GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION

In Timor-Leste, gender inequality and discrimination, patriarchal traditions, and a recent history of armed conflict are strong drivers of widespread violence against women.

In response, USAID identified HAMNASA to lead the implementation of the Harmonia Activity, a multi-sector collaborative project that aims to end gender-based violence (GBV) in Ermera and Liquiçá Municipalities. The Activity applies a people-to-people approach to end GBV by shifting social norms to support more equitable gender power relations and improve gender sensitive health services for women. The core strategies of Harmonia—community microplanning and ‘Responding to GBV’ training for government health providers—target 31 high impact sucos (villages) and doctors, midwives, and nurses working in community health centers and health posts across both municipalities.

HAMNASA is working closely with Timorese government institutions (Ministry of Health, National Institute of Health, Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Secretary of State for Equality and Inclusion), community and religious leaders, and local organizations that specialize in legal, economic, psychosocial, and education services for women, youth, and families.

Funding support for HAMNASA’s gender-based violence prevention portfolio comes from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) via the People-to-People Reconciliation fund.

CLINICAL
SKILLS-BUILDING

National training efforts are an important way to scale up new policies and programs. However, too often competencies gained during these large scale, centralized trainings fail to translate effectively back to trainees’ home health facilities.

HAMNASA clinical skills-building activities meet health providers where they work to build on core training competencies through on-site case-studies, practice simulations, and role-playing. Our staff of midwife trainers have experience training government health providers in antenatal and postpartum care, safe and clean delivery, emergency obstetrics, and essential newborn care.

To address the important issue of domestic violence in Timor-Leste, HAMNASA integrates a domestic violence module into all maternal and newborn health trainings. The domestic violence module covers identification of signs of violence and counseling and referral skills for midwives and doctors.

Funding support for HAMNASA’s clinical skills-building portfolio comes from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade though the Partnership for Human Development.

mHEALTH  INTEGRATION

In 2013, HAI and Catalpa International designed and launched the first ever mobile health (mHealth) program in Timor-Leste. The Liga Inan program uses mobile phone technology to support Ministry of Health efforts to improve maternal and newborn home care and care seeking practices.

The program connects expectant and new mothers to health information and to the government midwives and doctors who serve them. In addition to sending pregnant women automated messages covering relevant health topics and reminders to seek care, Liga Inan also facilitates phone calls between women and health providers. This means providers can respond quickly and directly to patient questions and emergencies.

Following the national scale-up of the program, HAMNASA is supporting Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Health to build program management and training capacity and adopt the mHealth platform for other critical health care concerns (ie COVID-19 health promotion; gender-based violence prevention; etc.)

Funding support for HAMNASA’s mHealth integration portfolio comes from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade though the Partnership for Human Development.

COVID-19
HEALTH PROMOTION