The National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) 2020–2024 of Timor-Leste aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond effectively to public health threats in line with the obligations of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). Developed from the recommendations of the 2018 Joint External Evaluation (JEE), the plan seeks to address weaknesses identified across 19 technical areas of health security and establish a coordinated, multisectoral framework involving the health, agriculture, food safety, border control and emergency management sectors. Its overarching objective is to improve public health emergency preparedness and operational readiness, thereby protecting the population from infectious disease outbreaks, zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety incidents and other biological, chemical and radiological hazards. To achieve these goals, the plan prioritizes strengthening legislation and governance for health security, enhancing disease surveillance and laboratory systems, improving immunization coverage, developing a skilled public health workforce, and reinforcing emergency preparedness and response mechanisms. It also promotes the One Health approach through stronger collaboration between human, animal and environmental health sectors, improves risk communication and community engagement, and enhances preparedness at points of entry and for chemical or radiological emergencies. By mobilizing domestic and international resources and establishing clear responsibilities across government institutions, the NAPHS provides a roadmap for building a resilient national health security system capable of rapidly identifying, containing and responding to public health emergencies while contributing to regional and global health security. Food safety is one of the core components of the National Action Plan, which contains a dedicated technical area on Food Safety with the objective of strengthening the prevention, detection and response to foodborne diseases and food contamination. It seeks to establish surveillance systems for foodborne illnesses, improve food inspection and laboratory testing capacity, train food inspectors and rapid response teams, and increase public awareness of safe food practices. More specifically, the plan aims to: Develop and implement a National Food Safety Strategy and strengthen surveillance for foodborne diseases. Establish a National Food Safety Commission, Codex Committee and coordination mechanisms for food safety emergencies. Improve laboratory capacity for food testing, including the establishment of a food laboratory and rapid testing systems. Train inspectors and health personnel in food safety surveillance, outbreak investigation and emergency response. Promote food hygiene and safe food handling through awareness campaigns, certification schemes for food businesses, and dissemination of food safety information to communities.
Timor-Leste · 2020-06-01