Dili, 17 August 2025,
The First Stone Launching Ceremony and the delivery of the Certificate from the World Health Organization (WHO) confirming Timor-Leste as a malaria-free country.
At the same time, the construction of the Fifth Floor Pediatric Room at the Guido Valadares National Hospital (HNGV) was also carried out, which was officially led by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.
The ceremony was attended by:
- Japanese Ambassador to Timor-Leste
- Deputy Prime Minister, Minister Coordinator of Social Affairs and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino
- Minister of Health, Elia A. A. dos Reis Amaral
- Another Government Member
- WHO and UN Women representatives in Timor-Leste
- PNTL Commander-in-Chief
- Executive of HNGV
WHO certification is proof of the efforts of government, community, and international partners, in the fight over several years against malaria. The Government also reaffirms its commitment to continue improving the national health system, including the construction of new pediatric wards, as part of a strategy for quality health care for children in Timor-Leste.