For the sixth month on the roll, Razan’s father comes back empty-handed from the primary health care center where he used to get the special therapeutic milk for her. thanks to the early survey to infants after birth done by the Ministry of Health, Razan’s family found out that she is suffering from PKU; a rare genetic disease that leads to an imbalance in the digestion of an amino acid called phenylalanine. Due to this disease, sick babies cannot breastfeed natural milk because it causes severe mental retardation. Razan is one of 11 babies born annually out of total 110 cases registered in Gaza strip Ministry of health who need this special milk that does not contain phenylalanine to grow normally. The absence of this milk will result in mental retardation and permanent disability. After the first six months of a baby’s life, he begins to eat other foods that do not contain phenylalanine, which is currently available in the market but expensive and most children cannot get them because of their high price. The Ministry of Health has issued several appeals to obtain this special therapeutic milk for these children. The ministry needs about 150 monthly packs per babies less than one-year-old and needs for 350 milk packs for infants older than one year.
