We started the mission by sending a pharmacist and a nurse to the local NGO "Alliance of Friends for Medical care in East Timor (AFMET)" which operates the primary healthcare education in Lospalos in Lautem.
East Timor became independent from Indonesia in direct ballot on 30th August, 1999. However, the opposition group to the independence started destruction and violence and 80% of the buildings in East Timor were destroyed. They looted and killed about 1,500 people.

Promotion of primary healthcare(PHC)

AFMET promote PHC. PHC is the program to promote the self-support of the residents to live healthy lives by dealing with their health and illness by themselves in the regions especially in the Third-World where the residents cannot expect medical examination and treatment.
AFMET first consult with leaders of communities and call for volunteers. The volunteers are housewives, fishers and farmers, and they are trained for Community Health Worker (CHW) for one year.
Those who have completed the training conduct seminars about health for the residents in their own village. They teach how to prevent malaria and dengue fever and some knowledge that is useful in their daily lives such as medicinal fruits and herbs.

Health Post

The government of East Timor set up at least one health post for every 1,500 to 2,000 residents. Nurses are stationed at the health posts and take care of the health of the residents and minor illness like a cold. There are, however, not enough health posts around AFMET office, so AFMET itself acts as a health post.
In the rainy season, nearly one hundred people get malaria and come to health posts for treatment.
As there is no emergency service system, we help transfer of the patients to big hospitals.