Government of Timor-Leste

The Ministry of Health organised a national seminar on sanitation and hygiene, in Hotel Timor, in Dili, on April 27^th, 2016. The aim was to discuss the access of Timorese people to sanitation.

The Director-General of Services Provision, Odete Maria Viegas, stated that "the majority of Timorese population already has access to sanitation and hygiene, but there is still a minimum percentage which still doesn’t have this access".

The Ministry assumes the great commitment to increase this percentage and strengthen the health of all Timorese, giving importance to cleanness and sanitation in the construction of a strong country. The Municipality of Bobonaro will serve as example. The authorities and the population have already a cleanness and sanitation coverage of 47%, which within nine months will reach 92%, informed the Director-General.

"The Government appreciated the change that took place in the Municipality of Bobonaro, which managed to achieve its goals or Alpha dreams (Ária La soe Foer boot Arbiru - area that has toilets). All houses should have access to sanitation and hygiene and, thus, the Ministry of Health has asked all Municipality Administrators to embrace the initiative of Bobonaro," explained Odete Maria Viegas.

She also spoke of the strategic goal of inter-sectorial action on health well-being, which is relevant to the plan of the Sixth Constitutional Government, and to fortify the well-being on the health of Timor-Leste, through the common understanding of the meaning of public health.

In addition, in a joint action, Government and community will solve the problems in the population's health determinants, according to a vision for Timor-Leste in 2020 called "Ita-nia Nasaun Ita-nia Futuru" [Our Nation, Our Future].

"All communities have agreed that every family should work with local authorities to, together, build sanitation and hygiene care", stressed the Director-General.

Timor-Leste and the international community have agreed with the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Objective 6 [drinking water and sanitation], which says that all people should have sustainable access to sanitation and hygiene, so that in 2030 it can reach "improved sanitation", as set out in the national Strategic Development Plan.