On 7 February 2024, Ms. Pressia Arifin-Cabo, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Timor-Leste, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Atipat Rojanapaibulya, Ambassador-Designate of Thailand, to discuss trilateral cooperation between the governments of Thailand and Timor-Leste together with UNFPA on maternal and child care. Thailand’s expertise in this field is internationally recognized, while lowering the maternal and infant mortality rate in Timor-Leste is a matter of urgency that requires concrete actions to improve the quality of life of women and children in the long run.  

During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to further enhance cooperation in potential projects, particularly the upgrade of Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Car Centers (BEMONC) in Baucau and the revision of midwifery curriculum by experts from Thailand. They also agreed to collaborate on the upcoming activities. These include a joint research project on stillbirth in Timor-Leste where researchers from Mahidol University will begin their field study and data collection in August and a midwifery skill workshop conducted by Thai experts at the National University of Timor-Leste in April this year.

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