About St John of God Health Care

Timor-Leste

Through our international healthprograms, St John of God Health Care is supporting the Timorese government tobuild healthcare capacity through sustainable, long term development programs.

With more than 40 per cent of itspopulation living below the poverty line, the United Nations recognisesTimor-Leste as one of the poorest countries in the world.

For the Timorese people, poornutrition, high infant mortality and low life expectancy are a dailyreality and there is unequal access to adequate health services, clean waterand sanitation.

We are proud to have been workingwith Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Health to build healthcare capacity since 2004.

AboutTimor-Leste

The Democratic Republic ofTimor-Leste became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century when itdeclared independence in May 2002.

A former colony of Portugal, thecountry is emerging from an oppressed, turbulent and difficult past sinceinvasion and occupation by Indonesia in 1975.

The nation is committed torebuilding its infrastructure and health sector, which were long neglected byoccupying powers.

Healthcarein Timor-Leste

According to Organisation forEconomic Co-operation and Development figures, healthcare accounts for just 1.3per cent of Timor-Leste’s gross domestic product (GDP) – the lowest percentageof GDP health spend in the world.

In 1999, 80 per cent of the healthmanagers in Timor-Leste and all but 20 of its doctors left the country. Notsurprisingly, a recent functional analysis of the health sector stated that themanagerial capacity of the health sector was extremely low.

For the population of Timor-Lestelife remains hard. Most deaths are related to infections, tropical disease,malnutrition, complications in pregnancy or birth. Due to poor quality healthprovision and patient outcomes, there has historically been a mistrust ofhealthcare practitioners and facilities. This often translates into patientsseeking help too late into the course of their illness.

Howwe’re helping make a difference

Through our Pathology Development Program and Nursing Development Program, we are working withthe Timorese to build healthcare capacity at the country’s national hospital,and only teaching hospital, the Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares.