National Nutrition Policy, Strategies and Action Plan (NNPSAP) 2011 - 2013.

This National Nutrition Policy is a nationwide multi-sectoral document aiming at (i) contributing to consistency and coherence in response to nutritional needs; and (ii) providing quality and effective response in nutrition programming. The main goal of the Policy is to improve and maintain the nutritional status and well being of the Palestinian people. This overall goal shall be achieved through (i) diet diversification, fortification and supplementation; (ii) meeting the special nutritional and care needs of vulnerable populations; (iii) meeting the special nutritional and care needs of hospitalized patient; (iv) advocating accessibility, availability and consumption of healthy food that is adequate in quantity, quality and diversity; (v) increase co-ordination among key stakeholders integration of nutrition-related activities and nutrition across sectors; (vi) enhancing capacity building; (vii) sustaining the National Nutrition Surveillance System (NNSS); (viii) providing appropriate needed resources.
To improve the level of nutrition in the country, the Policy suggests the following (i) develop a nutrition monitoring and surveillance system, identifying the food security indicators as well as the nutrition related noncommunicable diseases indicators, and providing the adequate training; (ii) improve the micronutrients status by preventing and treating the related deficiencies, in particular those related to fortified flour, iodized salt, vitamins and minerals added to food; (iii) promote nutrition dietary diversification through behavior change; (iv) reduce the prevalence of obesity, and incidence of diet-related non-communicable diseases and enhance the physical activity program; (v) develop national food-based dietary guidelines; (vi) promote and support exclusive breastfeeding (up to 6 months); (vii) promote appropriate, safely and timely complementary feeding of infants and diet diversity for children, also through the establishment of proper monitoring system; (viii) ensure normal growth among children up to 5 years by training on the maternal and child nutrition protocols, and providing new health centers properly equipped and logistically supported, together with a regular monitoring; (ix) reduce morbidity and mortality rates associated with severe and moderate malnutrition; (x) improve the nutritional status among schoolchildren; (xi) improve the linkage between the nutrition outcome and food security, including the preparation of contingency plans, quick response in case of sudden-onset food crises, and the establishment of a National Food Security Council.
To enhance a more inclusive economic and social growth, the main interventions shall be directed to (i) reduce micronutrients deficiencies among vulnerable groups, such as infants and children up to 5 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers, school-age children, the elderly, NCDs patients, nutrition-related diseases, disabled people, and groups who are socioeconomically or politically vulnerable; (ii) provide optimal food and nutrition services in hospitals including nutrition care and medical nutrition therapy; (iii) prepare social protection interventions for the short-term, concerning food aid, cash aid, job creation, and longer-term aiming at a poverty reduction.