On 1 March 2024, the Vice-Minister for Institutional Strengthening of Health, José dos Reis Magno, and Acting USAID Director in Timor-Leste, Amy Partida, announced the award of a fund to the Association of Medical Doctors of Timor-Leste (AMTL).  Through this initiative, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and local medical doctors, AMTL will lead the development of the first competency standards and code of ethics for health professionals in Timor-Leste. The AMTL will also establish a committee to review and finalise the medical competency framework. 

As a professional medical association, AMTL’s mission is to unify medical doctors in a professional organisation, strengthen community healthcare provision, and establish professional standards for medical doctors.

During the ceremony, the Vice-Minister expressed the Ministry of Health’s commitment and full support for this initiative, calling on medical doctors to adopt it as a guiding framework for their daily medical practice in health facilities to improve community health. 

The Governor also emphasised the importance of establishing standards of competence and a code of ethics for medical doctors, considering them crucial advances in raising the standards of health services in the country.