In the years our Maluk Timor team has spent in Timor-Leste, we’ve had the privilege of seeing stronger healthcare continue to change the lives of Timorese families and communities. While progress has continued since independence was achieved in 2002, there are significant challenges that still face this beautiful growing nation – in particular, the challenge of ensuring all of Timor-Leste’s population have the same access to high-quality healthcare systems.
Alongside our direct healthcare programs, we’re focused on strengthening the country’s healthcare system by providing professional development programs for healthcare workers. This ongoing investment in continuous training, skills enhancement, and capacity building has supported the further capabilities of Timor-Leste’s healthcare workforce, developing resilience and skills that are crucial to meet the country’s ongoing needs.
Of course, this work isn’t easy – but it is rewarding. Here’s how we’re building stronger healthcare systems in Timor-Leste through this targeted professional development.
Why is professional development so important to Timor-Leste’s healthcare system?
Think of the last time you sat in a waiting room to see a medical professional – did you have any doubts about their capabilities?
No matter which country we live in, we all deserve access to high-quality healthcare that can support our families and communities to live safe, supported lives. In Timor-Leste, the sheer geographical challenges of the nation’s landscape can directly impact on the ability of its residents to reach that quality of healthcare for themselves. Crucial shortages have also had a significant impact on the country’s healthcare system, with simply not enough healthcare workers for the demands of the country’s population.
This is where professional development plays an integral role in the outcomes of Timor-Leste’s current and future healthcare system. By building bridges between healthcare needs and the abilities of the country’s healthcare workforce to meet them, we’re able to reduce the impact of training gaps, supply shortages, and geographical limitations, improving quality of life and health outcomes for Timorese people across the nation.
How we support professional development across Timor-Leste
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to meeting the professional development needs in Timor-Leste’s healthcare industry. At Maluk Timor, we take a strategic approach to enhancing and creating these professional development opportunities, building resources and knowledge capabilities across a wide range of healthcare professionals and practices. These include…
- Boosting digital literacy. Since digital tools are only playing more and more of a role in healthcare, our team has taken proactive steps to equip Timorese clinicians with critical digital literacy skills that improve their healthcare capabilities. As a result, healthcare workers across multiple municipalities have been able to make better use of online resources and tools in their daily work.
- The development of a primary care curriculum. Recognising the diverse healthcare needs in Timor-Leste, Maluk Timor has developed a comprehensive eight-part curriculum focusing on primary care. This curriculum serves to improve clinical competencies in key areas (including emergency care and non-communicable diseases) that often face healthcare workers in Timor-Leste on a daily basis. As a result, these healthcare workers are more prepared and equipped to deliver a higher quality of care.
- Engaging local leaders. Our holistic approach to community and healthcare development at Maluk Timor means we recognise the importance of collaboration. Our training programs aren’t developed in isolation – instead, we’ve worked closely with local healthcare leaders and clinicians who are key stakeholders in Timor-Leste’s healthcare system. As a result, we’ve been able to ensure that the programs we develop are not only relevant, but are directly tailored to address the unique, specific challenges Timor-Leste’s healthcare workforce face.
- Upskilling our trainers. High-quality training requires high-quality, enhanced clinical expertise. That’s why we’ve focused on upskilling our Health Professionals Development (HPD) team, ensuring our Maluk Timor team can deliver the highest quality of training to our Timorese healthcare partners.
- Assessing training needs. Effective training can’t be achieved without a clear understanding of what healthcare workers truly need. By conducting a thorough assessment of multiple health centres, we were able to identify critical and shared training needs. This led to the development of programs that are targeted to urgent issues in Timor-Leste’s healthcare system.
- Expanding staff development. In order to continually improve a nation’s healthcare system, its healthcare providers require access to continuous learning. We’ve developed a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) system that supports ongoing professional growth, meaning our staff can continue to develop their skills, remain up to date with the latest best practices, and channel that growing knowledge into achieving better patient outcomes.
In 2025, our work is continuing to expand across Timor-Leste. We’re focused on implementing a CPD in the area of Integrated Primary Health Care, creating more opportunities for professional development within the Timor-Leste healthcare system. An extensive consultation process will be the backbone of this critical work, resulting in a 100-day training package that will support Timorese healthcare workers to deliver high-quality healthcare to their communities.
Conclusion
The improvements in Timor-Leste’s healthcare system over years of dedicated, strategic work speak to a simple and powerful reality: when we invest in the growth and development of Timor-Leste’s healthcare professionals, those skills contribute to a more resilient future for the entire country. Our targeted professional development programs equip healthcare workers to make meaningful differences to the health of families and communities across the country every single day.
Maluk Timor has a global family of supporters working together to support this country’s growth. A little goes a long, long way to improving health in Timor-Leste, with just $300 covering the full cost of a 5-day training workshop for a doctor. You’re invited to join the Maluk Timor community and make a meaningful difference to the future of Timor-Leste’s healthcare, families, and communities.