Category: Women’s Health

Behind Every Healthy Child Is a Supported Mother: Strengthening Care in Timor-Leste

Mother holding her baby while receiving a blood pressure check during a community healthcare visit in Timor-Leste.

Just like in every country around the world, the health of Timorese children is directly connected to the wellbeing of their mother. From the very first stages of pregnancy throughout childhood, mothers are often the first point of call in nurturing, protecting, and guiding their children through critical stages of development. This privilege and responsibility […]

Supporting Midwives and Nutritionists to Deliver Safer Maternal and Newborn Care in Remote Communities

Midwife measuring a young girl’s upper arm circumference during a community health check, supporting maternal and newborn care in a remote setting

In remote regions of Timor-Leste, pregnancy and childbirth experiences are directly shaped by geography, access, culture and infrastructure. Steep mountainous terrain, limited transport options, and low health literacy mean that essential maternal, newborn and nutritional care can be difficult to access in many remote communities. As a result, mothers and newborns can experience entirely preventable […]

How Veronica is Strengthening Maternal and Child Health in Timor-Leste

Portrait of Veronica, a community health worker in Timor-Leste, supporting maternal and child health initiatives in a rural setting

In many rural parts of Timor-Leste, access to healthcare is constrained by distance, difficult roads, and limited infrastructure. For pregnant women and young children, this can mean that access to vital antenatal care is limited or unavailable. Pregnant women are also left to give birth at home without skilled attendants, often going months without nutrition […]

Healing the Wounds of the Past: Addressing Mental Health in Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste’s road to independence was fraught with decades of conflict, including a brutal Indonesian occupation and violent unrest. The trauma from these events has left deep psychological scars, leading to widespread mental health challenges that remain largely unaddressed. Maluk Timor is at the forefront of change, integrating mental health services into primary care to ensure […]

Empowering Women in Timor-Leste: The Role of Maternal and Child Health Training

Introduction In Timor-Leste, where access to quality healthcare is limited, women and children are among the most vulnerable. High maternal and infant mortality rates have long plagued the nation, exacerbated by a lack of trained healthcare professionals. Recognizing the need for targeted intervention, Maluk Timor has implemented maternal and child health training programs that not […]

Sitting down with Dr Jeremy

Last month, Maluk Timor was lucky to have a visit from some of the Australian Board and some volunteers to our office in Dili.  Dr Jeremy Beckett, the previous CEO and current Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee for Maluk Timor, was part of this group. We had a chance to sit down to talk […]

PSF – Ears, Eyes and Voice of the Community

PSFs (Promotor Saúde Familiar/Family Health Promoter) are volunteer Community Health Workers in Timor-Leste. They deliver health promotion, refer sick community members to healthcare facilities, and support national health program implementation. They address preventable causes of disease, through educating their community on healthy behaviours. They sometimes make the crucial link between their community and the national […]

Helping equip Timorese women with knowledge for a healthier pregnancy

This year, Maluk Timor equipped 10 community birth attendants (CBAs) with partus wheels for use in their rural communities. We are excited to train another 10 and distribute the remaining wheels when travel conditions allow. A partus wheel is a low-cost, manually-operated tool that helps anyone estimate when a pregnancy is due. With a little teaching, women can use this tool to […]