Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak and Minister of Health Odete Maria Freitas Belo released the National Health Sector Nutrition Strategy Plan 2022-26 on May 5.

The plan has been supported by the European Union and UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency.

Through the program, the government seeks to improve the quality of services for women and children, expand community-based interventions and health facilities for screening and treatment of acute malnutrition, improve access to information on infant and young child feeding practices, and provide early initiation of breastfeeding and complementary feeding.

It also aims to raise the capacity of families to have sufficient nutritious food at home.

The government set a target to reduce the malnourishment rate of children under five from present 47.1 percent to 25 percent by 2030.

“We are certain that with the partnerships and the launch of the Strategic Plan that is materialising today in the health sector, we will be able to take concrete steps toward the transformation of the national nutrition system,” said Prime Minister Ruak in a statement.

Stunting is the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection and inadequate psychosocial stimulation, according to the World Health Organisation

“Actions cannot and should not be taken only by governments and authorities but in a community spirit involving the participation of all, including citizens like consumers, economic operators and the different development partners,” Ruak said.

The launch of the health strategy came as the government published the results of a survey on the nutritional status and risk factors for malnutrition in children and women, including those affecting infant and young child-feeding practices.

The report revealed that undernutrition among children under five remains alarmingly high in Timor-Leste.



A lack of parental understanding of children's health is evident in Timor-Leste, the report said.

About 53 percent of mothers don’t start breastfeeding their newborns under the age of six months and 86 percent are unable to provide healthy complementary food and affordable local nutrition to infants over six months.