On 29 April 2024, H.E. Mr. Atipat Rojanapaibulya, Ambassador of Thailand to Timor-Leste, along with H.E. Mr. José Honório da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, Minister of Higher Education and Science of Timor-Leste, and Dr. Domingas Bernando, UNFPA Timor-Leste Officer in Charge, presided over the opening ceremony of the “Strengthening Midwifery Education” Workshop at the Muabara Room, Timor Plaza Hotel. The Ambassadors, Charge’ d’ Affaires and representative of the embassies of ASEAN member countries to Timor-Leste also participated in the ceremony. 

The workshop is a collaboration between the Royal Thai Embassy in Dili and UNFPA Timor-Leste to bring experts from the Faculty of Nursing, Khon Kaen University of Thailand to conduct a workshop in Dili from 29 April to 3 May 2024. On this occasion, the expert group comprising Assistant Professor Dr. Somjit Muangpin, Assistant Professor Dr. Nilubon Rujiraprasert and Assistance Professor Dr. Nittaya Panngam, will share their knowledge and best practices in the competency-based midwifery curriculum with approximately 30 educators from three midwifery schools in Timor-Leste, namely the National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL), Instituto Ciência da Saúde (ICS) and Instituto Superior Cristal (ISC).

During his opening remarks, the Ambassador highlighted maternal and child healthcare as a key theme of cooperation between Thailand and Timor-Leste this year. This workshop aims to kickstart other several initiatives to improve midwifery care and reduce maternal mortality in the country, covering both the hardware and software aspects of the healthcare. These include the collaboration with UNFPA to upgrade of two Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care Centres (BEMONC) in Quelicai and Baguia as well as a groundbreaking research project on stillbirth in Timor-Leste by Mahidol University of Thailand and UNFPA. The Ambassador also underscored that the workshop exemplifies the spirit of ASEAN cooperation in knowledge-sharing and capacity-building, as Timor-Leste makes good progress towards ASEAN membership in the near future.

The Minister of Higher Education and Sciences expressed his appreciation for Thailand’s initiative, while looking forward to deepening cooperation with Thailand to further strengthen midwifery education through an MOU between the Higher Education Ministries of both countries. UNFPA Timor-Leste Officer in Charge reiterated the importance of support from development partners in strengthening midwifery education in Timor-Leste, encouraging the three midwifery schools to leverage international collaboration for ongoing improvement in midwifery education to meet international standards.