OUR PROGRAMMES

OUR PROGRAMMES - Timor Leste

The World Health Organization estimates that 8-10% of the population of 830,000 of Timor Leste have disabilities.

TLM has supported leprosy control work and Prevention of Disabilities since 1991 working alongside government health staff and other NGOs.
When Timor Leste finally became independent from Indonesia the government inherited a desperate leprosy situation with the highest leprosy prevalence in the world. TLM has been working closely with the Timor Leste Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation to improve the ability of the local health services to diagnose and treat leprosy as well as raise awareness of leprosy in local communities.

At the beginning of 2005 the overall leprosy prevalence was 4.8 per 10,000 population compared to the WHO target of 1 per 10,000. In Oecussi Province the prevalence rate was 71.8 per 10,000. In addition, the disability rate at diagnosis of over 20% is a grave concern. Progress is being made and health teams are getting into the more remote areas of the country but it will be some years before leprosy can be considered to be under control. (This development is 100% funded by you, our loyal New Zealand supporters – thank you on behalf of the Timorese.)

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