Mai al-Kaila

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| native_name = {{Nobold|{{lang|ar|مي الكيلة}}}}

| image = File:مي الكيلة.jpg

| office = Health Minister of Palestine

| office1 = Palestinian Ambassador to Italy

| office2 = Palestinian Ambassador to Chile

| image_size =

| caption =

| constituency_MP =

| parliament =

| majority =

| term_start = 13 April 2019

| term_end = 28 March 2024

| term_start1 = 1 October 2013

| term_end1 = 2019

| term_start2 = 2006

| term_end2 = 2013

| predecessor = Jawad Awad

| successor = Maged Abu Ramadan

| predecessor1 = Sabri Attia

| successor1 = Abeer Odeh

| predecessor2 = Sabri Attia

| successor2 = Imad Nabil Jadaa

| birth_name = Mai al-Kaila

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1955|4|8}}

| birth_place = East Jerusalem, Jordanian West Bank

| nationality = Palestinian

}}

Mai Al-Kaila ({{langx|ar|مي الكيلة}}; born 8 April 1955) is a Palestinian doctor, diplomat and politician, and the first woman to hold the position of Health Minister of Palestine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.alwatanvoice.com/arabic/news/2019/04/14/1234749.html|script-title=ar:مي كيلة تتسلم مهامها وزيرة للصحة|website=alwatanvoice.com|date=14 April 2019|access-date=26 May 2024|archive-date=27 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427142034/https://www.alwatanvoice.com/arabic/news/2019/04/14/1234749.html|url-status=live|language=ar|trans-title=Mai Kaila Obtains Position as Minister of Health}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/05/palestinian-government-three-women-ministers-health.html|title=Woman heads Palestinian Health Ministry for the first time|website=Al-Monitor|date=6 May 2019|access-date=26 May 2024|first=Aziza |last=Nofal |archive-date=10 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510010735/https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/05/palestinian-government-three-women-ministers-health.html|url-status=live}} She holds a PhD in public health and health administration.{{Cite web|url=https://palsawa.com/post/200468/%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A9|script-title=ar:مي كيلة |website=وكالة سوا الإخبارية|date=13 April 2019|access-date=26 May 2024|archive-date=16 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916202551/https://palsawa.com/post/200468/%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A9|url-status=live|language=ar|trans-title=Mai Kaila}} She chaired the Palestinian Medical Council in her capacity as Health Minister. She is also part of the Palestinian Authority headed by current prime minister Dr. Mohammad Mustafa.

Background

Mai Salem Hanna al-Kaila was born in Jerusalem on 8 April 1955. She received her basic and preparatory education in the schools of Birzeit, and her secondary education at the Private College in Ramallah. She studied nursing at the Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem. She studied medicine at the University of Granada in Spain and obtained a bachelor's degree from it, then she specialized in the field of obstetrics and gynecology in the University of California, San Francisco in the United States of America and obtained a master's degree.{{Cite web|url=https://ultrapal.ultrasawt.com/%D9%83%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%87-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%83%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8018/%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%81%D9%84%D8%AD/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1|title=كل ما تريد معرفته عن وزراء الحكومة الـ18|website=الترا فلسطين|access-date=16 September 2020|archive-date=8 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208141830/https://ultrapal.ultrasawt.com/%D9%83%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%87-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%83%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8018/%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%81%D9%84%D8%AD/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1|url-status=live|language=ar}} She obtained her PhD in Public Health and Epidemiology from the University of Chile.{{Cite web|url=http://www.alhayat-j.com/ar_page.php?id=52c44edy86787309Y52c44ed|script-title=ar:الدكتورة مي كيلة ,, من أسيرة محررة الى دبلوماسية ناجحة الى أول وزيرة صحة ميدانية ,, الى فارسة محاربة في مواجهة|website=www.alhayat-j.com|access-date=16 September 2020|archive-date=22 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722110102/http://www.alhayat-j.com/ar_page.php?id=52c44edy86787309Y52c44ed|url-status=dead}}

Career

Al-Kailah worked as a resident physician at the Palestine Red Crescent Hospital in Jerusalem in the Obstetrics and Gynecology program. Mai Al-Kailah has promoted jobs and positions, as she worked as a lecturer at Al-Quds University in the Public Health Department, and at UNRWA as head of the Motherhood and Childhood Program.

