Government of Australia and UNICEF collaborate to support the immunisation programme in Timor-Leste

Dili, 17th May 2023 - The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Government of Australia today signed a USD$2.7 million (AUD$4 million) agreement to support the strengthening of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) management systems and to build the capacities of the EPI teams in municipalities and health facilities. 
Through this new grant, Timor-Leste is set to further strengthen the health system to reach the last mile of COVID-19 vaccination, integrate COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunisation services, and support the introduction of new vaccines such as Human papillomavirus (HPV).

This funding is being delivered through the Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative (VAHSI). It will facilitate UNICEF, in collaboration with other partners – World Health Organization and World Vision – to support Government’s current efforts to integrate the COVID-19 vaccinations into the routine Immunisation programme. 

Integrating COVID-19 Vaccinations will ensure the continued availability of COVID-19 vaccines, while retaining attention and resources for the continuity of other health services which shield children and pregnant women against vaccine preventable diseases. 

“COVID-19 disrupted health services delivery for more than three years. It is through the leadership of the Ministry of Health and the unwavering support of development partners such as the Government of Australia, that the country has introduced systems to help us respond and recover from the outbreak,” said UNICEF Country Representative, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani. 

Since Timor-Leste rolled out the COVID-19 Vaccination in 2021, the Government of Australia has been the largest donor of COVID-19 vaccines to the country. Timor-Leste received a total of 1.19 million doses of vaccines directly from the Government of Australia, which also provided operational and technical assistance at the national and municipal levels to scale up COVID-19 vaccinations.  

In quarter one of 2023, the support from the Government of Australia also contributed to the rollout of a successful national immunisation campaign, which integrated the COVID-19 vaccination for adults with introduction of PCV, boPV, Vitamin A supplement and deworming for under five children. Through this integrated campaign, Timor-Leste managed to achieve its immunisation target by 95 percent for each antigen and nutrition supply. 

These different levels of support have contributed to the country’s success in reaching more than 90 percent of the eligible population with at least the first dose of COVID vaccine, and 80 percent of the eligible population with a second dose.  
“Our collective goal now is to ensure that all children, not only those under 5, are fully vaccinated. It includes the challenge to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in rural communities, particularly for the second and booster doses. Together, we can improve routine immunization coverage in Timor-Leste, along with COVID-19 vaccination, and leave no one behind.” said Australian Charge’ d’Affaires, Caitlin Wilson.    

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For more information, please contact 

Government of Australia:
Andrew Abel, First Secretary, Public Diplomacy - +670 7732 7718 - Andrew.Abel@dfat.gov.au

UNICEF:
Tapuwa Mutseyekwa, UNICEF Advocacy and Communication Specialist, Mobile number - +670 77231103; Email Address – tmutseyekwa@unicef.org 

Antonio Gomes, UNICEF Communications Officer, Mobile number - +670 77232441; Email address - angomez@unicef.org 
 
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Tetun.

Governu Australia no UNICEF kolabora hamutuk hodi suporta programa imunizasaun iha Timor-Leste

Dili, 17 Maiu 2023 - Ohin loron, Fundu Nasoins Unidas ba Labarik (UNICEF sigla Inglés) no Governu Australia asina ona akordu millaun USD$2,7 (millaun AUD$4) atu apoia fortalesimentu sistema jestaun Programa Espansaun ba Imunizasaun (EPI) no atu harii kapasidade ekipa EPI iha munisípiu no fasilidade saúde sira.

Liu husi subvensaun foun nee, Timor-Leste hakarak hametin liután sistema saúde hodi to'o millaun ikus vasinasaun COVID-19 nian, integra vasinasaun COVID-19 iha servisu imunizasaun rutina no apoia introdusaun vasina foun sira hanesan papillomavirus umanu (HPV).

Fundus ne'e hala'o liu husi Inisiativa Asesu ba Vasinas no Seguransa Saúde (VAHSI). Ida ne'e sei fasilita UNICEF, hamutuk ho parseiru sira seluk husi Organizasaun Saude Mundial no Vizaun Mundial, atu apoia esforsu Governu nian atuál hodi integra vasinasaun COVID-19 iha programa rutina Imunizasaun.   

Integrasaun vasina COVID-19 sei asegura disponibilidade kontinuasaun husi vasina COVID-19, Mantein fó nafatin atensaun no rekursu ba kontinuidade husi servisu saúde sira seluk ne'ebé proteje labarik no inan isin-rua kontra moras preventavel sira.   

"COVID-19 interompe prestasaun servisu saúde ne'ebé la'o di'ak liu tinan tolu. Ida ne'e liu husi lideransa Ministériu Saúde no apoiu inabalavel husi parseiru dezenvolvimentu sira hanesan Governu Austrália, katak nasaun ne'e agora introdús ona sistema hodi ajuda ami responde no rekupera husi surtu ne'e," dehan Reprezentante País UNICEF, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani.   

Desde Timor-Leste lansa vasinasaun COVID-19 iha tinan 2021, Governu Australia sai ona doadór boot liu ba vasina COVID-19 iha país ne’e. Total vasina doze millaun 1,19 simu diretamente husi Governu Australia, no Governu Australia ne’ebe mós fornese asisténsia operasionál no téknika iha nivel nasionál no munisípiu hodi eleva vasinasaun COVID-19.  
Iha trimestre ida tinan 2023 ne’e, apoiu husi Governu Australia mós kontribui ba lansamentu kampaña nasionál imunizasaun ne'ebé susesu, ne'ebé integra vasinasaun COVID-19 ba ema adultu sira, ho introdusaun ba PCV, boPV, Suplementu Vitamina A no desparazitasaun ba labarik sira ne'ebé idade tinan lima mai kraik. Liu husi kampaña integradu ida ne’e, Timor-Leste konsege atinji ninia meta imunizasaun pursentu 95 ba kada fornesimentu antijen no nutrisaun.  

Nivel apoiu diferente sira-ne'e kontribui ona ba susesu nasaun nian ne'ebé atinji ona to'o porsentu 90 resin husi populasaun elejivel ho pelu menus doze dahuluk husi vasina COVID-19 no pursentu 80 husi populasaun elejivel ho doze daruak.  
  

"Ita nia objetivu koletivu agora mak atu asegura katak labarik hotu, la'ós de'it labarik sira ne'ebé tinan 5 mai kraik, hetan vasinasaun kompletu. Ida ne'e inklui dezafiu ida atu hasa'e taxa vasinasaun ba COVID-19 iha komunidade rurál sira, liuliu ba doze segundu no reforsu. Hamutuk, ita bele hadi'a kobertura imunizasaun rutina iha Timor-Leste, hamutuk ho vasinasaun ba COVID-19 no la husik ema ida iha kotuk," dehan Enkaregada Negosiu Embaxada Australia, Caitlin Wilson.   

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Ba informasaun detallu, bele kontaktu:

Governo Australia:
Andrew Abel, First Secretary, Public Diplomacy - +670 7732 7718 - Andrew.Abel@dfat.gov.au

UNICEF:
Tapuwa Mutseyekwa, UNICEF Advocacy and Communication Specialist, Mobile number - +670 77231103; Email Address – tmutseyekwa@unicef.org 

Antonio Gomes, UNICEF Communications Officer, Mobile number - +670 77232441; Email address - angomez@unicef.org