In May 2002 Timor Leste (East Timor) emerged as a new nation after centuries of foreign rule and decades of struggle for independence. Its birth was a painful one; a United Nations-brokered Popular Consultation in August 1999, in which an overwhelming majority of the people opted for independence, was followed by several weeks of vengeful violence, looting, and destruction by pro-Indonesia militias. It left the territory and all of its essential services devastated. In this context, the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), with the country's leaders and people and many other partners, set about restoring order and services, building a government structure, and preparing for independence. This paper summarizes the rehabilitation and development of the health sector from early 2000 to the end of 2001.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• ROUNDTABLE ON THE DEMOGRAPHY OF FORCED MIGRATION 2003
• COMMITTEE ON POPULATION 2003
• Preface
• OVERVIEW
• INTRODUCTION
• THE HEALTH CONTEXT
  • The Health System After September 1999
  • Establishment of “Government” Coordination
• HEALTH SECTOR REHABILITATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
  • Phase I
  • Phase II
  • Achievements as of November 2001
  • Constraints and Failures
  • Competing Objectives and Demands
• STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF SOME OF THE MAIN ACTORS
  • UN Transitional Administration in East Timor
  • The World Bank
  • NGOs
• TOO MUCH MONEY TOO SOON?
• WHAT COULD BE DIFFERENT NEXT TIME?
• REFERENCES
• Appendix A Chronology of Selected Developments and Events in East Timor
• Appendix B Illustrative Memorandum of Understanding for Implementation of a District Health Plan
• Appendix C Bibliographic Materials
• Appendix D About the Authors

This study was supported by a grant to the National Academy of Sciences and the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

Suggested citation:

National Research Council. (2003). Initial Steps in Rebuilding the Health Sector in East Timor. Jim Tulloch, Fadia Saadah, Rui Maria de Araujo, Rui Paulo de Jesus, Sergio Lobo, Isabel Hemming, Jane Nassim, and Ian Morris. Roundtable on the Demography of Forced Migration. Committee on Population, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education and Program on Forced Migration and Health at the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.