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Prevention of Dengue during the Rainy Season

Anticipating outbreaks of dengue disease in 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) has supported the Environmental Health Department within the Ministry of Health to conduct initial prevention activities in the dengue high risk areas. These activities include a) fogging using technical malathion; b) abate granule application to the water storage tanks; c) spraying lamdacyhalothrin to discarded tyres and small water containers in dengue high risk areas; d) awareness campaigns at the household level to increase knowledge on the importance of recognizing symptoms of dengue disease and early referral to the hospital and e) dengue vector breeding places elimination in the premises. These activities were initiated in early January and will continue throughout the month.

Identified dengue high risk areas in Dili district are Santa Cruz, Mascarinhas, Caicoli, Lahane barat dan timur, Comoro beto timur dan barat, Perumnas, Bairopite and Surikmas. The target in January for total number of households or families that were reached via the campaign was 4,562. The teams are composed of 5–9 volunteers that were in charge of either larviciding  or social mobilization of community through awareness raising.

External Review of the National Malaria Control Programme in Timor Leste

Dili, Timor Leste: 09 December 2011

An external review of the National Malaria control Programme in Timor Leste was carried out from 28^th November to 9^th of December 2011 jointly by a team of national and international experts. The objective of the review was to conduct a comprehensive in-depth review of the National Malaria Control Programme, Timor Leste and recommend measures to further strengthen the programme with a view to achieving national and global targets on MDG-6 related to malaria.

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WHO and the European Commission hands 20 Blue Trunk Libraries to the Ministry of Health

The Blue Trunk Library project was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be used in rural and district health centres in developing countries as a way to compensate for the lack of up-to-date health information.

Initially created in English and French, the Blue Trunk Library was extended to Portuguese in 2006 as health professionals from Portuguese-speaking countries have constantly expressed their need to receive health information in their own language.

Press Release English version

Press Release Portuguese version

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::Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde ePORTUGUÊSe

Timor-Leste Disabilities Working Group

 The Timor-Leste Disability Working Group (DWG) was set up in 2002 by five organizations interested in developing a training program for rehabilitation workers and in sharing knowledge, information and obstacles about rehabilitation and disability work. Since then other NGOs, Disabled Persons Organizations and government departments have become members.

Press Release

World Heart Day, 29 September 2011

Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is the world’s number one killer globally as well as in the South-East Asia Region. The theme for World Heart Day this year, “One World, One Home, One Heart”, is intended to remind individuals and families across nations to improve their heart health by choosing healthy lifestyles. This includes a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.  In the WHO South-East Asia Region, cardiovascular diseases cause an estimated 3.6 million deaths annually, or a quarter of all deaths due to all reasons.  Heart diseases are killing people at a relatively younger age in the Region; 27% of all deaths due to heart disease in the Region occur before the age of 60 years compared with 16% in the rest of the world. Heart diseases have a huge impact on the quality of life of the affected individuals and their families and are a major impediment to socioeconomic development. The majority of premature deaths due to cardiovascular disease are, however, preventable through simple measures aimed at healthy living.

See video link for A Human Interest Story on Cardiovascular Diseases