DILI, 24 February 2025 (TATOLI) – 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, KIMURA Tetsuya and Country Representative of UNICEF in Timor-Leste, Patrizia DiGiovanni, to Vice-Minister for Institutional Strengthening in Health, 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 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.
TATOLI
