UNICEF and Government of Japan handover 10 upgraded WASH facilities to improve hand hygiene and prevent infections at Community Health Centres

Dili, Monday 24th February 2025 - The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Government of Japan handed over 10 upgraded water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to the Ministry of Health, to support improved hygiene and sanitation practices at Community Health Centres (CHC) in Oecussi and Lautem. 

The facilities were handed over by Ambassador of Japan to Timor-Leste, H.E. Mr. KIMURA Tetsuya and Country Representative of UNICEF in Timor-Leste, Ms. Patrizia DiGiovanni, to Vice-Minister for Institutional Strengthening in Health, H.E. Mr. José dos Reis Magno.

The upgrades, which include the construction of outside handwashing stations, installation of boreholes and upgrades to water storage capacity, fitting of outdoor solar lighting, modifying of inclusive, segregated toilets and building of permanent trash bins, boost the facilities’ capacity to provide health services in clean and sanitary environments, benefitting more than 10 000 people from the various catchment communities of the health centres.

In addition, the CHCs have received Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) materials, which include waste collection bags, sterilizing and disinfection consumables, surface cleaning consumables, cleaning equipment and staff safety gear.

“Access to safe and clean water, sanitation and hygiene services, is critical to the delivery of services at health centres. These upgrades are a demonstration of our commitment to the health and safety of patients and health workers and helps to set WASH standards within the surrounding communities,” said H.E. José dos Reis Magno, Vice-Minister for Institutional Strengthening in Health.  

According to international evidence, appropriate hand hygiene prevents up to 50 per cent of avoidable infections acquired during the delivery of health services.  However, many facilities around the world still struggle to access basic facilities to wash their hands before attending to patients, or to dispose of medical waste in a sanitary manner. 

Recent observations during the COVID-19 response in 2020, revealed that most of the Community Health Centres in Timor-Leste lack running water throughout the day, while many have non-functional toilets and inadequate handwashing facilities. This exposes the patients and the health workers to multiple infections during a hospital visit or stay, and in turn reverses efforts to reduce hygiene-related illnesses such as diarrhea, malnutrition and Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI).

“Improving water and sanitation services at health facilities, is a cost-effective, long term public health intervention, which is instrumental in ensuring safer deliveries, reduced spread of infections and will ultimately help in ensuring better chances for children to survive and develop to their full potential.  UNICEF is grateful to the Government of Japan for this support to bring critical WASH services to the health centres,” said UNICEF Representative, Patrizia DiGiovanni. 

” Through our partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health, I am pleased that Japan can contribute to providing quality healthcare for the local communities. I hope that these facilities will be effectively utilized for many years to come,” said Ambassador of Japan, KIMURA Tetsuya.

This support from the Government of Japan, is part of a broader package of interventions aimed at addressing maternal, child and adolescent undernutrition in Timor-Leste. Other interventions under this grant include the distribution of Iron Folic Acid tablets to adolescent girls in Covalima, Lautem, Liquica and Manufahi municipalities and RAEOA, the upgrading of toilet facilities at eight schools in Lautem and Manufahi municipalities, provision of healthcare assistance and counselling for children, mothers, caregivers, and capacity building of the government.

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For more information pelase contact:
Ministry of Health:
Jose Baquita Costa Belo, Protocol Officer for Vice Minister 1, Ministry of Health
Mobile phone and WhatsApp: +670 7842 4058

UNICEF:
• Tapuwa Mutseyekwa, Espesialista Advokasia no Komunikasaun UNICEF, Telemovel - +670 77231103; Enderesu email – [email protected]  
• Antonio Gomes, Ofisial Komunikasaun, UNICEF, Telemovel - +670 77232441; Enderesu email - [email protected] 

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Tetun:

UNICEF no Governu Japaun entrega  fasilidade Bee, Saneamentu & íjiene (BESi) 10 ne'ebé mak hadi'a ona hodi hadi'a ijiene liman no prevene infesaun iha Sentru Saude Komunitaria.

Dili, Segunda 24 Fevereiru 2025 - Fundu Nasoins Unidas ba Labarik (UNICEF) no Governu Japaun entrega ona  fasilidade bee, saneamentu no instalasaun hamutuk 10 ne'ebé hadia ona  ba Ministériu Saude hodi suporta prátika ijiene no saneamentu ne'ebé di'ak iha Sentru Saúde Komunitaria (SSK) iha Oecussi no Lautem.

Fasilidade hirak-ne'e entrega husi Embaixador Japaun ba Timor-Leste, S.E. Sr. KIMURA Tetsuya no Reprezentante País UNICEF iha Timor-Leste, Sra. Patrizia DiGiovanni, ba Vise-Ministra Haforsa Institusional iha Saude, S.E. Sr. José dos Reis Magno.

