Dili, 13 April 2026 (Media Democracia) – The National Institute to Combat HIV-AIDS (INSCIDA) asks the Ministry of Health to prepare sufficient reagents so that community members who participate in awareness campaigns about combating HIV-AIDS in Timor-Leste can get blood tests to know their health status.
According to INSCIDA President Daniel Marçal, INSCIDA has been conducting socialization about combating HIV-AIDS from the national level to all municipalities, including schools and universities in Timor-Leste.
“During this time INSCIDA has been carrying out socialization about combating HIV-AIDS from the national level to all municipalities, including schools and universities in Timor-Leste, in the current process, many people now want to get blood tests. So the health sector needs to prepare more reagents for blood testing because the volume of blood tests has started to increase significantly. Some community members are afraid and some are not afraid, they have their own awareness to go get tested because during socialization in the municipalities, the Health team also went everywhere and brought reagents. In almost all municipalities we went to with the health teams, in some places the test reagents brought were 100 or 200 and it was not enough. This means many people are voluntarily going for testing but our preparation is falling short. This is also to inform the health sector to properly prepare the reagents.” He informed journalists on Tuesday (13/04/2026)
Daniel explained that in this process many young people have already had blood tests, and so far INSCIDA has identified that many youth of productive age have been affected by HIV.
“Previously there was no progress, but now many young people have gone for blood tests, this is how we identified that a very large number of youth of productive age have been affected by HIV, but taking medication is progress from all our efforts, our awareness campaigns are picked up by the media and promoted, many people hear it and become aware, so now it’s easier for people to go get tested. The National Institute to Combat HIV-AIDS works together with the Ministry of Health to conduct most tests in Dili Municipality. In the places where INSCIDA conducts activities, many people get tested almost all municipalities, but Dili has the most, because movement in Dili is greater. So in almost all municipalities, we conduct 100 to 200 tests, and if it’s five days, around 500 people volunteer for testing. If we do activities for one, two, or three more weeks, even more people will test, but the problem is that reagents are lacking, and the reagents are not enough.” He reported.
He informed that in 2025, the National Institute to Combat HIV-AIDS, working together with the Ministry of Health, tested young people with HIV, totaling 10 thousand.”
“In my data, the people who voluntarily went for blood tests within one year is around 10 thousand, which is good, before there was none, but this number doesn’t mean everyone tested or that everyone has HIV, from the blood tests we did in 2025, we saw some cases and the health sector continues to provide good treatment, people with HIV remain healthy. Socialization for students has only two objectives: first, so students can achieve their goals and dreams with good health by preventing HIV. Second, which is also important, they may contract HIV but they must not reach AIDS, because now in Timor, we are grateful that there are many people with HIV but only a few with AIDS. That’s why we work hard on these two things.” He added.
He explained that this is to increase the community’s awareness so they can change risky behaviors to avoid contracting HIV.
“We must work hard together with all our media colleagues on how to get more people in Aileu to go for blood tests, because many people are already living with HIV but have not been tested and do not know their HIV status, this is dangerous, because people don’t die from HIV itself, they die from AIDS, but now our government has prepared HIV medication so that anyone with HIV must undergo treatment so they can live long and continue to be active and contribute something to this nation, because places that facilitate free sex are very numerous, INSCIDA continues to speak so that students who are still studying can be aware. Such a free lifestyle ruins their future, ruins your life, because of the struggle of your parents, because of freedom, everyone says sex is my right, yes, it is your right, but with free sex like this, you don’t know if that woman already has HIV and you don’t know if that man has HIV, this is dangerous, so together we must fight hard and we speak so they go for blood tests for HIV, don’t be afraid, get treatment, be healthy and live long.” He said.
At the same venue, Head of the National Unit for HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Diseases at the Ministry of Health Bernandino da Cruz informed that he acknowledges that for many years, reagents were sometimes not available at the facilities, so currently there are two types of investment.
“First, we have investment from the Global Fund itself, which will prepare test kits for at risk groups, we are looking at pregnant women and key populations who are at risk for HIV and also for the general population and youth, there is stigma that we can address so we can meet existing needs. Meanwhile, the government is currently also conducting tests for the general population, the government itself purchases these tests to ensure sustainability. According to cumulative data registered by the Ministry of Health from 2003 to 2025, there are a total of 2,570 cases. From this number, 263 people have lost their lives and 270 did not continue treatment.” said Bernandino da Cruz.
He informed that from 2003 until now, HIV-AIDS treatment has naturally not stopped, so the data is reported cumulatively, we register it together year by year. Now, the cases currently being reported are notified from health facilities.
“From 2003 until now, HIV-AIDS treatment has naturally not stopped, so the data we report is cumulative, we register it together year by year. Now, the cases currently being reported and notified from all health facilities in Timor-Leste total 2,560, including both public and private facilities, from this cumulative data, 263 people have already died, but not just this year, these deaths have occurred since 2003, and those not continuing treatment are currently registered at 270 who did not continue treatment, the problem that the Ministry of Health faces most is the factor that, when it comes to diagnosis in past years, many came without identity due to confidentiality and privacy concerns, so their identities are missing. When we progress and try to move forward on how to identify these problems to resolve them, we see that we do not have sufficient data or information for each person. We don’t even have contact numbers to communicate. This makes it very difficult for us to find the data on those who were lost from treatment.” He affirmed.
He explained that for those who were lost from treatment, it can be said that the distance from their residence to come to the health facilities is a factor.
“Yes exactly, right now we are trying the possibility of actually bringing treatment to the community through decentralizing treatment to the health centers in the villages, we created a mechanism called ultima despensin, we see that if they are well and disciplined, we give one, two, or three months, another is that if they don’t have the condition, we can bring the medicine along, but we must say that in these past few years, a large number of representatives were already detected in previous years. Another factor that contributes heavily is stigma and discrimination, which was already mentioned earlier, many want to get treatment in their own area, but they are also afraid that when they get diagnosed, the health personnel or the people there are all family, so it’s really hard for them to seek treatment.” He said.
He explained that because of this, they choose to go to health facilities that are far from where they live, for example Dili, when they come here, sometimes when they return, they are found again, because of this, provisionally, Dili Municipality has the highest registered number.
Most diagnoses are in Dili. This is also related to the many patients who we see are in critical condition before coming here, so health personnel often decide to transfer them to Dili so they can get specialized treatment, there are two situations: first, the behavior of those seeking health facilities where people cannot know their identity, and second, also in critical condition, we know that most hide it and only come when the illness feels severe.
Report By: Estefania Cardoso
Photo By: Estefania Cardoso