Did you know that as many as one in two children under the age of 5 in Timor-Leste are stunted by malnutrition?
For those of us in developed nations with full fridges and lunchboxes, it’s almost impossible to imagine the sheer scale of the challenge malnutrition poses when it comes to the healthy development of the next generation of Timorese children. With child malnutrition rates among the highest in the world, this urgent need is a huge area of focus for our work at Maluk Timor.
The last twenty years have seen incredible work take place in this healthcare area through education and support, but we’re not there yet. With one in five children who present to the community health centres in Timor-Leste diagnosed with moderate to severe malnutrition, this is an issue our healthcare workers are facing daily.
Malnutrition also has a carry-on effect when present in pregnant women. With 23% of women who are within their reproductive windows anaemic as a result of malnutrition, this wide-spread issue can create increased health risks within Timorese newborns throughout pregnancy and birth.
Like many health issues in Timor-Leste, Maluk Timor’s passionate team responds with a wide range of programs, initiatives and strategic operations. Working in partnership with our local team and international supporters, we’re working to combat the long-term impact of stunting on children and communities.
How does stunting impact children and communities over the long term?
Stunting may not be a term you’ve heard before, but you’re more than likely familiar with its impact. Defined as ‘the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation’ by the World Health Organization, stunting can occur during a crucial stage of growth and development within a young child’s life. If a child isn’t able to receive the nutrition they need to grow healthily throughout this period, the consequences can be life-long.
These consequences can include:
- A heightened risk of illness and death
- Delays in mental development and potentially reduced intellectual capacity
- Weakened immune systems
- Greater risks of health problems occurring throughout pregnancy and childbirth
- Emotional and mental impact, including an increased risk of anxiety or other psychiatric symptoms
With such irreversible consequences, addressing the wide-spread issue of stunting in Timorese children is an urgent priority within Maluk Timor.
What Maluk Timor’s doing to reduce the impact of stunting on Timor-Leste communities
Addressing malnutrition and stunting in Timor-Leste requires a long-term, multi-sectoral approach. Maluk Timor is committed to building local capacity and embedding nutrition-focused interventions within existing healthcare services and community initiatives. Our key strategies include:
Workforce Development for Nutrition Specialists
Rather than running stand-alone nutrition programs, Maluk Timor integrates nutrition education within broader health workforce development. Through in-service training, digital learning, and hands-on mentoring, we equip healthcare workers with essential skills such as anthropometric assessments, nutrition counseling, and breastfeeding support. These efforts ensure that nutrition remains a core component of patient care across various health services.
Embedding Nutrition into Health Services
Maluk Timor strengthens practical nutrition interventions within its maternal and child health and infectious disease programs. Our approach includes:
- Training healthcare workers to incorporate nutrition-focused assessments and counseling into routine care.
- Supporting nutrition interventions for at-risk groups, such as tuberculosis patients, by integrating nutrition into broader disease management.
- Developing guidelines and educational materials to enhance nutrition practices within existing healthcare services.
Community-Based Nutrition Interventions
Recognizing that nutrition is a community issue, Maluk Timor supports local health volunteers (Promotor Saude Familiar – PSF) in delivering maternal and child nutrition education. Our initiatives include:
- Cooking demonstrations and food security awareness to promote the use of locally available, nutrient-rich foods.
- Training PSFs to provide basic nutrition education and breastfeeding support, especially for mothers and young children.
- Aligning interventions with national strategies to empower communities with sustainable nutrition practices.
Looking to the future
The causes for widespread malnutrition in Timor-Leste are complex, including issues with food security, low income rates, low levels of agricultural production, and interrupted access to health services. As a young nation that’s still in the midst of recovering from decades of violent conflicts, Timor-Leste voted for independence in 1999. While this marked a turning point for this beautiful nation, one of the most urgent challenges it faced as it rebuilt was the development of a health system that could support its population over complex geographical territories.
We continue to work in close collaboration with local and international partners to take a holistic approach to fighting the long-term impact of stunting on Timorese children and their communities. We’ve been hard at work since 2006 in Timor-Leste, bringing our networks of experienced international medical professionals and expanding healthcare access beyond the single clinic we began with. Our training, technology, materials and mentorship continue to play a pivotal role in building a strong, sustainable healthcare system, one that’s equipped to fight the challenge of stunting and malnutrition for Timor-Leste’s future. With your help, we can support even more Timorese children in reaching their full, healthy potential. Learn more about how your donation can fight the devastating impact of stunting and malnutrition in Timor-Leste, and join our global family – our Maluk!