Timor-Leste sees decline in dengue fever infection rate; GX Foundation extends "Project for health protection against dengue fever" to 2026 and launches its first “Purified and Potable Water Project"

The Foundation's “Project for health protection against dengue fever” in Timor-Leste in January this year has achieved remarkable results. The infection rate in the past six months has decreased rather than increased. Witnessed by the Foundation's Chairman and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, LEUNG Chun-ying, and the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Mr. Xanana GUSMÃO, the Foundation's CEO, Professor Emily CHAN Ying-yang, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the “Project for health protection against dengue fever” and a letter of intent on the “"Purified and Potable Water Project" with the Minister of Health of Timor-Leste, Dr. Magno.

The “Project for health protection against dengue fever” will be extended until 2026 in order to enhance the effectiveness of dengue fever prevention and control. In addition to this, the Foundation will also lanunch its first "Purified and Potable Water Project", which intends to contribute clean drinking water dispensers to nearby hospitals and churches, supplying the local community with clean drinking water and diminishing the prevalence of illnesses resulting from the consumption of polluted water sources.

Accompanied by the Chinese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Ms. WANG Wen-li, the Foundation's Chairman LEUNG Chun-ying, Board Member Dr. KO Wing-man, and CEO Professor CHAN Ying-yang had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Mr. Xanana GUSMÃO and the President of Timor-Leste, Mr. José RAMOS-HORTA to discuss the collaboration in public health between the two countries and presented the Foundation's project outcomes and future plans for development in Timor-Leste.

Remarkable Results in Existing Project Extend Further Cooperation with Timor-Leste's Ministry of Health

On January 23 this year, the Foundation initiated its inaugural worldwide pilot project in Timor-Leste by providing a substantial amount of anti-mosquito supplies, such as anti-mosquito lamps, insect sticky traps, mosquito nets, and dengue rapid test kits, to the Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste. The project employed a comprehensive strategy, encompassing early detection, preventive, safeguarding, and educational initiatives, to effectively mitigate the threat of dengue fever epidemics. As of July this year, the Foundation has disseminated more than 1,670 mosquito lamps, almost 30,000 insect sticky traps, approximately 500 mosquito nets, and nearly 18,000 dengue rapid test kits, covering all 14 provinces of the country.

Despite a severe global dengue fever epidemic this year, with over 7.6 million cases in the first half of the year, and a 2.5-fold increase in infection cases in neighbouring countries like Indonesia and Singapore, Timor-Leste saw a 10% reduction in locally confirmed dengue fever cases in the first half of the year, just five months after the launch of the pilot project. In the capital city of Dili, cases dropped by 46% compared to the same period last year. Although certain provinces saw a rise in confirmed cases, this can be attributed to the utilisation of rapid test kits, which have facilitated the early detection of patients within these provinces. Consequently, there is no longer a necessity to transport patients to the capital for testing, resulting in a decrease in misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and alleviating the strain on the capital's healthcare system.

Continue in Strengthening Community Resilience through Physical Means

In the absence of major chemical interventions by the Timor-Leste's government, such as insecticide spraying or the release of genetically modified mosquitoes to control the disease-carrying mosquito population, the Foundation's pilot project has adopted a physical approach. This involves distributing anti-mosquito supplies to reduce local residents' exposure to mosquito-borne dengue fever and enable early diagnosis and isolation. The project has successfully addressed the medical gap in Timor-Leste during the dengue fever emergency while simultaneously offering significant public health knowledge to other nations in the Northern Hemisphere that are about to enter the rainy season.

In mid-July this year, a delegation of over 10 people from the Foundation visited Timor-Leste again. During their visit, they conducted assessments of the utilisation and efficacy of the anti-mosquito supplies at various local establishments such as hospitals, mountain schools, and churches. To further improve dengue fever prevention and management, the Foundation has officially launched the "Dengue Fever Prevention and Control Project" with the Ministry of Health in Timor-Leste. Under the witness of the Foundation's Chairman and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, LEUNG Chun-ying, and the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Mr. Xanana GUSMÃO, the Foundation's CEO, Professor Emily CHAN Ying-yang, and the Minister of Health of Timor-Leste, Dr. Magno, signed an agreement to extend their cooperation until 2026, during which the Foundation will donate 85,000 rapid dengue diagnostic kits, 800 mosquito nets, 2,600 mosquito lamps, 80,000 insect sticky traps, as well as a large number of educational materials. In addition, the Foundation has set up an office in Timor-Leste and recruited local staff. It will consistently provide teams to aid in the prevention and management of dengue fever in the region.

Pioneering Clean Drinking Water Initiative in Timor-Leste Reaches Hospitals and Churches

In addition to the "Dengue Fever Prevention and Control Project", the Foundation has also been paying attention to the medical needs of various developing countries and advocating for numerous public health initiatives. Water quality is one of the major global concerns, so to mitigate the spread of diseases resulting from pathogen contamination in drinking water, the Foundation has decided to launch the first "Purified and Potable Water Project" in Timor-Leste, starting with hospitals and churches as pilot sites to test the efficacy of the Foundation's interventions.

The letter of intent for this cooperation was also signed under the witness of the Foundation's Chairman and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, LEUNG Chun-ying, and the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Mr. Xanana GUSMÃO. The foundation will donate 100 clean drinking water dispensers to Timor-Leste hospitals and churches. These devices will be installed by qualified technicians to ensure the provision of clean drinking water to the local population.

Subsequently, the Foundation's Chairman and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, LEUNG Chun-ying, the Foundation's CEO, Professor Emily CHAN Ying-yang and the team met with the President of Timor-Leste, Mr. José RAMOS-HORTA. During the meeting, Ramos-Horta expressed that Timor-Leste has a strong relationship with China and has been receiving China's support since its independence 22 years ago. He highly praised the Foundation's work in the country and warmly welcomed the Foundation's clean drinking water and dengue fever prevention and control projects in Timor-Leste.

Bridging the Gap: Hong Kong Organization Donates Vehicles to Remote Mountain Communities

The Foundation's Chairman and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, LEUNG Chun-ying, personally visited the Maubisse mountain region of Timor-Leste in January, meeting with the local church and school officials to provide mosquito control supplies. Since the schools are located in the mountains, many students have to walk for hours each day to attend classes.

Through the Foundation's efforts, the Belt and Road Hong Kong Centre (the Centre) fundraised in Hong Kong and mainland China to purchase small buses that were then donated to local schools. The purpose of these buses is to provide transport for students, ensuring that they do not miss out on learning opportunities due to long commutes. The Centre generously contributed a dump truck to facilitate construction endeavours at the church and school, thereby enhancing the learning and recreational facilities available to the students. The Foundation deeply appreciates the Centre’s endeavours to enhance the situation in local communities. This effort has additionally facilitated cultural interchange between China and Timor-Leste, showcasing the interconnectedness of the populations.