DILI, 07 March 2025 (TATOLI) – WHO Representative in Timor-Leste, Arvind Mathur met with Vice-Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, and Minister of Tourism Francisco, Kalbuadi Lay, to discuss strengthening food safety and trade in Timor-Leste.
The discussion highlighted the country’s commitment to enhancing food safety standards, protecting public health, and supporting trade opportunities, particularly in the context of Timor-Leste’s recent accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its obligations under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement.
“A key focus of the meeting was the ongoing development of Timor-Leste’s Food Law, which aims to establish a robust legal framework to ensure food safety, protect consumers, and facilitate fair trade practices,” said in a statement released today.
Previously, Mathur said that Timor-Leste imports around sixty percent of its food supply “so food control enforcement is critical to ensuring that the country does not receive unsafe and fraudulent food products from importation.”
“Unsafe food is unfit for human consumption. It is therefore important for all of us to acknowledge the importance of food safety in our day-to-day lives,” said Mathur.
He said that WHO remains committed to supporting the Government of Timor-Leste in implementing strong food safety regulations for the well-being of all.
“Food safety is an important component of public health. Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. The consumption of unsafe food causes foodborne diseases, posing a greater risk to the vulnerable population, such as infants, children, elderly, the immunocompromised, as well as the malnourished,” Mathur stressed.
The WHO South-East Asia Region faces the second-highest health burden compared to other WHO regions due to the consumption of contaminated food. Each year, approximately 150 million illnesses and 175,000 deaths are recorded.
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