Liga Inan: Connecting Mothers
The Liga Inan program has scaled up mother-to-midwife connections across all 13 municipalities of Timor-Leste, substantially increasing the number of women who seek skilled care in a health facility before, during, and after childbirth.
LIGA INAN SUPPORT HAS TRANSFERRED TO HAMNASA
As of October 2021, HAI fully transferred all global operations and active Timor-Leste programs to HAMNASA, an independent local Timorese NGO with a board, leadership, and staff that reflects the communities they serve.
Stay up to date on Liga Inan and follow HAMNASA’s full portfolio by clicking any HAMNASA logo on this website.
In 2013, HAI and Catalpa International designed and launched the first ever mobile health (mHealth) program in Timor-Leste. The Liga Inan program (Connecting Mothers in the local Tetum language) uses mobile phone technology to support Ministry of Health efforts to improve maternal and newborn home care and care seeking practices.
The program connects expectant and new mothers to health information and to the government midwives and doctors who serve them. In addition to sending pregnant women automated messages covering relevant health topics and and reminders to seek care, Liga Inan also facilitates phone calls between women and health providers. This means providers can respond quickly and directly to patient questions and emergencies. The Liga Inan service also prompts health providers to call mothers three weeks before their estimated due date to promote planning for a safe delivery with a skilled provider.
The Liga Inan pilot was found to substantially increase the likelihood of skilled birth attendance, facility-based delivery, timely postpartum care, and newborn health checks. The program was so well received, in fact, that Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Health adopted the program as national policy, and enlisted HAI and Catalpa International to assist with the scale up and transition to health system leadership.
HAI-LIGHTS
Pregnancy remains a major threat to the life of a Timorese woman. What began as a small pilot project in 2013 to better connect pregnant Timorese women to skilled health providers, has grown into a nationally-available service offered through and led by Timor-Leste’s National Health System.
In 2020, the Liga Inan program hit its 60,000th enrolled mother.
Want to dig a little deeper?
Publications
| Connecting mothers to care: Effectiveness and scale-up of an mHealth program in Timor-Leste | J Glob Health, 2019 |
| Participation in the Liga Inan Program | Technical Brief, 2016 |
| Utilization of Maternal Health Services | Technical Brief, 2016 |
| Postnatal Care for Mothers and Newborns | Technical Brief, 2016 |
| Does mobile phone ownership predict better utilization of maternal and newborn health services? A cross-sectional study in Timor-Leste | BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2016 |
| Mobile Moms/Lia Inan: Improving Quality and Access to Maternal Care in Timor-Leste | Technical Report, 2016 |
| The Liga Inan Program: Putting health in the hands of mothers | Report, 2015 |
News/Media
| ligainan.org | Website, 2017 |
| How an app is saving the lives of women and babies in Timor-Leste | Medium, 2018 |
| MAMA Community Spotlights | mHealth Innovation: Best Practices from the Mobile Frontier, 2014 |
| Timor-Leste Mobile Moms/Liga Inan | Video, 2014 |
| Volunteer Recap: Connecting Moms To Midwives In Timor-Leste | NPR: Goats & Soda, 2015 |
| Vice Ministro Lansa Programa Liga Inan Iha Munisipiu Viqueque | RTTLEP, 2018 |
| Programa Liga Inan Implementa Ona Iha Munisipio Sia | The Dili Weekly, 2017 |
| Mobile Moms: Using cell phones to increase women’s access to midwives in Timor-Leste | IGNITE/Global Fund for Women, |
| Mobile phones help expectant mothers in Timor-Leste | UCA News, 2015 |
| Mobile Phones Save Lives in Timor-Leste | HuffPost, 2014 |
| Mobile moms: Design issues in the use of cell phones to improve maternal care in timor-leste | Abstract, APHA, 2013, Boston, MA |
Funding
The Liga Inan mHealth program is a Timor-Leste Ministry of Health program supported by Health Alliance International and Catalpa International with funding support provided by the Australian Government and the United States Agency for International Development.
[2017-2021] Support of Integrated Maternal and Newborn Care and Liga Inan Scale-Up in Partnership with the Timor-leste Ministry of Health [project transferred to HAMNASA for continuation]
This project received funding support from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade though the Partnership for Human Development.
[2019-2019] Liga Inan 1000 Days Nutrition Project.
This project received funding support from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, via a subagreement from ChildFund Australia.
[2015-2017] Support of Integrated Maternal and Newborn Care and Liga Inan Scale-Up in Partnership with the Timor-leste Ministry of Health.
This project received funding support from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
[2011-2016] Mobile Moms: Improving Quality and Access to Maternal Care in Timor-Leste.
This project received funding support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
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Our Mission
Our mission is to promote policies and support programs that strengthen government primary health care and foster social, economic, and health equity for all. Our vision is a just world that promotes health and well-being, including universal access to quality health care.
Our History
Health Alliance International began in 1987 as a US-based international solidarity organization committed to supporting the public sector provision of health care for all. Over 35 years, HAI conducted programs in 17 countries, with flagship programs in Mozambique, Côte d'Ivoire, and Timor-Leste.
Our Evolution
In line with HAI’s commitment to support and strengthen local public health leadership, as of October 2021, HAI fully transitioned global operations and active programs to locally-based, locally-led NGOs. Learn more about this shift toward local autonomy and equity in global health.
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