Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and
Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste
Dili, July 20th, 2017
Government celebrates National Health Day
As well as being the date for the parliamentary elections, next Saturday the 22nd of July is also National Health Day. Events have been, and will continue to be undertaken throughout the month of July to celebrate this important day officially designated by Government Resolution in February this year.
For this first celebration of National Health Day the Ministry of Health has organized activities around the theme: “Bring health services to the family, bring people improved quality of life.” These activities include blood donations and check-ups in all hospitals, education and outreach initiatives through media, cultural and sporting events, a Scientific Seminar conducted on the 27th-28th of July, and presentations of recognition various awards for professional performance to workers in the health sector.
The 22nd of July was chosen as National Health Day in recognition of the launch of the “Health in the Family” program on this day in 2015. This program, which sends medical teams comprised of a doctor, midwife and nurse to every household in the nation is transforming primary health care in Timor-Leste. In May this year, Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo reported that medical teams had visited 94% of Timor-Leste’s households and had registered the details of 84% of the population at the individual level.
The mandate of the Sixth Constitutional Government has seen remarkable achievements in health including the National Immunization campaign for Measles, Rubella and Polio reaching over 96% of children under the age of 15, the introduction of the Tobacco Control Regime, the inauguration of the Eduardo Ximenes Regional Hospital in Bacuau, and the outstanding success of the National Malaria Program which now sees Timor-Leste moving from the ‘control phase’ to the ‘elimination phase’.
A major study launched at the United Nations last year and published in the medical journal the Lancet rated Timor-Leste as the most improved of 188 nations in the health-related Sustainable Development Goals index for the period 2000-2015.
Spokesperson, Minister of State Agio Pereira, noted “although National Health Day is overshadowed by our parliamentary elections this year, we still take the opportunity at this time to salute our health workers, celebrate our considerable achievements and renew our commitment to tackle the many challenges that remain as we seek to “bring health services to the family and bring people improved quality of life.”ENDS