Nutrition program
Fighting malnutrition by upskilling nutrition specialists
One in two children under 5 in Timor-Leste are stunted by malnutrition
Timor-Leste child malnutrition rates are among the highest in the world.
Through education and support, Timor-Leste has done amazing work in halving the child malnutrition rate in the last 20 years.
However there is more work to be done. One in five children presenting to Timor-Leste’s community health centres have moderate to severe malnutrition.
The health of pregnant women also affects the health of their babies, with 23% of women of reproductive age (15 – 49 years) are anaemic due to malnutrition.
Malnutrition lowers the immune systems and increases the risk of infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis.
What are we doing?
Upskilling nutrition specialists
We host regular nutrition networking events that allow upskilling and peer learning of nutrition workers.
One of the key challenges when it comes to nutrition in Timor-Leste is finding culturally appropriate ways of nutrition education.
By facilitating these evenings we enable nutrition specialists to share the most effective strategies for combating malnutrition.
In 2022 we:
Held 4 networking events for nutrition specialists
Strengthening the malnutrition referral system
We identified that severe cases of malnutrition that were sent to hospital weren’t always getting the ongoing treatment needed.
We work with the Ministry of Health, Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares (HNGV) and five Community Health Clinics to strengthen the referral and follow up system for children at risk of or suffering from malnutrition.
This ensures that children get the ongoing treatment and support needed to recover completely and decrease relapse.
In 2022 we:
Referred 63 children with severe malnutition
Latest Nutrition News
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
There is so much to be done and we desperately need to reduce malnutrition rates
Abertina Belo Nutrition Coordinator and the Community Health Centre, Becora On first meeting Mana* Bety, seems a shy and quiet woman, but you can feel
Nutrition Program – 2021 & beyond – How you could help
Nutrition Program – 2021 and beyond An important program still in its early development stages. A major opportunity to address very significant needs of vulnerable
Who we work with on this program?
Timor-Leste Ministry of Health
Little Lives
FUNDING PARTNER
Nick Francourt - Paediatrician & Health Systems Epidemiologist
FUNDING PARTNER
The nutrition team
Sanjay Mathew
Grant and Monitoring and Evaluation Manager
Dentist - Doctor - Grants - Logistics - Mentor - Nutrition - Operations - Oral Health - Timor Team
Elisa Frania H. V. Soares
Nutrition Educator
Octaviana Nunes Tavares
Nutrition Healthcare Worker
How your donation helps
A little goes a long way to improving health in Timor-Leste
Run a referral pathway project
$45 p/m
in 12 months
covers the cost of running a referral pathway project in a community health centre.
Nutrition Networking Meeting
$113 p/m
in 12 months
covers the cost of running a nutrition networking meeting.
Nutrition Training Video
$1,250
once
covers the production cost of a high-quality nutrition training resource.