Timor-Leste Health Improvement Project (USAID)

Implemented in the districts of Oecusse, Manatuto, and Ermera, the Timor-Leste Health Improvement Project (HIP) built the capacity of primary health care providers at the district, sub-district, and community levels to improve services for women of reproductive age and children.

JSI implemented HIP with Burnet Institute and Menzies School of Health Research, building upon six years of successful USAID-funded support to Timor-Leste in the areas of basic health services strengthening.

The Health Improvement Project worked in close collaboration with the MOH to:

• Improve the integrated service delivery of primary health care, especially for reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child health, and family planning. The project accomplished this through the Ministry of Health's service delivery sites.
• Improve reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health behaviors and outcomes.
• Increase community engagement in SISCa, especially around maternal, neonatal, child health, and family planning issues.

JSI provided technical assistance to accomplish the following six core principles and components of primary health care: 1) strong leadership and government in human rights for health, 2) prioritization of cost-effective interventions, 3) establishing an interactive and integrated culture of community engagement, 4) providing an integrated continuum of care at the community level, 5) supporting skilled and equipped health workers at all levels of the health system, and 6) creating a systems cycle of feedback using data to inform health care.

The project encouraged coordination and collaboration within the health sector and ensured that USAID and World Health Organization best practices were used and promoted and that appropriate opportunities were provided within Timor-Leste to share and disseminate health information and lessons learned.