributes to the health and wellbeing of Palestinian communities by connecting nutrition education, safe food production, agricultural extension and veterinary disease prevention. Academic staff and students work with schools, farmers, public institutions and community partners to translate specialist knowledge into practical guidance and field activity.
The Faculty's outreach addresses the links between human health, animal health and the environment. Schoolchildren learn about healthy food choices; teachers gain skills to interpret food labels; farmers receive training and support for safer agricultural practices; and veterinary students take part in disease-prevention campaigns. These activities support SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, alongside SDG 2: Zero Hunger and related goals for education, sustainable consumption and partnerships.
Faculty website | Faculty and community | University Health & Wellbeing Outreach | Sustainable Food Security Programme
How the Faculty delivers community outreach
The Faculty combines school visits, interactive workshops, farmer training, field sampling, veterinary campaigns and public-awareness media. Its Nutrition and Food Technology expertise supports dietary literacy and food safety, while agricultural and veterinary teams strengthen safe production and disease prevention. Partnerships with education and agriculture directorates bring these services into local schools, farms and villages.
The activities below are dated by their official publication date, with the activity date added where the source gives one. Activities from 2024 and 2026 show that this is continuing, recurring outreach.
Faculty outreach in pictures
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Farmer training session delivered by the Faculty's safe-agriculture team |
Healthy-nutrition exhibition presented by Faculty nutrition students and staff |
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Faculty students and volunteers at the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine |
Visitors learn about hydroponic vegetable production at the Faculty farm |
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Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, An-Najah National University |
School pupils visit the Faculty's aquaculture facility |
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Eggs produced at the Faculty farm |
Fresh vegetables and strawberries produced at the Faculty farm |
Community nutrition education and healthy food choices
School-based nutrition outreach helps children understand how everyday food choices affect wellbeing. Practical, interactive education is complemented by teacher training, strengthening the capacity of schools to reinforce healthy habits. The Faculty's nutrition work also connects with the University's wider diabetes education and child-health initiatives.
2025: school nutrition awareness and teacher training
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School healthy-nutrition activity |
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What was delivered |
Interactive games and healthy-food education for pupils in grades five and six at Sir Al-Kufeir Coeducational School in the Jenin area, delivered in cooperation with the Ministry of Education's School Health Department. |
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Date |
Published 2 June 2025 | Activity: May 2025 |
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Evidence |
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School nutrition education, Sir Al-Kufeir School. News publication: 2 June 2025. Photograph source
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Healthy Generations: interpreting nutrition labels for schoolteachers |
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What was delivered |
Under the Education Directorate's Healthy Generations programme, Dr Samer Mudalal trained teachers from Al-Ras Mixed Secondary School and Inshirah Al-Dado School to interpret food labels and assess the nutritional quality of products consumed by pupils, strengthening school-based nutrition literacy. |
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Date |
Published 23 October 2025 |
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Evidence |
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Food-label and nutrition training for schoolteachers. News publication: 23 October 2025. Photograph source
Related university nutrition initiatives
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Diabetes nutrition campaign for primary-care staff |
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What was delivered |
An An-Najah Institute for Global Health campaign delivered three diabetes-nutrition training sessions to more than 70 primary-care health professionals, with patient-facing educational brochures. |
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Date |
Published 27 May 2025 |
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Evidence |
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Children's nutrition and physical activity research collaboration |
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What was delivered |
The An-Najah Institute for Global Health reported collaboration with University of Texas researchers on children's nutrition and physical activity, supporting the University's health promotion work. |
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Date |
Published 12 March 2025 |
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Evidence |
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Nutrition outreach for displaced families
Nutrition students are prepared to bring nutrition education and free health services to families displaced from their homes in the Tulkarm and Jenin areas.
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WFP and Red Crescent preparation for displaced-family nutrition outreach |
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What was delivered |
Representatives of the World Food Programme and the Palestinian Red Crescent trained students from nutrition and other health disciplines to deliver community nutrition education and health services for displaced families in the Tulkarm and Jenin areas, ahead of planned free medical days. |
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Date |
Published 27 October 2025 |
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Evidence |
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Displaced-family nutrition outreach preparation with WFP and the Palestinian Red Crescent. News publication: 27 October 2025. Photograph source
Safe food production, hygiene and farmer health: PAL-GAP activities
The Palestinian Good Agricultural Practices (PAL-GAP) programme links agricultural production with consumer protection and the wellbeing of farmers. University teams provided field guidance, training, protective equipment and technical support to help farmers improve the handling of agricultural inputs, hygiene, workplace safety and the quality of food entering local supply chains. Sampling and certification support complemented this practical work.