In 1994, Mai Al-Kailah was appointed to the Palestinian delegation to participate in the World Conference on Women, 1995 in Beijing, China.{{cite web | url=https://live.worldbank.org/experts/dr-mai-alkaila | title=Dr. Mai Alkaila | date=27 September 2020 | publisher=World Bank | accessdate=26 May 2024 | archive-date=2 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802110618/https://live.worldbank.org/experts/dr-mai-alkaila | url-status=live }}

Alkaila was appointed as the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Chile on 31 October 2005.{{Cite web|url=https://library.lab.pna.ps/records/attachmentdetails/23738/2|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418223513/https://library.lab.pna.ps/records/attachmentdetails/23738/2|url-status=dead|title=Libsys Opac|archivedate=18 April 2020|website=library.lab.pna.ps}} She continued to serve in that role until her appointment as Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Italy on 1 October 2013.{{Cite web|url=https://www.maannews.net/news/641129.html|script-title=ar:د.مي كيلة تقدم اوراق اعتمادها سفيرة فلسطين في ايطاليا|website=Ma'an News Agency|access-date=26 May 2024|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802113614/https://www.maannews.net/news/641129.html|url-status=live|language=ar|trans-title=Dr. Mai Kaila Presents Her Credentials as Palestinian Ambassador to Italy|date=25 October 2013}}{{Cite web|url=https://library.lab.pna.ps/records/attachmentdetails/20900/2|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418223507/https://library.lab.pna.ps/records/attachmentdetails/20900/2|url-status=dead|title=Libsys Opac|archivedate=18 April 2020|website=library.lab.pna.ps}} On 4 December 2016, she won the Palestinian Revolutionary Council elections, which were held during the seventh conference of Fatah, and became a member in it.{{Cite web|url=http://www.maannews.net/Content.aspx?ID=879923|script-title=ar:الفائزون في انتخابات اللجنة المركزية والمجلس الثوري|date=4 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403023118/http://www.maannews.net/Content.aspx?ID=879923|archive-date=3 April 2019|language=ar|website=Ma'an News Agency|trans-title=Election Winners in Central Council and Revolutionary Council}}

On 13 April 2019, al-Kaila took the constitutional oath before Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as Minister of Health within Mohammad Shtayyeh's government,{{Cite web|url=https://www.dooz.ps/p/119423|script-title=ar:حكومة اشتية تؤدي اليمين الدستورية|website=dooz.ps|access-date=26 May 2024|archive-date=27 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427133528/https://www.dooz.ps/p/119423|url-status=live|language=ar|date=13 April 2019}} serving in that position until 28 March 2024.{{Cite news|date=2024-03-16|title=Palestinian Authority announces new Cabinet as it faces calls for reform|language=en|agency=Associated Press|url=https://nanaimonewsnow.com/2024/03/28/palestinian-authority-announces-new-cabinet-as-it-faces-calls-for-reform/|access-date=2025-03-16}}

Honors

In 2017, Mai al-Keila was awarded a gold medal by the Norman Academy in cooperation with the Italian Air Force; this is due to her activism and defense of Palestinian human rights.{{Cite web|url=https://www.alwatanvoice.com/arabic/news/2017/11/14/1098428.html|script-title=ar:اكاديمية نورمان تمنح د. مي كيله وسامها الذهبي|website=alwatanvoice.com|date=14 November 2017|access-date=26 May 2024|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114113350/https://www.alwatanvoice.com/arabic/news/2017/11/14/1098428.html|url-status=live|language=ar|trans-title=Norman Academy Awards Dr. Mai Kaila Gold Medal}}