WaterAid Timor-Leste handed over 14 Inclusive WASH facilities at Health Care Facilities to the Ministry of Health, Liquiçá Municipal Health Department

Loes Liquiçá, 16 May 2025 - WaterAid Timor-Leste handed over 14 inclusive water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities at the health care facilities in Liquiçá to the Ministry of Health particularly the Liquiçá Municipal Health Department.

The construction of these inclusive WASH facilities is designed to achieve the universal access to WASH facilities that are safe and inclusive, improving infection prevention and control in health care facilities. Including, improve the productivity of the health workers in delivering health services to the local community at the health care facilities, and more importantly for the Government to consider the O&M budget allocation for these inclusive WASH facilities at HCFs.

Handover ceremony in Loes Community Health Centre began with the Presentation of Accessibility Audit at the Inclusive Toilet Report by the Raes Hadomi Timoroan (RHTO) a Disabled People Organization. The report highlighted that the constructed inclusive toilet at the Loes Community Health Centre fulfilled the criteria of the accessibility to the people with disability according to the tool namely Accessibility Standardization Checklist of people with disability. Thus, recommended the local Government to continue the constructions of health care facilities that are inclusive for the people with disability.

Followed by the presentation of Inclusive WASH facilities construction report at the 14 health care facilities by WaterAid Timor-Leste’s Liquiçá WASH Technical Coordinator. It outlined that the intervention made in 14 health care facilities consist of 11 health post and 3 community health centers with the total spent $131,395.76 USD that benefited the health workers, and 559 people where 351 are women and 208 men. All these processes involved closed cooperation with the Liquiçá Municipal Health Department.

At the opening session, the Country Director of WaterAid Timor-Leste on his intervention thanked the Municipal Government and community’s collaboration with WaterAid and advised to maintain the sustainability of the installed inclusive WASH facilities at HCFs, including to continue the public socialization. He added, operation and maintenance budget allocation are crucial to be considered by the representative of Liquiçá Municipal President and the Liquiçá Municipal Health Director in order to ensure these facilities can be sustained.

Mr. Luis Albino, the Director of Liquiçá Municipal Health Department on his intervention expressed his gratitude to the development partner WaterAid Timor-Leste that have been supporting Liquiçá municipality through WASH in program in community, and 11 health posts that are valuable to the local Government and community. He added that the WATL intervened locations in Liquiçá have become the place of health education and promotion whenever visited by the patients during their medical consultation that contributes to reduce infectious and contagious diseases. At the same time, the Director of Liquiçá Municipal Health Department also advised the health workers and community including people with disability accessing the installed facilities to maintain its sustainability.

Lastly, Mr. Fernando da Conceição as the representative of the President of Liquiçá Municipal Authority also thanked WaterAid Timor-Leste that implemented integrated and inclusive approach in delivering WASH programs which Government will consider and adopt in the next development plan.

During the interview, one of the midwives at the Guiço Health Post, Ms. Nona Laura Eko, expressed her gratitude to WaterAid Timor-Leste and reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring the sustainability of the installed facilities. She also pledged to continue educating the local community members who visit the health post on the proper and careful use of these facilities.

Participated in the handover ceremony: the Representatives of Liquiçá Municipal President, Municipal Health Director of Liquiçá, Municipal Authorities, Health Workers, local partners, media, and the local community.

This activity is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).