DILI, 12 december 2022 ( TATOLI)– The United Nations Development Fund ( UNFPA) together with the Ministry of Health ( MoH) today held a workshop to share the Standardization Guidelines and Protocol for Antenatal Care ( ANC) and Post Natal Care ( PNC) and Family Planning Policy at the National level.
Speaking at today’s workshop Representative of UNFPA, Perssia Arifin Cabo, stated that Timor-Leste is one of the highest maternal mortality ratios (MMR) in Asia.
Arifin Cabo’s statement following the 2016 report of the Timor-Leste Demographic Health Survey which highlighted 195 deaths per 100,000 live births.
“Although this result shows a reduction of MMR from 557 deaths per 100,000 live births in DHS 2010, this number remains unacceptably high globally,” Representative of UNFPA, Pressia Arifin Cabo told TATOLI at the Mahoca Building, Surik- Mas, Dili on monday.
She explained that the maternal mortality report in 2019 and 2020 identified that around 67% and 68% of all maternal deaths have antenatal care.
“With no standardized guidelines and protocols on antenatal care and postnatal care in the country, ensuring the quality of services for mothers and babies will still be a major challenge,” She said.
Concerning the reality in this country, Cabo added that this workshop provides a platform for important healthcare functions, including health promotion, screening and diagnosis, and disease prevention.
“By implementing timely and appropriate evidence-based practices, antenatal care can save lives,” she said
She also emphasized that the postnatal period is a critical phase in the lives of mothers and newborn babies where most maternal and infant deaths occur. However, this time is the most neglected period for the provision of quality care.
UNFPA supports the Ministry of Health in leading the development of the national standard guidelines and protocols for antenatal care and postnatal care, with joint technical support from WHO and UNICEF.
“These guidelines were launched on February 4th, 2022 by the Minister of Health, and today we are disseminating these guidelines at the national level and will continue the dissemination including orientation training for all health care providers working in maternal and child health areas in municipality level,” she added.
Having national standard guidelines and protocols on antenatal care and postnatal care is essential to ensure the quality of services and to help improve the outcomes of pregnancy for mothers and babies.
UNFPA will continue to support the Ministry of Health in delivering quality health interventions to reduce maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in the country, improving the quality of service delivery in the area of maternal and newborn health, and also in other areas of Sexual and Reproductive Health such as family planning.
UNFPA Representative also emphasized that this event will also disseminate the family planning policy that was launched recently in September by the Minister of Health.
A comprehensive, inclusive, and forward-looking Family Planning Policy is fundamental to addressing the unmet need for family planning, realizing sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, as well as contribute to Timor-Leste’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ThereforUNFPA remains committed to the implementation of the Family Planning program and stands ready to support the inclusion of adolescents and young people, and marginalized populations in the family planning policy in Timor-Leste.
” We wish the Ministry of Health all the best with the dissemination of the policy and encourage its utilization, and monitoring,” she concluded.
At the same place, the Vice Minister of Health Bonifacio Maucoli appreciates the UNFPA which has always supported the Ministry of Health’s program during this time.
” On behalf of the Government through the Ministry of Health I thanked UNFPA in Timor – Leste for always supporting all the programs from the Ministry of Health, hope the Cooperation of both in the area of Health will be continued in the upcoming future,” he said.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia B.
