DILI, 23 april 2024 (TATOLI) – The inauguration of the Gleno Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) Centre of Excellence, equipped with trained health care providers and availability of essential medical and non-medical equipment mothers in Timor-Leste have newfound reasons to smile.
Despite commendable progress in enhancing maternal health, over 50% of mothers in the Country continue to deliver at home, putting their lives and the lives of their babies at risk.
Furthermore, the shortage of skilled birth attendants during pregnancy and childbirth remains a significant challenge in combating Timor-Leste’s high maternal and infant mortality rates, currently standing at 195 per 100,000 live births for maternal mortality ratio and 30 per 1,000 live births for infant mortality rate.
During the inaugural ceremony of the 5th Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) Centre in the Ermera municipality this week, Vice Prime Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino expressed deep concern over the high maternal mortality and morbidity rates in Timor-Leste. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to collaborating with strategic partners to address these statistics. Despite a notable reduction in the Maternal Mortality Rate according to the 2016 Demographic Health Survey of Timor-Leste, it remains distressingly high compared to other nations in South East Asia.
“The government’s dedication to decreasing Maternal and Neonatal Mortality is evidenced in our National Strategic Development Plan and the National Strategy Plan for the Health Sector 2011-2030. Operating in close partnership with development partners through the Ministry of Health, the government aims to reduce Maternal and Neonatal Mortality and morbidity rates in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He further mentioned,” said Assanami in a statement.
Since 2018, a total of 154 trainees, including 105 midwives and 49 doctors, have benefited from the Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) program. This initiative, effectively implemented by the Ministry of Health through the National Public Health Institute (INSP-TL), receives invaluable technical support from UNFPA. Additionally, five BEmONC centres have been successfully established in regions such as Liquica, Viqueque, Same, Atauro, and Ermera.
Merita Monteiro, President of the National Institute of Public Health, highlighted that, with technical support from UNFPA, health workers are now trained at serving mothers and babies in Community Health Centers and BEmONC centres.
Vice-Minister for Institutional Strengthening in Health, José dos Reis Magno, commended the contributions from partners and urged the community to utilize this center.
“We would like to thank our partners, particularly UNFPA, for their efforts in providing collaboration to establish this BEmONC centre. We will continue to collaborate with partners to ensure that we end maternal mortality in the country. We want all childbirths in the country to take place in health facilities established,” said Minister Magno
The Ministry of Health and UNFPA have jointly developed National Guidelines, while the National Institute of Public Health, with support from UNFPA, has crafted the curriculum and information package for doctors and midwives to reduce childbirth-related deaths.
The establishment of the BEmONC Centre of Excellence was made possible through generous contributions from the Australian Government to UNFPA through PHD, in close collaboration with UNICEF.
A beneficiary of the Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care training expressed confidence in serving the community better.
“I am among seven trainees from Gleno Community Health Center who participated in 26 days of intensive training. In 2023, we attended 551 deliveries and we effectively managed any complications that arose during the delivery in this Community Health Center. We thank our trainers, MoH, INSP-TL, UNFPA, and partners for their continued support to help mothers and newborn babies,’’ said Midwife Adelina Pereira Jorge
Timor-Leste still has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Asia, and the majority of those deaths are preventable.
Bruce Campbell, UNFPA Timor-Leste Country Representative stressed the need to strengthen the existing EmONC program.
“UNFPA, in close partnership with the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Public Health, continues to strengthen the capacity of the health personnel nationwide on EmONC. We also provide the necessary medical and non-medical equipment to apply their acquired knowledge and skills – and by doing that, contribute to our goal of zero preventable maternal deaths,” said Campbell. “We do hope that Gleno Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) center will be the 5th of 31 more certified BEmONC centers to come, with two more expected at the end of 2024.”
Journalist: Jose Belarmino de Sa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
