Dili, November 18, 2025 (Média Democracia) – After two weeks of field visits to health facilities in various municipalities, the Joint TB-HIV Monitoring Mission (JMM), composed of eight members, presented its findings to the Ministry of Health during a debriefing event on Friday. The findings will help shape strategies to address tuberculosis and HIV, which continue to pose public health threats in Timor-Leste.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Timor-Leste, Arvind Mathur, stated that the activity is conducted every three years by the Ministry of Health with technical support from WHO. The JMM evaluates how national policies are functioning on the ground and provides recommendations to strengthen health services.
“During the visit, the expert mission, composed of members from around the world to observe service delivery, verified the consistency of national guidelines and protocols at the field level, and engaged with health workers, community leaders, key populations, and people affected by TB and those living with HIV. It also included interactions with key HIV service partners such as Estrela+, Key Population Association, Maluk Timor, the NSST drop-in center, and TB care partners such as Bairo Pite Clinic, Klibur Domin, and Hamnasa,” said WHO Representative Arvind Mathur.
He added that in Dili, the team visited the National Health Laboratory and HNGV, and met with focal points responsible for TB and HIV monitoring. In other municipalities, they visited community health centers, laboratories, and drop-in centers in Baucau, Aileu, Ainaro, and Suai in Covalima.
“This mission and today’s discussions are extremely important to align our plans, resources, and partnerships for the next phase of work,” the WHO Representative added.
He affirmed that the JMM is a crucial exercise because its findings will translate into concrete actions that will support the 2026–2030 TB Elimination Strategy and Timor-Leste’s next proposal to the Global Fund for TB and malaria.
Meanwhile, the Director of Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, Florindo Pinto Gonzaga, stated that the mission identified key challenges and highlighted important issues. New HIV infections are rising, with a concentrated epidemic among key populations and growing prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM). Hepatitis B remains prevalent in the general population, and syphilis rates are high among sex workers.
“With this support from WHO and national and international experts, we reviewed our progress and gained a clearer view of existing gaps. If we take action according to these recommendations, more patients will receive earlier diagnosis, families will be protected from high healthcare costs, and we will move faster toward the elimination of TB in line with the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Florindo Pinto Gonzaga.
He added that, at the same time, there has been progress: antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been decentralized to increase access; most adults on ART have switched to a once-daily regimen; TB GeneXpert machines are now available in all municipalities; and syphilis testing has been strengthened.
Experts recommended interventions to reach “hidden” MSM networks through virtual platforms, fill funding gaps, and strengthen collaboration among institutions to ensure consistent HIV messaging.
The mission highlighted that TB continues to impose a heavy burden, with an estimated 496 cases per 100,000 population, although the absolute number of drug-resistant TB cases remains low. The treatment success rate stands at 93%, and patient-centered care has expanded. The mission also noted strong justification for scaling up active case-finding and recommended sustainable domestic financing for TB response.
Reporter: Nelfiano
Photo: WHO Media