DILI, 10 April 2025 (TATOLI) – Around 11 thousand doses of measles and rubella vaccines, procured by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), have arrived in the country, said the Procurement Director of the National Institute of Pharmacy and Medical Products (INFPM), Sérgio Belo.
“We have received 10,850 doses of measles and rubella vaccines,” Belo told Tatoli in Dili.
He said that the vaccines would be distributed to health centers, health posts, and hospitals based on their requests.
Last year, the Government of Timor-Leste, through INFPM, made available one million US dollars for UNICEF to acquire these vaccines as well as other vaccines.
On July 21st, 2023, the Southeast Asia division of the World Health Organization declared Timor-Leste as one of two countries in the region to have eradicated rubella cases on its land, the other being Bhutan.
In 2028, Timor-Leste successfully eliminated measles and the country has managed to remain measles-free for more than six years.
WHO said that in Timor-Leste, the profound impact of vaccines on public health is undeniable: “Smallpox was eradicated in the 1980s, followed by polio in the 1990s. Maternal and neonatal tetanus were eliminated in 2012.”
Over the years, Timor-Leste has launched numerous immunization campaigns, including catch-up and supplementary drives. In 2015, a national campaign aimed to immunize 500,000 children against measles, rubella, and polio, achieving over 90% coverage, according to WHO.
In addition, to combat disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Timor-Leste initiated an integrated immunization campaign in January 2023, focusing on reaching zero-dose and dropout children. This endeavour significantly improved immunization coverage rates for various antigens compared to previous years.
TATOLI
