Timor-leste Achieves Historic Malaria-free Status

The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Timor-Leste arsenic malaria-free, a singular accomplishment for a state that prioritized nan illness and embarked connected a concerted, nation-wide consequence soon aft gaining independency successful 2002.

WHO congratulates nan group and authorities of Timor-Leste connected this important milestone. Timor-Leste's occurrence proves that malaria tin beryllium stopped successful its tracks erstwhile beardown governmental will, smart interventions, sustained home and outer finance and dedicated wellness workers unite."

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General

With today's announcement, a full of 47 countries and 1 territory person been certified arsenic malaria-free by WHO. Timor-Leste is nan 3rd state to beryllium certified successful nan WHO South-East Asia region, joining Maldives and Sri Lanka which were certified successful 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Certification of malaria elimination is granted by WHO erstwhile a state has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that nan concatenation of indigenous transmission has been interrupted nationwide for astatine slightest nan erstwhile 3 consecutive years.

"We did it. Malaria has been 1 of our astir relentless enemies – silent, persistent, and deadly. We mislaid excessively galore lives to a illness that should beryllium preventable. But our wellness workers ne'er gave up, our communities held strong, and our partners, for illustration WHO, walked beside us. From 223 000 cases to zero – this elimination honours each life mislaid and each life now saved. We must safeguard this triumph pinch continued vigilance and organization action to forestall malaria's re-entry," said Dr. Élia António de Araújo dos Reis Amaral, SH, Minister of Health, Government of Timor-Leste.

A accelerated displacement from precocious load state to malaria-free

Since gaining independency successful 2002, Timor-Leste has made singular strides successful nan fight against malaria – reducing cases from a highest of much than 223 000 clinically diagnosed cases successful 2006 to zero indigenous cases from 2021 onwards.

Timor-Leste's occurrence successful eliminating malaria was driven by nan Ministry of Health's swift action successful 2003 to found nan National Malaria Programme, a dedicated programme for planning, implementing, and monitoring malaria power efforts nationwide. With only 2 full-time officers initially, nan programme was capable to laic nan instauration for advancement early connected done beardown method leadership, managerial capacity and attraction to detail.

Within a fewer years, nan state introduced accelerated diagnostic tests and artemisinin-based operation therapy arsenic portion of nan National Malaria Treatment Guidelines and began distributing free long-lasting insecticide treated nets to communities astir astatine risk.

In 2009, pinch support from nan Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Timor-Leste scaled up nationwide vector power efforts done nan distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying. Malaria test was besides expanded utilizing microscopy and accelerated diagnostic tests astatine nan constituent of attraction crossed each section wellness posts.

Facing nan challenges of terrible shortages of wellness workers and doctors, Timor-Leste made investments and developed its three-tier wellness strategy – comprising nationalist hospitals, reference hospitals, organization wellness centers (CHCs), and wellness posts – to guarantee astir residents tin entree attraction wrong an hour's walk. Additionally, citizens are provided pinch free wellness services astatine nan constituent of care, arsenic portion of nan government's argumentation connected free cosmopolitan wellness care. Monthly mobile clinics and organization outreach programmes further heighten wellness services successful agrarian areas.

Timor-Leste's occurrence successful combating malaria highlights nan value of state activity and beardown collaboration betwixt nan Ministry of Health, WHO, section communities, non-governmental organizations, donors, and aggregate authorities sectors. A real-time integrated case-based surveillance strategy ensures accelerated information postulation and response, while trained wellness workers guarantee timely discovery and screening of malaria cases, including astatine borders. These integrated efforts person paved nan measurement for nan state to beryllium officially certified malaria-free.

"Timor-Leste's malaria-free certification is simply a defining nationalist triumph – driven by bold leadership, tireless efforts of wellness workers, and nan resoluteness of its people. As a young nation, Timor-Leste stayed focused – testing, treating, and investigating swiftly. Ending transmission and maintaining zero deaths takes much than science; it takes grit. This triumph protects generations, coming and future, and shows what a wished state tin achieve," said Dr. Arvind Mathur, WHO Representative to Timor-Leste.