Dili, November 23: Timor-Leste’s second Joint External Evaluation (JEE) concluded successfully on Friday, with the team of 22 international experts commending the country's progress in public health preparedness to tackle health emergencies while outlining key recommendations for further improvement. Last conducted in 2018, the JEE assesses a country’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies under the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005).
Over the week, the team conducted site assessments across key locations, including Nicolau Lobato Airport, Dili Port, Tibar Port, HNGV, national and animal laboratories, INSP-TL, Dili Municipal Health Services, and various health centers. The evaluation spanned 19 technical areas and 56 indicators, focusing on disease surveillance, laboratory systems, emergency response, food safety, zoonotic diseases, biosafety and biosecurity, antimicrobial resistance, and more. The experts reviewed protocols, analyzed documents, and engaged with local representatives.
The team of JEE experts were divided into groups to assess various strategic locations. This group was reviewing isolation and reporting protocols at the quarantine centre inside Nicolau Lobato Airport in Dili.
JEE team at the Óspital Nasionál Guido Valadares (HNGV)
Team reviewing accurate diagnostics and effective response protocols at the National Health Lab
JEE team at the Animal Lab studying biosecurity measures and disease surveillance protocols
Preliminary recommendations highlighted the need to adopt a One Health approach, strengthen under-resourced areas like veterinary and environmental health, and boost intersectoral coordination through clear investments and accountability. Experts commended Timor-Leste’s significant progress across 19 technical areas. They noted that while good practices exist, some required institutionalization. They emphasized turning the tremendous successes of Covid-19 into lasting multi-sectoral systems and policies. The team praised Timor-Leste for placing doctors at every health facility and advancing gender representation in leadership roles.
The field visits were accompanied by consultations where experts reviewed protocols, analyzed documents, and engaged with local representatives to gain insights and provide tailored recommendations.
José dos Reis Magno, Vice Minister of Institutional Strengthening, called the findings from JEE “invaluable” during the debriefing on Friday. “It provides us with a clear roadmap to strengthen our health security capacity, aligning with both national priorities and international obligations," he said. The Vice Minister added, “Our goal is not just compliance or meeting international standards but to build a resilient health system,”.
José dos Reis Magno, Vice Minister of Institutional Strengthening
Dr Arvind Mathur, WHO Representative to Timor-Leste, called the JEE a “milestone” in strengthening IHR capacities. Calling health security, a shared responsibility, Dr Mathur urged for the active engagement of all sectors, from agriculture and environment to customs, immigration, border control, and most critically, the communities. He stressed on the importance of translating recommendations into policies and programs for meaningful change, while pledging WHO’s support for implementation.
Dr Arvind Mathur, WHO Representative to Timor-Leste
Dr Karen Sliter, team Leader for the JEE mission, highlighted the achievements and considerable progress made in Timor-Leste since the last JEE in 2018. In 2024, JEE 3 was used, an updated version that has evolved from the one used in 2018. This tool has raised the bar and provides more robust directions to strengthen the country’s capacity. “However, it is important to remember that scores alone don’t improve health security, rather emphasis needs to be put on the priority actions” she said.
Dr Karen Sliter, team Leader for the JEE mission
Dr Reuben Samuel, co-lead of the JEE team, explained that the JEE’s consensus-driven approach ensures the host country’s full involvement in agreeing on scores, priority actions, and the final report. Each technical area is rated from 1 (no capacity) to 5 (sustainable capacity). “The draft report will be shared with the country for consultation to ensure it accurately reflects their capacity,” he said.
Dr Reuben Samuel, co-lead of the JEE team
The JEE team provided three to five priority actions for each technical area, which will serve as the foundation for developing national action plan for health security for the next five years.