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Safe-food production support for Baqa al-Sharqiya and Shufa farmers |
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What was delivered |
ANNU and partners supplied 17 farmers with production inputs under a programme combining farm-management guidance with soil, water and residue tests to improve food safety and certification readiness. |
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Date |
Published 7 February 2024 |
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Evidence |
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Safe-agriculture supplies and protective clothing for Jenin farmers |
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What was delivered |
ANNU and the Jenin Agriculture Directorate provided 90 farmers in Burqin, Kafr Dan, Jalama, Jilbon and Deir Abu Da'if with production supplies, sprayers and protective clothing under the safe-agriculture and PAL-GAP project. |
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Date |
Published 9 February 2024 |
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Evidence |
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Practical support for Jenin farmers. News publication: 9 February 2024. Photograph source
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Protective equipment and safe-production inputs for project farmers |
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What was delivered |
ANNU and partners completed the distribution of agricultural inputs and personal protective equipment to 427 project farmers, supporting safe handling of chemical inputs and good agricultural practices. |
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Date |
Published 2 June 2024 |
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Evidence |
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Safe-agriculture support in the field. News publication: 2 June 2024. Photograph source
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Public information on pesticide-related health risks |
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What was delivered |
A Faculty article explained the health and environmental risks of repeated pesticide use and presented PAL-GAP as a partnership promoting safer food production. |
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Date |
Published 2 June 2024 |
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Evidence |
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Shufa women farmers: safe-agriculture certification audit |
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What was delivered |
The Palestinian Standards Institution audited three women farmers implementing PAL-GAP, with ANNU's team present under the community resilience and safe-food project. |
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Date |
Published 10 June 2024 |
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Evidence |
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Supporting women farmers in Shufa, Tulkarm. News publication: 10 June 2024. Photograph source
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PAL-GAP coaching, residue testing and certification audits |
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What was delivered |
ANNU engineers prepared farmers in Dhinnaba and Baqa al-Sharqiya through field visits, standards training and soil, water and pesticide-residue sampling, supporting Palestinian Standards Institution certification audits. |
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Date |
Published 4 July 2024 |
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Evidence |
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Farm guidance and certification support. News publication: 4 July 2024. Photograph source
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Qabatiya farmers: safe agricultural practices workshop |
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What was delivered |
ANNU's Nablus team delivered farmer training with the South Jenin Agriculture Directorate on PAL-GAP requirements and certification for safe, healthy agricultural products. |
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Date |
Published 14 July 2024 |
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Evidence |
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Safe-food production training for Qabatiya farmers. News publication: 14 July 2024. Photograph source
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Soil and irrigation-water sampling for safe food production |
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What was delivered |
University engineers collected soil and irrigation-water samples from 107 farmers in Allar and Attil to support scientific cultivation advice, certification and consumer protection through safe crops and water quality. |
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Date |
Published 14 July 2024 |
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Evidence |
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Field sampling for safe crops. News publication: 14 July 2024. Photograph source
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Zeita farmers: food hygiene and occupational safety training |
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What was delivered |
ANNU trained 28 male and female farmers in Zeita in PAL-GAP practices, including safe produce, workplace safety, hygiene and protection of natural resources, supporting food safety and farmer health. |
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Date |
Published 4 August 2024 |
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Evidence |
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Food hygiene and farmer safety training in Zeita. News publication: 4 August 2024. Photograph source
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PAL-GAP certificates for farmers trained through Safe Agriculture |
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What was delivered |
ANNU took part in recognising a first cohort of 81 certified farmers following farmer training and supply support; approximately 50 farmers attended the ceremony. |
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Date |
Published 5 November 2024 |
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Evidence |
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These reports document successive stages of one safe-agriculture program, reaching 17, 90, 107, 28, and 427 project farmers at different stages and certifying 81 farmers. Figures are reported per activity.
Veterinary outreach and prevention of diseases shared by animals and people
Veterinary outreach strengthens community wellbeing by preventing animal disease and reducing the risk of infections that can pass between animals and people. Student participation in field campaigns connects supervised learning with practical local disease prevention.
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Rural rabies vaccination campaign in Aqraba and Khirbet al-Tawil |
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What was delivered |
Veterinary students joined the Nablus Agriculture Directorate's veterinary department in a field campaign vaccinating animals against rabies in Aqraba and Khirbet al-Tawil, protecting rural communities from a disease transmitted from animals to people. |
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Date |
Published 9 July 2025 |
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Evidence |
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Veterinary students take part in the rural rabies-vaccination campaign. News publication: 9 July 2025. Photograph source
Nutrition and psychological wellbeing
Nutrition is shaped by psychological and social factors as well as access to food. Interdisciplinary teaching and research strengthen the knowledge that nutrition professionals bring to community education.
