Maluk Timor has been lucky to receive some short-term funding from the Atlantic Institute, which is part of the Atlantic fellowship funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, for our HIV Programme. The project, “Maintaining continuity of clinical services for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in Timor-Leste, through the COVID-19 pandemic”, will support continuity of services provided at our HIV clinic.
Thankfully, Timor-Leste has a low number of HIV cases but they are increasing rapidly. The national health system is still building its coverage and quality of care for PLHIV. Maluk Timor operates an HIV clinic in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH), both to fill service gaps and to strengthen the national system.
People Living with HIV face many challenges in Timor-Leste. Keeping the service continuing during COVID has been an immense challenge, including effects on the wider economy and lockdowns that disproportionately affected people living with HIV.
Our HIV Clinic is the main care provider for an estimated 15% of all PLHIV in Timor-Leste. By collaborating with national stakeholders and bringing together international volunteers and experts, we deliver high quality of care aspiring to implement and demonstrate international best practices in Timor-Leste. In addition to filling service gaps, we strengthen the national system through providing HIV training workshops to a wide cross-section of the Healthcare workers. We also collaborate with multiple other stakeholders to develop guidance documents and perform policy advocacy.
Maluk Timor is grateful to the Atlantic Institute for supporting our important work on HIV in Timor-Leste
The Atlantic Institute supports Atlantic Fellows to learn and work across programs, borders and disciplines by providing the networks, architecture and resources to connect, learn and act to address the underlying systemic causes of inequity – locally and globally.
See more at www.atlanticfellows.org/the-atlantic-institute