Primary healthcare in Baricafa and Bucoli, East Timor

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, this project is now fully funded.

For some people in isolated rural areas of East Timor, having basic health services would make all the difference in the world.

They live in the poorest country in Asia Pacific, where more than 40 percent of people live below the poverty line. Families can’t afford the most basic healthcare, and the rates of infant mortality are much higher than elsewhere in the region. People living in remote East Timor villages still struggle to access healthcare, and remain at great risk.

Children are particularly vulnerable, and at village meetings, mothers and community health volunteers have identified primary health projects as vital, and asked for assistance in rehabilitating two community health posts.

Benefiting children in isolated villages
Two villages – Baricafa and Bucoli – are extremely isolated, and in real need of health facilities. Baricafa is the poorest village in the local sub-district. There is a nurse and a midwife, but sometimes they are forced to dispense services from their homes. The nearest healthcare centre is several hours away by road.

A new health post in each village would make a tremendous difference to the people living there. Many of the most threatening diseases are preventable – malaria, TB, measles and typhoid could all be tackled if public education about them were provided, and medicine available.

Health posts in each village, staffed by trained health personnel and community volunteers, would have a huge impact on the rural area. Over 1,500 children under five live in Baricafa and Bucoli and the eight other nearby villages that would benefit from the two new health posts. The people in these rural areas currently struggle with very high infant mortality rates and poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS.

Tables, chairs, weighing scales

Basic equipment, like weighing scales, mean that health workers can monitor for malnutrition in children

The healthcare posts will be staffed to offer antenatal and postnatal care and health education. The needs are basic – the project needs everything from examinations beds, weighing scales and cabinets, to tables and chairs. The health centres will promote breastfeeding, and supply food to malnourished mothers and children. They will promote tetanus vaccinations for pregnant women and provide information on healthy nutrition.

Other services will include information on adolescent reproductive health and Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Through radio programmes and community theatre, local communities will be given information on preventing HIV/AIDS, childhood respiratory infections, dengue fever and other diseases.

Other outreach activities will include information to help local families improve their access to preventative health measures, like immunisations for children and prenatal consultations.

Working with the Ministry of Health, trained nurses and midwives in the new posts will tackle the high levels of malnutrition, iodine and vitamin A deficiency. 

Young people will be trained to pass on important health information to their peers, such as how to prevent HIV/AIDS

How you can help isolated families in rural Timor Leste
Help is needed to bring basic healthcare to these remote villages. Where four out of ten people have less than 33p a day to live on, for many families healthcare is a luxury they can’t afford. With your support, we can help more children to grow up strong, and provide them with a healthy future.

What’s needed are the materials to build the centres and provide them with basic equipment and furniture. The nurses and midwives will also need to be trained in a wide range of primary healthcare skills.

• £25 will provide basic equipment such as infant weighing scales
• £100 will pay for a public awareness campaign on issues like the need for vaccinations
• £400 will help pay for a solar panel for electricity

Local people’s participation is central to the success of the health posts, and village health committees will be set up in each community to help with mobilising local resources. These local representatives will play a vital role in formulating community health plans, and will support initiatives like mothers’ clubs and nutrition classes. Village health teams will maintain records so local officials can monitor the health projects’ progress.

This level of local involvement ensures communities have the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure that the health centres are maintained in the long-term. The feeling of pride and ownership that communities take from this participation ensures that they not only have the ability, but also the confidence and the desire to sustain projects, so that children and their families will benefit for years to come.

The new posts will bring basic healthcare to over 13,000 people. The local communities will provide the labour needed to build the village health centres, which will be equipped with solar electricity, latrine and water facilities.