Protecting the nation’s protectors
Dili - As the newest and poorest nation in Asia, Timor Leste is particularly vulnerable to a HIV/AIDS epidemic. Some of the most at risk groups include members of Timor Leste’s uniformed services, many of whom regularly engage in risky sexual behaviour.
In January 2008, MSI Timor Leste was contracted by the Ministry of Health to address this challenge by implementing its Global Fund supported HIV/AIDS and STI prevention and risk reduction programme for the national police and military.
What was initially meant to be straightforward project was soon thrown into turmoil when Timor Leste was struck by another national security disaster in February 2008. An attempted assassination was made on the President, and rebel leader Alfredo Reinado was shot dead. The endorsement of a HIV/AIDS and STI prevention workplace agreement was hardly priority for the uniformed services at this time.
However, through sheer perseverance and many meetings, MSI Timor Leste nevertheless successfully implemented its HIV/AIDS and STI Peer Education training programme with the national police and military throughout 2008.
Thirty four master trainers were trained, who in turn trained three hundred and ninety peer leaders across 13 districts. Close to 4,000 peers have now received HIV/AIDS and STI prevention information through this project, and for the first time in Timor Leste, family planning and contraception modules were also included in this training programme.
Following the principle that education must be integrated with access to SRH service provision, MSI Timor Leste established six static centres and nine mobile centres at police and military sites.
By June 2009, 20% of the uniformed services or their families had received SRH clinical services. MSI Timor Leste continues to be the sole provider of condoms to the uniformed services in Timor Leste, and so protects the nation’s official protectors from poor sexual health and unwanted pregnancies. This partnership continues to strengthen with further clinical training and supervision of uniformed services clinicians taking place later in 2009.