Health workers are welcoming new policies that promote equitable access to employment, professional development, and promotion opportunities.

Two years ago, as it struggled to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus and get people vaccinated, the Government of Jamaica turned to private health care providers for help. The results went well beyond its expectations.

Improved internet connectivity and capacity strengthening have increased timeliness and completeness of health data reporting in Timor-Leste. That makes all the difference for the country’s health officers.

A Timorese NGO is helping the Ministry of Health provide accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccine, resulting in increased vaccination in target municipalities.

Timor-Leste is laser focused on recruiting, deploying, and retaining highly qualified health workers to rebuild the country’s health system workforce. 

With a grant from LHSS, the Jamaican health care firm Online Medics is supporting the government’s COVID-19 vaccination effort while gaining valuable new business capacities. “LHSS allowed me to think in the long term – where I wanted my company to go and what I need to do to get it there,” says owner Alex Tracey.

Since vaccines became available in 2021, only 26 percent of Jamaicans have been vaccinated – a far cry from the country’s goal of 65 percent by March 2022. Religious communities were among the victims of the misinformation causing vaccine hesitancy, with many of the country’s Christians believing the vaccines represented “the mark of the beast.” In response, the government called on church leaders to play a more prominent role in the country’s vaccination effort.

In December 2021, more than 180 midwives from across Timor-Leste participated in an Activity-led event to identify areas for improvement in a set of draft standards.