Current Projects

The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ's current program activities in Timor-Leste are designed to provide Timorese people with the skills, support and confidence to deliver high quality eye care services across the country.  The Foundation will consider this program successful if eye care services improves in quality and accessibility, and the changes brought about are long lasting.

To achieve this requires a team of dedicated, motivated Timorese people.  Hence, The Foundation's current focus is on training and supporting urgently needed eye doctors, nurses, technicians and managers.  We are also developing policies and procedures to provide an enabling work environment that fits into the realities of the Timorese health system.

Our current activities include:

Training Eye Care Workers

  • In partnership with the Ministry of Health, The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ has established the first accredited in-country Timor-Leste eye health training program - the one-year Diploma of Eye Care at the National Institute of Health Sciences. The course covers the diagnosis and treatment of common eye problems.
  • Six nurses have just completed the 2007-2008 course and will graduate in August 2008, able to manage most common eye problems in Timor-Leste.
  • The Diploma of Eye Care has been tailored to the local situation in Timor-Leste and it includes a strong emphasis on practical work, as well as building the capacity of Timorese trainers of the future.
  • As doctors are identified to undertake training in eye care, The Foundation will work with the Pacific Eye Institute, Fiji and Tilganga Eye Centre, Nepal to provide undergraduate training and qualifications, as well as ongoing mentoring and skill development.

Establishing eye clinics

  • In March 2008 The Foundation established four eye clinics at Ministry of Health rural health centres - one in each of Baucau, Ermera, Maubisse and Same. 
  • Additional clinics will be established when more nurses are trained next year, with a target of at least one clinic in each of the 13 districts.

 Construction of National Eye Health Facility in Dili

  • Plans to build a new eye facility in Dili are underway and construction of the National Eye Health Facility will commence in  2008.  The facility will be the centre of eye care service delivery for the country and will contain an operating theatre for cataract surgery, as well as out-patient clinics.
  • At present access to the operating theatre at the National Hospital is restricted to just two sessions a week. The new, purpose built clinic is essential to deal efficiently with the backlog of people needing treatment for cataract blindness and other eye health problems.

Support to Ministry of Health for implementation of the National Eye Health Strategy

FHFNZ has a three-year project with the Ministry of Health to:

  1. Establish and build the capacity of a dedicated Eye Health Unit within the Ministry of Health to oversee the implementation of the National Eye Health Strategy;
  2. Develop an appropriate policy framework aimed at improving regulation, coordination, monitoring and equity of eye care;
  3. Work with all eye health workers providing services in Timor-Leste to ensure the uptake of policies so that the quality of eye care improves.

The Foundation has just completed the first year of this project and is working closely with the Eye Health Unit Officer, Mr Honorio H Xavier,  as well as all eye care workers to strengthen the eye health system in Timor-Leste so that the best possible eye care services can be delivered.

Supporting local NGO Fo Naroman Timor-Leste

The Foundation has been working with local NGO Fo Naroman Timor-Leste (FNTL) since 2006 to help build its capacity to implement community based eye care activities including:

  • Delivering outreach vision screening and refraction services throughout Timor-Leste;
  • Making spectacles to service the National Spectacle Program;
  • Undertake further capacity building in technical and managerial skills
  • Developing Information Education and Communication materials and community-based eye health promotion programs;
  • Advocating for eye care in Timor-Leste.