Timor-Leste, 22 January – "UNICEF regrets that the adjustment of figures may have given the wrong impression that under-five mortality rate seemed to have almost doubled – from "55" in 2006 to "97" in 2007. The difference between the 2006 and 2007 data is because the 2007 data had to be adjusted to reflect a more accurate situation of children in Timor-Leste. This does not mean that that under-five mortality rate has doubled." This was the statement of UNICEF Representative Mr. Jun Kukita.

Under-five mortality rate is the number of children out of 1,000 live births who die before reaching the age of 5 years. It is one of the indicators that is used to help measure the health status of children. The UNICEF State of the World's Children Report showed "55" under-five mortality rate in 2006 and "97" in 2007.

"The under-five mortality rate of 55 used in last year's State of the World's Children Report was based on statistical calculation and was not reflecting the actual situation in Timor-Leste," Mr. Kukita further explained. "My office has informed our New York Headquarters, which coordinates with the UN Population Division, on the discrepancy of data. The UN Population Division issues the unified UN statistical figures extrapolated from internationally accepted statistical sources such as the 2003 Demographic Health Survey and the 2004 Timor-Leste National Census. Last year's figures were also based on old data before 1999 and treated different survey data equally, since they did not have enough background information. We explained that they have not considered the 1999 and 2006 crisis which affected the whole country – including the health delivery system."

"We acknowledge that our Headquarters have carefully reviewed additional information that we had sent to them and the under-five mortality figure as well as other figures were adjusted to more realistic ones. Thus, the adjusted under-five mortality figure is now at 97 – which is very much closer to the 130 official government figure based on 2004 Census data. I repeat that this figure does not in any means reflect that there was a doubling of children under five years old dying in Timor-Leste. It reflects the proper adjustment of figures."

Mr. Kukita further stated that UNICEF has been working very closely with the Ministry of Health and other partners on health and nutrition programmes to address the issue of health of children and women.

"We should vigorously continue our joint efforts to tackle the high under-five mortality and overall mortality rates here in Timor-Leste. Second, we should also continue to support building the capacity of the government in establishing a strong statistical data base," Mr. Kukita continued "In this regard this year's Demographic Health Survey and the National Census of 2010 will be critical to help provide more accurate figures on how children and women are faring in terms of their health."

*END *

For additional information, please contact:
Mary Ann Q. Maglipon, Chief of Communication Section, UNICEF Timor-Leste
+670-723 1103 Email: mmaglipon@unicef.org
Domingus Monemnasi, Senior Communication Assistant, UNICEF Timor-Leste
+670-724 0601; Email: dmonemnasi@unicef.org (For Queries in Tetum)

About UNICEF
For over 60 years UNICEF has been the world's leader for children, working on the ground in 156 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

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UNICEF hateten numeru mate ba labarik Timor oan tinan lima mai kraik laos dobru.

22 Janeiru, TIMOR-LESTE – "UNICEF lamenta katak ajustamentu ba figura ne'e bele fo impresaun nebe sala katak numeru mortalidade labarik tinan lima mai kraik kuaze sa'e dobru - husi "55" iha 2006 sa'e to'o '97" iha 2007. Diferensia entre dadus 2006 ho 2007 mosu tamba tenki halo ajustamentu ba dadus tinan 2007 atu refleta situasaun labarik Timor-Leste nian ho loloos. Ne'e la signifika katak numeru mortalidade labarik tinan lima mai kraik sa'e dobru." Ida ne'e mak liafuan husi Representante UNICEF, Sr. Jun Kukita.

Mortalidade labarik tinan lima mai kraik defini katak numeru labarik husi 1,000 nebé moris mak mate antes to'o tinan lima. Ne'e hanesan indikador ida ne'ebe uza atu ajuda sukat estatutu saúde labarik nian. Relatoriu Situasaun Mundial Labarik UNICEF 2009 hatudu mortalidade labarik tinan lima mai kraik ho numeru "55" iha 2006 no 97 iha tinan 2007.

"Numeru mortalidade ba labarik tinan lima mai kraik (55) ne'ebe uza iha relatoriu Situasaun Labarik Mundial tinan kotuk bazeia deit ba kalkulasaun estatistika no la refleta ba situasaun aktual iha Timor-Leste" Sr. Jun Kukita esplika tan. "Hau nia edifisiu informa ona ba Kuartel Jeral iha Nova Yorke, ne'ebe koordena ho Divisaun Populasaun Organizasaun Nosoes Unidas (ONU). Divisaun Populasaun ONU hasai unifikasaun figura estatistika kalkula husi fontes estatistika ne'ebe internasionalmente aprovadu hanesan Peskiza Demografiku Saúde iha 2003 no Sensus Nasional 2004 iha Timor-Leste. Figura tinan kotuk mós bazeia ba dadus tuan antes 1999 no konsidera mos dadus husi peskiza seluk ne'ebe diferente, tamba sira la iha informasaun baziku ne'ebe sufisiente". Ami esplika katak sira la konsidera krize 1999 no 2006 ne'ebe afeita nasaun tomak – inklui sistema fornesementu saúde."

"Ami rekoñese ami nia Kuartel Jeral tamba sira hadia fila fali informasaun ne'e ho didiak tuir informasaun ne'ebe mak ami haruka ba sira, figura kona-ba numeru mortalidade labarik tinan lima mai kraik, nomos ajustamentu ba figura sira seluk tan atu bele realístiku liu. Tan ne'e, figura ajustamentu ba numeru mortalidade labarik tinan lima mai kraik nian oras ne'e mak 97 – ne'ebe besik liu ba figura ofisial governu nian ho numeru 130 bazeia ba dadus sensus 2004. Hau repete, figura ne'e la signifika katak numeru labarik tinan lima mai kraik ne'ebe mak mate iha Timor-Leste sa'e dobru. Figura ne'e refleta ajustamentu ne'ebe apropriadu."

Sr. Kukita hatutan tan katak UNICEF iha kooperasaun diak ho Ministerio da Saúde ho parseiru sira seluk kona-ba programa saúde no nutrisaun atu responde ba kestaun saúde labarik no feto sira.

"Ita tenke kontinua ita nia servisu hamutuk ho antusiástiku atu responde ba numeru mortalidade labarik tinan lima mai kraik ne'ebe aas no numeru mortalidade em jeral iha Timor-Leste. Tuir mai, ita mós tenke kontinua suporta dezenvolve kapasidade ita nia parseiru sira atu establese database estatistika ne'ebe diak liu tan," Sr. Kukita hatutan.. Relasiona ho assuntu ne'e Peskiza Demografiku Saúde nian iha tinan ida ne'e ho Sensus Nasional iha tinan 2010 sei importatnte atu ajuda fo sai figura ne'ebe klaru liu kona-ba kondisaun saúde labarik no feto sira nian.

*REMATA *

For additional information, please contact:
Mary Ann Q. Maglipon, Chief of Communication Section, UNICEF Timor-Leste
+670-723 1103 Email: mmaglipon@unicef.org
Domingus Monemnasi, Senior Communication Assistant, UNICEF Timor-Leste
+670-724 0601; Email: dmonemnasi@unicef.org (For Queries in Tetum)
About UNICEF
For over 60 years UNICEF has been the world's leader for children, working on the ground in 156 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.