The Government of Timor-Leste, United Kingdom and UNICEF collaborate to respond to end malnutrition

Dili, Timor-Leste, 30th September 2023 - In a move to contain the high malnutrition rates in Timor-Leste, the Government of Timor-Leste, today launched a community-based nutrition intervention programme to support the delivery of community level prevention, early detection, and treatment of malnutrition services, targeting more than 23 000 under five children in  Baucau and Viqueque. 

This programme, funded by the UK Government and which will be implemented through UNICEF, will contribute to the strengthening of the skills and capacities of the Mother Support Groups to identify cases of malnutrition and to support caregivers with knowledge of key nutrition care practices for children. 

“We hope that through this programme that is being jointly launched by the Government of Timor-Leste, UK Government and UNICEF, we will help to reduce and help to prevent cases of malnutrition in this country,” said H.E. Dr. Elia A. A. dos Reis Amaral, Minister of Health, Timor-Leste.

Despite commendable progress in addressing malnutrition in Timor-Leste, challenges persist, and malnutrition remains the biggest threat to child survival and development. According to national data sources, 47 per cent  of all children under-five are stunted in their physical and cognitive development, while 8.6 per cent  of children are suffering from acute malnutrition. Malnutrition cases in both Baucau and Viqueque are above national averages, with 49 per cent and 48 per cent of children under-five stunted while 72 per cent and 59 per cent are anemic respectively. 

Unacceptably low and suboptimal feeding practices such as late initiation of breastfeeding, low uptake of exclusive breastfeeding practice for children under 6 months of age, poor food choices and hygienic food handling especially in the first 1000 days, contribute to the high rates of malnutrition.  

Through the programme, 1000 Mother Support Group Members will receive the skills and knowledge to conduct regular counseling and promotion, screening, referral and follow-up of malnutrition cases in the two municipalities. In addition, the Mother Support Group Members will receive training on data collection, reporting and recording using real-time online platforms such as KoboCollect.  

“Mother Support Group volunteers have been instrumental in delivering health and nutrition support services to people in hard-to-reach areas and ensuring that no one is left behind when lifesaving interventions are being implemented. UNICEF therefore values this partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to strengthen sustainable community-based mechanisms to prevent and respond to malnutrition,” said UNICEF Country Representative, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani. 

The programme was launched during the visit to Timor-Leste by Rt. Hon. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the UK Minister of State for the Indo Pacific During the visit, Rt. Hon. Anne-Marie Trevelyan met with communities in Manleuana Suco in Dili, where she had the opportunity to understand some of the work of Mother Support Groups and how the UK can support the government of Timor-Leste in improving health and nutrition by working together with its international partners. 

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Tetun:

Governu Timor-Leste, Reinu Unidu & UNICEF Kolabora atu responde ba hapara malnutrisaun.

Dili, Timor-Leste, 30 Setembru 2023 - Iha esforsu atu kontrola taxa malnutrisaun ne'ebé aas iha Timor-Leste, Governu Timor-Leste, ohin loron lansa programa intervensaun nutrisaun iha komunidade hodi apoia prestasaun servisu prevensaun, deteksaun no tratamentu sedu ba malnutrisaun iha nivel komunidade, ho alvu liu ema na’in 23,000 husi labarik sira ne'ebé menus husi tinan lima iha Munisipiu Baucau no Viqueque.

Programa ne'e, finansia husi Governu Reinu Unidu no ne’ebé sei implementa liuhusi UNICEF, sei kontribui ba fortalesimentu kompetênsia no kapasidade husi Grupu Suporta Inan, atu identifika kazu malnutrisaun no mós atu apoia kuidador-sira ho koñesimentu kona-ba prátika prinsipál kuidadu nutrisaun ba labarik-sira. 

“Ita hein katak liu husi programa ne’ebé mak lansa hamutuk ona husi Governu Timor-Leste, Governu Reinu Unidu no UNICEF, sei ajuda atu reduz no ajuda atu prevene kazu malnutrisaun sira iha nasaun ne’e,” hateten S.E. Dra. Elia A. A. dos Reis Amaral, Ministra Saúde, Timor-Leste.

Maske iha progresu di'ak kona-ba kombate malnutrisaun iha Timor-Leste, dezafiu sira kontinua iha nafatin, no malnutrisaun nafatin sai hanesan ameasa boot liu-liu ba labarik sira-nia sobrevivénsia no dezenvolvimentu. Tuir fonte dadus nasionál, porsentu 47 husi labarik sira hotu ne'ebé menus husi tinan lima mak ra’es badak iha sira-nia dezenvolvimentu fíziku no kognotivu, enkuantu porsentu 8.6 husi labarik mak ho malnutrisaun aguda. Kazu malnutrisaun iha Munisipiu Baucau no Viqueque aas liu média nasionál, ho pursentu 49 no pursentu 48 husi labarik sira ne'ebé menus husi tinan lima mak ra’es badak, enkuantu pursentu 72 no pursentu 59 mak hetan anemia respektivamente.

Prátika fó han ne'ebé ki'ik no sub-optimal hanesan inisiasaun fó-susubeen inan tarde, prátika fó-susubeen inan eskluzivu ne’ebé menus ba labarik ho idade menus husi fulan 6, kuñesimentu ne’ebé sei menus atu eskolla ka hili ai-han no tratamentu ijiéniku hodi prepara hahan, kontribui ba taxa malnutrisaun ne'ebé aas.

Liu husi programa ne'e, Membru Grupu Suporta Inan nain 1000 sei simu abilidade no koñesimentu hodi hala'o akonsellamentu no promosaun regulár, ezaminasaun, referál no akompañamentu ba kazu malnutrisaun iha munisípiu rua. Aleinde ne'e, membru sira husi Grupu Suporta Inan sei simu treinamentu kona-ba kolesaun dadus, relatóriu no rejistu uja plataforma online iha tempu reál hanesan KoboCollect.

"Voluntariu sira husi Grupu Suporta Inan sai ona instrumentu hodi fornese servisu saúde ba ema sira iha área hirak ne'ebé susar atu hetan asesu, no asegura katak la'iha ema ida tan mak husik hela iha kotuk ka la simu intervensaun salva-vida ne'ebé mak sei implementa. Tanba ne'e UNICEF valoriza kolaborasaun ida-ne'e ho Ministériu Saúde no Gabinete Estranjeiru, Commonwealth & Dezenvolvimentu Reinu Unidu ninian, hodi hametin mekanizmu sira ne'ebé salva-vida no sustentável  iha komunitária hodi prevene no responde ba malnutrisaun," dehan Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, Reprezentante País UNICEF iha Timor-Leste. 

Programa ne’e lansa durante vizita husi S.E. Rt. Hon. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Ministra Estadu Reinu Unidu ba Indo-Pasífiku ba Timor-Leste. Durante vizita, S.E. Rt. Hon. Anne-Marie Trevelyan hasoru malu ho membru komunidade sira iha Suku Manleuana iha Dili, ne’ebé nia hetan oportunidade atu kumpriende servisu balun husi Grupu Suporta Inan, no oinsa Reinu Unidu bele apoia Governu Timor-Leste kona-ba hadi’ak saúde no nutrisaun liu husi servisu hamutuk ho ninia parseiru internasional sira. 

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