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Interactive lecture on psychology and nutritional health |
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What was delivered |
The Nutrition and Food Technology Department hosted clinical psychologist Ahmad Abu Minshar, under the supervision of Alma Irshaid, for an interactive lecture on psychological wellbeing, eating habits and dietary decision-making, preparing future nutrition professionals. |
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Date |
Published 5 December 2024 |
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Evidence |
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Eating behaviour in the social-media era |
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What was delivered |
Interdisciplinary research examining eating behaviours in the social-media era, linking nutrition and psychological wellbeing. |
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Date |
Published 29 June 2025 |
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Evidence |
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Inclusive-health research award for Dr Manal Badrasawi |
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What was delivered |
Recognition of research in clinical nutrition, women's health, older people, public health and food insecurity. |
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Date |
Published 6 March 2025 |
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Evidence |
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Research supporting nutrition, food safety and public health: 2025
Research strengthens the evidence base behind the Faculty's nutrition and food-safety outreach.
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Natural preservatives and antimicrobial pharmaceutical research |
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What was delivered |
Two November 2025 studies investigated guava-leaf extracts as natural alternatives to preservatives in pharmaceutical formulations. |
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Date |
Published 7 December 2025 |
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Evidence |
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Human microbiota: clinical and public-health nutrition book chapter |
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What was delivered |
Faculty researcher Dr Mohammad Tamimi and nutritionist Aya Ibrahim contributed a chapter on microorganisms and human health to an international peer-reviewed book. |
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Date |
Published 10 November 2025 |
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Evidence |
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Healthier salt alternatives for meat products |
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What was delivered |
Dr Samer Mudalal and Azhar al-Hajj published research on healthier salt substitutes in meat products, with relevance to nutrition and food safety. |
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Date |
Published 4 September 2025 |
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Evidence |
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Developments in 2026: One Health and sustainable food systems
During 2026, the Faculty reported research, professional engagement and stakeholder consultation in animal health and sustainable food systems, extending the scientific foundation of its community role.
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Poultry antimicrobial resistance research |
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What was delivered |
A study of bacteria linked to chick omphalitis in northern Palestine and their resistance patterns, supporting One Health and safe food systems. |
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Date |
Published 18 August 2026 |
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Evidence |
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Arab veterinary faculties meeting and One Health conference |
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What was delivered |
An ANNU delegation attended the 18 August 2026 meeting of the Arab scientific association of veterinary faculties alongside the 17–19 August One Health and Veterinary Innovation conference in Amman. |
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Date |
Published 23 August 2026 |
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Evidence |
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SUST-OLIVET consultation with local olive-sector stakeholders |
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What was delivered |
The Faculty co-organised the first SUST-OLIVET consultation, bringing together local experts and institutions to identify olive-sector priorities and training needs, including valorisation of olive by-products, skills and sustainable sector development. |
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Date |
Published 1 September 2026 |
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Evidence |
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Public-awareness media and continuing outreach resources
Faculty experts share nutrition and food-safety information with the public through radio and television interviews on topics including food storage, cross-contamination, sugar and dietary choices. Standing outreach programmes connect the Faculty with schools and communities throughout the year.
Earlier programme examples
These earlier activities show the long-standing nature of the Faculty's outreach model.
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Nutrition and food-additives awareness for schoolgirls |
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What was delivered |
A school lecture in Deir Al-Ghosun discussed food choices, food additives and reading information on processed foods. |
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Date |
Published 13 February 2020 |
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Evidence |
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Home safety workshop |
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What was delivered |
Household-safety education for the community. |
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Date |
February 2020 |
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Evidence |
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National Nutrition Month: community engagement |
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What was delivered |
Community nutrition activities promoting healthy living during National Nutrition Month. |
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Date |
March 2022 |
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Evidence |
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National Nutrition Month celebrations |
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What was delivered |
Nutrition-promotion activities celebrating National Nutrition Month. |
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Date |
March 2022 |
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Evidence |
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Summer club nutrition activity for children with diabetes |
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What was delivered |
Nutrition activity for children living with diabetes at a summer club, organised by the Nutrition and Food Technology Department. |
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Date |
August 2022 |
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Evidence |
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Healthy Generations: food-label literacy and practical healthy meals |
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What was delivered |
The Faculty took part in Healthy Generations Level II across three Tulkarm schools, combining food-label education with practical preparation of healthy meals. |
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Date |
Published 29 November 2023 |
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Evidence |
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Partnerships and community benefit
The Faculty's work demonstrates cooperation with education and agriculture directorates, schools, the Palestinian Standards Institution and community-facing organisations. Collaboration with the World Food Programme and the Palestinian Red Crescent adds a route for nutrition outreach to displaced families, and local and international scientific partnerships strengthen the expertise available to these programmes.
The community benefits include improved access to understandable nutrition information, stronger food-label literacy in schools, practical support for safe farming, protection from agricultural hazards and participation in rural disease prevention. The Faculty's combination of academic expertise, student engagement and local partnerships gives its health and wellbeing outreach a practical connection to Palestinian community needs.