Fasilidade hirak ne’ebé mak hadi'ak ona nee, mak hanesan  konstrusaun ba estasaun fase liman husi li'ur, instalasaun bee posu no hadi'a kapasidade armazenamentu bee nian, halo naroman solar iha li'ur, halo modifikasaun ba sentina inkluziva, haketak  no harii fatin lixu permanente sira, hasa'e kapasidade fasilidade sira atu fornese servisu saúde nian iha ambiente no sanementu ne'ebé mak moos , fo   benefísiu ba ema rihun 10 husi komunidade sira ne'ebé iha sentru saúde refere.

Aleinde ne'e, SSK sira simu ona materiál sira kona-ba Prevensaun no Kontrola Infesaun, ne'ebé inklui saku sira atu halibur lixu, sasán esterilizasaun no desinfesaun ne'ebé bele uza lalais  sasán sira ne'ebé bele truka , ekipamentu sira atu hamoos no ekipamentu sira ba protesaun  pesoál sira nian.

"Asesu ba bee-moos, saneamentu no servisu ijiene, importante tebes ba prestasaun servisu iha sentru saúde sira. Hadi'ak hirak-ne'e hatudu  ita-nia kompromisu ba saúde no seguransa ba pasiente no pesoál saúde sira-nian no ajuda estabelese padraun BESI iha komunidade sira-nia  leet," dehan S.E. José dos Reis Magno, Vise-Ministru ba Fortalesimentu Institusionál Saúde.

Tuir evidénsia internasionál, ijiene liman ne'ebé ho lolos  seiprevene no evita infesaun to'o porsentu 50  durante prestasaun servisu saúde. Maske nune'e, fasilidade barak iha mundu tomak sei luta nafatin atu asesu ba fasilidade báziku sira atu fase sira-nia liman molok atende pasiente sira, ka atu tarta  lixu médiku ho maneira sanitária.

Observasaun foin lalais ne'e durante resposta ba COVID-19 iha 2020 hatudu katak Sentru Saúde Komunitaria barak liu iha Timor-Leste mak falta bee-moos durante loron tomak, enkuantu barak iha sentina mak la funsionál no fasilidade fase liman ne'ebé la adekuadu. Ida-ne'e halo pasiente no pesoál saúde sira bele heatn  infesaun oioin durante vizita ka hela iha ospitál, no iha fatin seluk haka'as an atu hamenus moras sira ne'ebé relasiona ho ijiene hanesan diareia, malnutrisaun no Infesaun Respiratoria s Agudas (IRA).

"Hadia servisu bee no saneamentu iha fasilidade saúde sira, iha kustu ida ne’ebé mak efetivu, hanesan intervensaun saúde publika ida ba tempu naruk, ne'ebé importante liu hodi asegura partu ne'ebé seguru liu, hamenus ona infesaun sira ne’ebe mak bele transmite no ikus liu sei tulun asegura oportunidade di'ak liu ba labarik sira atu sobrevive no dezenvolve sira-nia potensialidade tomak. UNICEF agradese tebes ba Governu Japaun ba apoiu ida-ne'e hodi lori servisu BESI ne'ebé importante ba sentru saúde sira," dehan Reprezentante UNICEF, Patrizia DiGiovanni.

"Liuhusi ami-nia parseria ho UNICEF no Ministériu Saude ha'u kontente katak Japaun bele kontribui hodi fornese kualidade saúde ba komunidade lokál sira. Ha'u hein katak fasilidade hirak-ne'e sei uza ho efetivu ba tinan barak oin mai," dehan Embaixador Japaun, KIMURA Tetsuya.

Apoiu ida-ne'e husi Governu Japaun, hanesan parte ida husi pakote intervensaun ida-ne'ebé luan liu ho objetivu atu responde ba malnutrisaun inan, labarik no adolexente sira iha Timor-Leste. Intervensaun sira seluk ne'ebé hetan husi subsídiu ne'e inklui distribuisaun tabletas Asidu Folika Ferru ba labarik-feto adolexente sira iha munisípiu Covalima, Lautem, Liquiça, Manufahi no RAEOA, hadi'a instalasaun sentina iha eskola ualu iha munisípiu Lautem no Manufahi, fornese asisténsia no konsellu saúde ba labarik, inan, kuidador-sira, no kapasitasaun ba governu.
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Ba infiormasaun detallu, kontaktu:
Pontu fokál Ministériu Saúde:
Jose Baquita Costa Belo, Ofisial Protokolu Vise Ministru 1, Ministeriu Saúde 
Mobile phone and WhatsApp: +670 7842 4058

UNICEF:
• Tapua Mutseyekwa, Espesialista Advokasia no Komunikasaun UNICEF, Telemovel - +670 77231103; Enderesu email – [email protected]  
• Antonio Gomes, Ofisial Komunikasaun, UNICEF, Telemovel - +670 77232441; Enderesu email - [email protected]