On September 19th, 2023, the Minister of Health, Elia A.A. dos Reis Amaral, held a bilateral meeting with the Cuban Minister of Health, José Angel Portal Miranda, in New York, United States of America.
During the meeting, the Minister of Health expressed her sincere gratitude to the Government of Cuba, Timor-Leste’s sister nation, for the support it has given Timor-Leste over time in healthcare. This cooperation began with a meeting between the former President of the Republic of Cuba, Fidel Castro, and the then President of the Republic, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2003.
Thanks to the cooperation between both countries, training more than a thousand doctors and twenty-nine medical specialists has been possible.
The Minister of Health reiterated the 9th Constitutional Government’s commitment to prioritising human resources development in the health sector through cooperation with Cuba, covering specialisations and other relevant areas. 
Elia Amaral is in New York to participate in the High-Level meetings on health, which are taking place as part of the 78th United Nations General Assembly. The High-Level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response will take place on September 20th, universal health coverage will be discussed on September 21st, and the High-Level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis will occur on September 22nd.
These meetings allow member states to boost political support and promote multi-stakeholder approaches to pandemic prevention and response. The discussion on universal health coverage aims to renew efforts to guarantee health for all, serving as a basis for policies to strengthen health systems. The meeting on tuberculosis seeks to review the objectives set out in the 2018 Political Declaration of the first High-Level General Assembly on Tuberculosis, identifying gaps and solutions to accelerate progress in the fight against tuberculosis by 2030.
The Timorese delegation to the 78th United Nations General Assembly is led by the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, and includes The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas. The President of the Republic will deliver his speech at the event on September 21st.