The Ministry of Health has been developing some activities in view of the decrease of the maternal and child mortality rate, which presented concerning numbers in Timor-Leste.

In this way, the Government made an effort on continuous training for nurses and midwifes in the obstetric urgencies and specialized training of nurses in common illness management in children. There is a concern in distributing, equitably, the paediatricians and obstetric gynaecologists throughout all the national hospitals and more, in order verify an increase in the quality of the assisted deliveries and the IMCI – Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses, as well as the timely detection of illnesses. Acording to the Vice Minister of Health, Madalena Hanjam, these are distributed in 65 health centres.

There has also been an effort in prevention so there are funds for national vaccination campaigns with the purpose of reaching a larger area of the country.

Parallel to these efforts, there is a reinforcement of patient referral services. More ambulances and multifunction vehicles were acquired. The latter circulate in all the sub-districts and, when needed, are transferred to the ambulances who transfer the patient to the hospital. In high-risk cases, midwifes go to the households, which increases the proximity with the patient.

The Ministry of Health made available a training at SISCa (Community Health Integrated System) for around 600 persons during 6 months, between community leaders, suco chiefs, villages chiefs, community volunteers, youngsters and women scattered throughout the national territory. They are the ones who lead this program.

Another initiative to fight maternal and child mortality has to do with the introduction of nutritional supplements in the health centers and hospitals.

Besides these, Madalena Hanjam recognizes that, in what concerns mortality rate in general, the presence of the Cuban doctors throughout the whole country, who give medical assistance to the population, has contributed significantly to the decrease of the mortality rate. Non-Government Organizations, religious and private clinics have complemented the public services.

Even though in 2010 the number of deaths caused by non-contagious diseases and accidents may be high, the rate of child mortality decreased between 2006/7 and 2010. In 2006/7, for every 1000 persons there were 88 deaths recorded, while in 2010, the number of deaths decreased to half, 44 in 1000 children with less than 5 years.