Dili: Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão opened a unique health exhibition at the Presidential Palace in Dili to celebrate the 9th National Health Day. The exhibition, which was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and WHO Timor-Leste, showcased the country's significant progress in healthcare since gaining independence. The two-day event from July 19th to 20th attracted a large number of visitors from across the capital city.
From July 19 to 20, the vibrant health expo transformed the Presidential Palace into a wellness hub. Fifteen interactive stalls offered a one-stop shop for health information and services, from checking vital signs to learning about the latest disease prevention strategies.
“The exhibition was themed around priorities such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), maternal and childcare, nutrition, mental health, and climate change. It demonstrated the dedication of leadership and health personnel in ensuring all Timorese are healthy,” said WHO representative Dr Arvind Mathur. The event drew a diverse crowd,
including government officials, development partners, healthcare workers, and community members.
Visitors gained a deeper understanding of Timor-Leste's health progress, witnessing firsthand the nation's triumphs in eliminating diseases like polio and maternal tetanus since 2002 through the exhibits. The expo buzzed with activity as visitors flocked to a diverse array of stalls, leading to an extension of the event by two hours on the last day.
Mother and child: Future parents-to-be and young mothers found invaluable advice and support at the maternal and child health booth, where expert counseling and even on-the-spot ultrasounds were offered.
Nutrition: Nutrition took centre stage at the Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa'e (UNTL)-managed booth, as students transformed local ingredients into delicious and healthy meals. The Mother Support Group showed visitors how to prepare healthy food for babies and offered counseling on healthy diets.
Health System Strengthening Stall:
The HSS stall showcased the Ministry of Health's efforts to strengthen the country's health systems, enhancing national health programs and supporting smooth implementation of health services.
The three major highlights were illustrations on Skill Simulation Centres, Blood bank services, and expansion in Digital Health since 2017.
Some basic & advanced mannequins from the nationwide Skill simulation centres grabbed the eyeballs of visitors, with simple demonstrations on basic life support care and paediatric CPR.
The Blood bank team saw long, consistent queues as it offered free blood group testing besides education on the promotion of volunteer blood donations.
Third section of the stall shared live-demo of around 25 mobile applications developed to support COVID-19, dengue surveillance, maternal deaths, management of human resources etc.
The fourth and the last section of the stall displayed various policies, guidelines, and program-briefs released by the ministry to strengthen health services in Timor Leste.
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NCD: The non-communicable diseases stall saw significant traffic, offering checks on blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and Body Mass Index (BMI). The infectious diseases stall attracted young people eager to learn about transmissible diseases such as HIV and STIs. Additionally, oral health and eye care stalls provided consultations and distributed glasses, with continuous traffic throughout the event.
TB van: Apart from the stalls, a TB screening van was at the exhibition site, screening people at the Presidential Palace.
Climate Change and Environment Health: The stall was intended to raise public awareness on climate change and environment health, particularly on the impact of climate change on human health and demonstrate ways in which health facilities can be made more climate resilient and environmentally sustainable. The stall provided multiple attractive flyers on key topics and displayed a photobooth on Climate and health risks in Timor-Leste.