As I pass the midpoint of my time at The Portland Trust, I want to reflect on what I have accomplished so far, the challenges along the way, and what direction my project will take going forward.
I’ve always been drawn to the fight against disease. That interest only grew during my chemistry degree, leading me to specialise in medicinal chemistry and undertake my Laidlaw project on neglected tropical diseases. However, I’ve also learned that science isn’t the whole story - even the best breakthroughs won’t help if health systems can’t deliver them. This story is tragically played out everyday in Palestine, where broken healthcare systems too often turn preventable illnesses into avoidable deaths and disability. It has been incredibly rewarding to work with The Portland Trust to help solve this issue.
I began my time at Portland working with fellow Laidlaw scholar Angese Venezia, developing a ‘theory of change’ for the Healthcare Partnership & Transformation Five-Year Plan (2026-2031). This gave me a strong initial overview of Portland’s ongoing work on Palestinian health, settling a strong foundation for the rest of my time here.
In week two, I began a deep dive into health insurance reform. This included producing a report on the health insurance system in Palestine, including: how it developed overtime; what path dependencies this created; and how these undermines the system that we see today. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this work; it offered a rich understanding of Palestine’s history and the structural constraints on development.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to the implementation of pilot projects, particularly those focused on mobile health units. It’s been exciting to see how the more theoretical policy and financing work connects to practical, on-the-ground change - from getting vital services into underserved communities to testing models that could eventually be scaled across the health system. This combination of high-level analysis and real-world impact has been a highlight of my time here.
Looking ahead, I’ll be continuing my work on health insurance reform with a focus on developing actionable programme plans. The goal is to create frameworks that can realistically be implemented to strengthen healthcare resilience, equity, and sustainability in Palestine - and to keep iterating them in dialogue with partners on the ground so they remain locally led and feasible.
I’ve really enjoyed my time at The Portland Trust so far. The steady back-and-forth with people on the ground in the West Bank has helped me see past the headlines; as I learn more about the culture and the social and economic realities, the work feels less abstract and more rooted in everyday life. That perspective has made the project more tangible and motivating, and I’m excited to carry this momentum into the second half of my placement.