Maternal & Child Health
Empowering Timorese to improve the health of women and girls
We are working to champion empowerment and improved health of Timorese women and girls especially in rural areas
Our Program currently focuses on supporting rural communities on Ataúro Island.
Remote and mountainous, Ataúro is separated from the capital Dili by 25km of sometimes rough sea. Women and girls on Ataúro have limited access to healthcare and health education.
What are we doing?
Training community health workers (PSF's)
PSFs (Promotor Saúde Familiar) are the Community Health Workers of Timor-Leste. They deliver health promotion, refer sick community members to healthcare facilities, and support national health program implementation.
We upskill PSFs in maternal health, infectious diseases and chronic diseases.
PSFs help their communities access accurate, clear health education.
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 healthcare facilities.
In 2022 PSF's:
Conducted 651 community health promotion sessions
Hakbiit Familia Clubs
Through our Hakbiit Familia Program we follow a community development approach. Through upskilling the PSFs, we enable them to mobilise their community in order to share important health information for a healthy community.
The Hakbiit Familia Clubs cover topics about maternal health (health in pregnancy, benefits of breastfeeding etc.) as well as domestic violence, child protection and disability inclusion.
in 2022:
Our clubs were attended by 8,533 community members
Upskilling and supporting community birth attendants
Lack of access to health facilities increases the risk of infections and maternal and child death.
We train CBAs to recognise possible danger signs during pregnancy, during delivery and after delivery. CBAs help women to make a safe plan for their delivery, and to refer them to pre-natal and post-natal check-ups.
Our gratitude to Australian Catholic University for their support in this training activity.
In 2022:
We upskilled 67 community birth attendents
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Sitting down with Dr Jeremy
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Who we work with on this program?
Timor-Leste Ministry of Health
New Zealand Embassy
Australian Catholic University
The Womens Health and Social Care team
Jayasooriya Arachchige Sanduni Tharuka Perera (Soni)
Head of Finance and Operations
Michelle Wilson
CEO
Your donation helps empower women
A little goes a long way to improving women's health in Timor-Leste
Transport to Atauro
$250 /m
Covers the full transport costs to get all our staff into the remote Arturo island.
Social care worker
$600 /m
Covers the cost of an additional social care worker.